Archives for January 2016

Response to: The More We Learn…The Less We Know

January 27, 2016 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Before you read this response you might want to check out the original post here:

My friend Tim, a retired regional VP for a large health imaging business, who inspired the original article, responded to me with the following. You’ll get some amazing insights from him. He is a thorough and well-read researcher, critical and deep thinker, with a wealth of knowledge. Enjoy…

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Like all of your blogs I was impressed. I’m not on Facebook so will respond the old fashioned e-mail way.

I think that a good business strategy must be empirical but also philosophical to a certain extent. My strategic business acumen would now be considered BCE but I made a few observations.

I would sum up my views with 16 bullet points but I hate bullet points with a passion…if one hasn’t got time to understand the context how can one understand the tweet?

Know your market, customers and competition well
Know your products
Have a vision
Plan carefully (strategically and financially)
Execute carefully and manage risk
Change the plan to coincide with market conditions
Choose good intelligent and personable people as employees
Continually train them with precision
Trust them and do not micro-manage
Give them reasonable goals and don’t pit them against each other
Treat them as gold because they are
Treat your customers as gold because they are and don’t forget to tell them that all the time
Reward good customers and loyal customers not new customers just to get the business
Provide legionary customer service
Have a business brain, heart and soul…Believe in your business, employees, products, services
Take your profits to the bank and reinvest part of it in your business and employees

Remember not to allow success to go to your head…it can change in a Nano second, too much pride and complacency is the devil.

I loved your analogy of the fish in and out of the fish bowl and also your theme of “The more we learn the less we know”…a very philosophical idiom which is often stated as “The more we know the more we don’t know”. Topped-off with Al Einstein’s quote was a nice touch.

I have my own definition of philosophy in the search for why. …that you have two voices with which you speak: your Mind-Voice and your Soul-Voice. I believe these voices are continually speaking to us.

Most will argue that we must sometimes listen and speak with the mind and sometimes listen and speak from the heart or soul. I say we must listen and speak with both. I say that because facts and reason without experience and wisdom doesn’t get anyone anywhere.

I see that in the many of the corporations today. They do not seem to learn the lessons of the past. Their business strategy ‘all’ comes from the mind and nothing from the heart…corporations like United Healthcare, Comcast and Bank of America with one focus only…Profit. I refer to them as “Ferengi” of Star Trek fame. However, they are not too big to fail and you know what will bring them down…not listening or speaking with their heart and soul (I’m not sure they have either).

Customers and employees also have minds and souls…heads that remind them how they are treated and souls that recognize greed when they see it.

So, I guess what I’m saying is a good business strategy must be empirical when it comes to planning and execution but it must also have heart…w/o good customers, profit will vanish in time. Oriental thinking and strategy contains both reason and wisdom and plans not one year to the next but for years to come. That would be my advice to a fledging new business enterprise. You can become an MBA and learn finance and business strategy but wisdom and morality can’t be easily taught in school.

I like the manner in which you employed your Global Warming political analogy…although that one must be handled very carefully. I think what most climate deniers miss is…what if they are wrong? You can be right but also ‘dead’ right.

I think most men and women with children and grandchildren would prefer not to leave their children worse off than they were. If by chance the deniers are wrong then why not hedge the bet and do something to mitigate what science believes to be the cause. To reason otherwise is to throw the baby out with the bath water or in short doing something is better than doing nothing.

The point being that if science is right and we don’t do anything about it then we have nowhere to escape? I think Maslow would agree…don’t mess with my food and shelter…planet earth.

I think the global warming analogy is also in concert with what I said above. The opinions of many climate deniers (but not all) partially conclude that to take definitive actions to curb greenhouse gases would have dire consequences on our economy because it would mean more regulations, no more reliance on fossil fuels…increasing overall cost adversely hurting industry and large corporations as if that ‘trumps’ (excuse the pun) the obvious cost of the effects of global warming…how many billions did Katrina or the NE storm cost?

Now if one wants to put their head in the sand arguing well…global warming had nothing to do with it then once again why take the risk? If anyone denies that ‘something’ isn’t going on they are blind. Sure it could be the beginning of a new ice-age but that is not what science says…why do we rely on science for everything else other than their conclusion on climate change?

These folks have a mind and soul but they are not listening to either… let them explain it to their grandchildren. Big and small business alike must bear tremendous responsibility not only to themselves employees, shareholders but customers and humanity at large. They must remove their Ferengi costumes and learn that profit w/o heart is a snowball heading to hell.

Mike, please, please put me back into the fishbowl…its getting hard to breathe with all this smog and pollution around me. There is no lead in the water is there? 🙂

Love you man…keep up the good work.

Tim

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Tim covered a lot of ground. But let it sink in. Maybe re-read some sections. If you’re looking to build or improve an existing business, definitely read and absorb his 16 bullet points.

If you’re on one or the other side of the climate change fence, there are things to think about there as well.

And if you’re just into deep, metaphysical thinking…or Star Trek…there’s something for you too.

If this spurred any interesting insights, please share your comments below or on your favorite social media site. If you want to be reminded of these posts on a weekly basis, and pick up some extra cool gifts, subscribe below too.

Thank you again Tim for sharing your insights.

The More We Learn…The Less We Know

January 25, 2016 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

A friend of mine sent me a link to this Ted talk. To his “scary-smart” friends. He didn’t define who were smart, who were scary, and who were both. You be the judge…

We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.

– Albert Einstein

What this video really shows is how the more we learn, the more we find out that we don’t know.

That is why I’m always suspicious of things when people say something “Has to” be a certain way.

Climate Change or Ice Age?

Is “Global Warming” or “Climate Change” is a catastrophe just about to crash on our heads? Did we caused it?

In the 70’s it was the coming Ice Age. In the 2000’s it is Global Warming or Climate Change. How can we go from one extreme to the other?

First I don’t believe we are really all that powerful. Yes, we can impact our small part of the globe and a very microscopic part of the universe. But there are a lot of things much greater than us (even if you don’t believe in God) that can have a much greater affect on our environment.

You have volcanoes that can dramatically change the atmosphere in a big way (like contributing to prior ice ages).

Now that doesn’t mean we should just dump trash everywhere. But it does mean we need to be careful not to buy into Environmentalism as a religion or blame everything on human existence.

And we need to understand that we still must protect ourselves. I know many environmentalists would rather see the Earth transformed back into an ecosystem where there is no trace of human existence. But someone needs to be a realist too.

The problem is Science is also mixed in with a heavy dose of Politics. And Politics is also tied to Power and Money. And as we all know, power corrupts.

So what about Politics? What do we know about that? And how is the current political climate another example of people learning how much they don’t know?

Political Rules Out The Window

Will Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders as President of the United States mark the end of our country as we know it?

It might be the end of the Big Government, Big Media, Big Business Triad being able to sell us their brand of “Just shut up and be happy…and vote for us. We’ll do what we want and screw the taxpayer.”

The American Public has had enough of their lies and insider dealings at our expense.

The Political Class may not understand it and may not understand us. But this revolution of thinking is happening right before their eyes. The problem can’t be solved by them. Because they are part of the problem.

They think they are smarter than the average American. And even if that is true, it is a lot like a California weather report. What you predict at the start of the week rarely matches up to reality when that day shows up.

People don’t predict well because there are a lot more influences that shape things than people can effectively measure. And most of it is measured after the fact. And we’re all living the results rather than looking from outside the fishbowl.

That is why the American people can see the problem with Washington better than those inside Washington’s Beltway. They can’t understand our perspective because they never get back home to absorb our world or really listen to what we see and live daily.

What About You?

So what about you and your life? At work or running your business. Are there things you can’t see right in front of you because you are in the middle of all the chaos?

Too often we think that we can solve it by working harder. Or by learning new sales techniques. Or getting more funding.

But that often just masks what is really going on. And what is necessary to get better results

And to get those better results you often need something more dramatic. That can only be seen from the outside. By someone who isn’t entrenched in the day-to-day activities and can see the fishbowl that the goldfish is swimming in that the goldfish can’t see.

And that is where I come in. I’m going to pick you up and scoop you out of the fishbowl for a moment so you can see the bowl. Then when you get back inside you’ll recognize your environment for what it is. And make better decisions.

And who knows. Maybe you’ll discover the secret to the universe while you’re at it…

…and for a response and counterpoint to my arguments, check out the response post here:

Response to the more we know…

What’s In A Brand? Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders

January 20, 2016 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Donald Trump’s candidacy has been an eye opening experience for many people. Most don’t understand his popularity and can’t believe the poll numbers. Or they think that once people vote, he will be found out and reality will set in and he’ll drop quickly out of sight.

As you know I’ve been following the Trump phenomenon for a while now. And looking at how he crafts his message and every element of his public persona, I’m not surprised he’s resting at the top.

So whether you’re trying to improve your profile to get that next raise or promotion. Or if you’re an entrepreneur trying to ride the next wave. Or if you’re just coming out of high school or college and trying to get that first or next job. Here’s some things you can learn from Trump and apply to yourself and your upcoming opportunities.

Donald J. Trump – the King of Twitter

Donald Trump uses Twitter unlike any of his competitors. See How.

@realDonaldTrump

Banner – “Trump” then below it “Make America Great Again”. The “M” is missing behind Trump’s profile pic but otherwise great. It is short, simple, and to the point. And it ties into the Trump brand and the tagline fits his simple vision for America. And one thing you learn is you need to keep things simple and easy to understand – typically 5th or 6th grade writing is key. He does that here.

Tweets and Followers – Trump has 5.76 Million Followers. We’ll compare that to the other candidates but that gives him great credibility and reach with his message. Also having 30,400+ tweets shows he’s a regular user. Something that is important if you want to use it as a key platform in getting your message out.

Profile Pic and Bio – Good solid pic – cropped tightly to make his presence stronger. Serious look – no nonsense – good negotiator. Blue checkmark shows he’s got enough celebrity or authority to be a “Verified” Twitter User. You don’t get that unless you matter. He also lists his Facebook and Instagram accounts and Website

Trump Tweets – First tweet – being interviewed on CNN (always good to be interviewed and on a major news station). And he chose CNN since they are better to him than Fox News has been. And he knows that the viewers are voters he’s trying to influence. He’s already done a lot of Fox News interviews so most of their viewers, the political news junkies, already know him and where he stands and whether or not they support him. But the CNN crowd, they’re either typically the Democrats or Independents who might be swayed. Some of them are even Republican voters so he can pick them up. Also he is setting the stage for when he moves into the general election. At that point he’ll already have a ready following.

The next tweet down is a CNN poll for New Hampshire – one of the two early states. It shows he’s winning by a large margin. Adds “authority” and “social proof” that he’s a force worth following and voting for.

The third one talks about how Ted Cruz would be a disaster. And that is coming from Bob Dole. Now Bob was an Establishment Candidate previously. And so having him talk about it (rather than Donald Trump himself) creates extra credibility. With LinkedIn that is like an endorsement or recommendation. For a business website or promotion it is like a client testimonial or celebrity endorsement. Always better when someone else touts you instead of you. Trump is doing a much better job of adding these in to offset his continuous self-promotion.

So how does Trump compare with Ted Cruz?

@tedcruz

Banner Headline – “Courageous Conservatives”. Courageous Conservatives is a solid branding for Ted Cruz. He is like Don Quixote who tilted against windmills in “Man of La Mancha”. He is very conservative (as you can tell by his following by Mark Levin, conservative talk show host). He is probably the most conservative. He will likely win nearly all the “True Conservative” votes. Donald Trump is not really playing in that pool. The biggest question is whether or not defining himself as a “True Conservative” pigeon-holes himself too much (a micro-niche can be good if you’re trying to profit off a smaller group or create a select following…but it may be too small for a national campaign). I think this is what gives him an edge in Iowa but where the voters are more diverse, he will likely see his message doesn’t connect as much as Trump’s does.
Banner Tagline – “Reigniting the Promise of America”. This is a good tagline but unfortunately Trump’s was made public first and hammered home. So Cruz’s seems more like a “Me-too” line. This is fine if he wants to be Vice President but hit puts him in 2nd place if someone is doing a side-by-side comparison between him and Trump.

Tweets and Followers – Cruz has 733K Followers (Trump has 7 times that). Cruz’s 12,900+ tweets are good but Donald has almost 3 times that and Trump tweets more regularly himself rather than having staffers tweet everything for him as it appears Cruz does. This makes Trump look more tech savvy than Cruz.

Profile Pic and Bio:
- “Father of two” – makes him down to earth for other parents
- “@heidiscruz’s husband” – weak. Who wants someone running the most powerful nation in the free world and he refers to himself as his wife’s husband. Now maybe that pulls the women vote but women also like a powerful man. Taking the back seat to his wife doesn’t add to his presidential aspirations.
- “fighter for liberty” – solid one – he fights for freedom for everyone
- “Player of iPhone games” – an attempt to connect with millennials. It may work with some but degrades his “Presidential” image he’s now going for.
- “2016 GOP candidate for President” – Helps people know this is his Twitter account but you notice Trump does not have this. This also ties him a little bit to the “Politician Class”. For Trump he doesn’t have to go that route because people knew him before he ran for President.

Twitter Verified – good

Has his political website – this is good to connect with to raise funds and get email opt-ins for future political contribution contact. But it is also clear that the website is all political. And the tagline there “Join the Movement of Courageous Conservatives” is good since it ties to his personal brand headline of “Courageous Conservative”. But it is one things to follow a “Courageous Conservative” and something different entirely to be one yourself. What about the conservatives who aren’t courageous themselves but would follow a courageous conservative? He will pull in the fanatics but may miss out on others who want to stay in the background but still support him. Not inclusive enough.

Now lets look at his tweets and see how he does.

The first one is pinned (you can pin a tweet to the top of the page so it doesn’t scroll down in the news feed – that way it is the first thing you see when you go to his Twitter site – that is smart). It is a short video about Phil Robertson from “Duck Dynasty” endorsing Ted. I guess Ted is trying to pull in the Duck Dynasty Southern crowd and conservative NASCAR fans. But you’d expect something bigger there than a reality TV star’s endorsement (I know that is kind of funny since Donald Trump is running for President and not just an endorser – but Trump is more than a reality TV star. It is the businessman, leader, and hard-nosed negotiator that is running – the TV star is just a marketing benefit). My biggest issue here is for this to be a pinned tweet it should be something very substantial. I don’t think this really does it and moves him into the 2nd tier.

The next tweet talks about Cruz’s Michigan office handing out water in Flint. I give him credit for tying into the Flint water news. But it is his office, not him handing out the water. And it just comes across as another politician trying to curry favors.

Overall when I compare Trump’s tweets to Cruz’s, there is no comparison. Trump is constantly hammering home the message that he is #1 and the alpha male and the winner. Cruz is selling a down-home message that says I’m like you which isn’t bad, but for the President people want leadership and confidence and kick-butt, take-names kind of guy, particularly right now with the unrest in the Middle East and at home. And Cruz just doesn’t address that in his messaging – other than courageous conservatism that is hard for people to really understand what that means.

Now how about Bernie Sanders?

Bernie brings two Twitter accounts.

One as a senator: @sensanders
And his Presidential Campaign one: @berniesanders

His senatorial based one looks like this.

Some highlights:

About the same tweet and follow volume as Ted Cruz
His profile pic looks like a crusader which ties in with his messaging
“longest serving independent in congressional history” which gives him credibility – in that as an “independent” he is an outsider but “longest serving” shows he can still make something happen and is relevant
His tweets are all about causes – “In the US today 50 million people are still uninsured or underinsured. We live in a nation where health care is a privilege for the wealthy.” – plays on the rich vs poor and ties into to health which everyone worries about.
His other tweet “It’s unacceptable that many kids have criminal records for smoking marijuana while the CEOs of banks do not.” – working the fat cat CEO’s against poor kids (particularly black kids from poor areas) who are sitting in prisons for minor offenses while the CEOs steal all our money.

On his other Twitter account Bernie keeps the theme alive.

“A Future to Believe In” – nice, generic but easy to wrap all his causes in – now sucks! You need to follow me if you want a better future. Good populist sentiment. Almost as good as Trump’s, better than Cruz’s.
“I believe America is ready for a new path to the future.” – the tagline in his profile bio works well with the banner headline.
Fewer tweets on this site with 5,800 but that makes sense since this is just a presidential twitter account
“Unanswered questions for Secretary Clinton” – questions about the Bakken pipeline, carbon tax, moratorium on coal leases, banning fossil fuel extraction on public lands, opposing offshore drilling and fracking. What Bernie is saying is he’s against things that harm us and our environment but Hillary Clinton won’t answer those questions. She’s just playing politics. He believes in the cause. Follow him. This is really good because it defines the enemy and rallies the troops behind his movement. Note that Trump, Cruz, and Sanders all work towards that end Anything you can do to lead a movement will gain you followers.

So the big question about Bernie Sanders isn’t whether or not he can create followers. He can as evidenced by his large crowds like Trump’s. On that front he and Trump are similarly based.

The question is whether or not Sanders’ cause is big enough. Both to win the Democrat nomination and also to win the Presidency. With all the media and school indoctrination in environmentalism, he has a lot better chance than he might have 20 or 30 years ago. But it also matters whether when the votes start being cast, will global warming be a big enough cause to move the needle. Especially if jobs and Isis and immigration are hot button issues for the voters. If that is the case then Trump and Hillary have the edge over Bernie.

So what about Hillary?

Well Hillary has a lot of controversy swirling around her campaign. From the email scandal to Bill’s indiscretions to her health issues and just not being a likable and trustworthy person. It all seems to be catching up to her.

So lets look at her Twitter profile and see what shows up there.

Banner is a picture of her with Bill in the middle with his back to the camera. Shows that she and Bill Clinton are linked. What is missing is her overall message. It isn’t in her banner or in her bio. That is bad marketing. No one knows what her message really is
Profile pic is good – good hair, looking upward optimistically
Solid followers – on par with Trump – positions her as a major player
Not many tweets at 3,558 – this fits with her desire to be insulated and not be “with” the people but rule over them. This doesn’t help her because people can’t connect with her this way.
“I’m fighting for everyone who’s ever been knocked down but refused to be knocked out.” Pretty good – she’s a fighter and one of you. You may be struggling but she’s fighting for you is the message. This actually fits well with her demeanor. She doesn’t have to be the nice person or really friendly if she’s a fighter.
“Wife, mom, grandma, women+kids advocate” – trying to be connectable but also the advocate fits in with her “fighter” persona. This unfortunately is where the issues with Bill’s affairs and Hillary’s attempts to have the women silenced hurts her.
“FLOTUS, Senator, SecState” – credibility booster – she’s been there and done that.
“hair icon, pantsuit aficionado” – not sure if either of those are great but helps a little by admitting failings (I don’t see either of those as strengths unless you’re in the middle of a women’s empowerment seminar).
“2016 Presidential Candidate” – just like Ted’s – a politician
Here tweets are a mix between the Donald Trump approach of selling her as the leader and also using some of Bernie’s cause tweets. But hers don’t seem to connect as much as Trump or Bernie. She’s kid of straddling the fence.
- “The progress we’ve made under @POTUS is remarkable. Hillary on how we can keep it going”
- “We need to protect and build on the Affordable Care Act, not start over with another contentious national debate.”
- “A reminder of what we’re all fighting for.” – this is a good video of all the people struggling to be heard and their rights stood up for – gays, disabled, kids, women, and lots of crowds following her campaign. This is probably the best tweet and should be pinned to the top of her page. Also this is a good emotional connection.

So what does all this mean?

The way I read the tea leaves, Trump will beat Cruz and Hillary will beat Sanders. Then Trump will beat Hillary.

I think Sanders has gotten the most mileage out of his brand and is really overachieving. Being an Independent/Socialist normally would be a HUGE detriment. But his marketing and branding is so solid. He knows who he is and what he’s about. And he is leading a cause. And the cause is one that he’s lead for a while and is credible with.

Hillary has the political machine and money and will likely take over once they get out of the smaller states where personal presence and connection are less of an influence. And where the environment is not the only major issue. Then Hillary can talk about leadership (her experience) and other causes that still connect with mainstream Democrats and curry the women vote.

Cruz has a good brand but it is even smaller than Sanders’. And the problem is that most conservatives don’t measure conservative credentials as their primary voting issue. They also look at leadership and a vision that is farther-reaching. Conservatism by itself is a hard sell. It isn’t easy for people to truly understand and get their head and heart around it.

Trump on the other hand has “Make America Great Again.” That connects with nearly everyone because we want to be great and successful and prosperous. We want to be in a better place. And if America is Great then that implies lots of good things like jobs, recovering stock market, better healthcare, etc. And with Trump, he never lets you forget that he’s winning and by voting for him you’ll be on that winning team too.

So as you look out on the political landscape, or the business landscape, or your own personal growth and influence landscape, what are you doing to make the most out of your personal gifts, skills, and relationships? Are you a brand that is winning? If not yet, what can you do to get there?

Imagine you’re on stage. Getting all the accolades. Envision your journey to get there. Now look back at where it all started. Did you find your purpose, your passion, and develop your plan?

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Had A Dream – Are You Pursuing Yours?

January 18, 2016 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vDWWy4CMhE[/youtube]

Today we celebrate the vision, inspiration, and transformative power of one man, a dream, and a movement that was created by that dream. Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Today we find a country struggling to find its next compelling dream for its future.

But as we reflect back on the positive hope and change that MLK brought from an idea into reality, it is clear that one person can make a difference in the world.

Looking into your life. Your past. And your future. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine a positive, compelling vision for your life. Imagine how that vision could transform those around you and make the world a better place.

In your life there are many ways to make that positive vision impactful in the world. Whether it is through your leadership in your job. Or growing your business to positively benefit more people – your clients, your employees, your family, and their families. Or it could be through your gifts of time and money to charitable causes you value.

Whatever it is, use today to plan, take action, and pursue that vision.

Here’s some things you can learn from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his life and values.

1. An inspiring vision (dream) can move mountains.

Without MLK there would be no discussion of lack of racial diversity in the Oscar nominees this year. There would be no “Black Lives Matter“. There would be no black President of the United States. There would be no Tiger Woods. There would be no Michael Jordan. There would be no Ben Carson, world renowned brain surgeon and Presidential nominee.

You’ve seen inspiring leaders. You’ve heard their speeches. You’ve seen the power of Steve Jobs and what he created at Apple. More than an electronics creator, he created raving fans who would buy Apple just for the status that was Apple.

What are you passionate about?

2. Develop powerful networks

If you are going to make a difference, you can’t do it in a vacuum. You need to connect with others who can help take your vision to a larger audience to make a bigger difference than you could do on your own.

You see this with YouTube cat videos that go viral. You see it with New York Times and Amazon Bestsellers. You see it in politics and business.

Once you’ve found your passion, your vision, how can you get the message out?

Is it a blog? Is it YouTube videos? Is it connecting through industry associations? Can you give presentations or speeches? Can you connect through community or church groups? How about reaching out to other influencers or connectors who you can share your vision with?

3. Prepare for Resistance

I’d love to tell you your journey will be all roses and unicorns. But the roses have thorns and the unicorns aren’t always where you want them to be and they have horns too if you don’t watch out.

In the real world things don’t always go as planned. There are also those out there who resent you and your dreams (think people who play the lottery on a weekly basis – I know you probably played the big 1.5 Billion Powerball lottery…I’m not talking about you). And they’d love to see you fail. And tell you “I told you so.” whenever you falter.

So plan for that. Plan for Mr. Murphy (of “Murphy’s Law” fame). Know that things will go wrong and have backup plans in order. Also make sure you’re taking care of yourself. Your health. Your personal relationships with friends and family. It doesn’t do you any good if you don’t have the support network and energy to battle through those challenging times.

4. Persist

Never give up. If you do, you will take your vision farther than anyone thought possible. It is those who persist who get results. It is those who persist who move mountains. It is those who persist who change the world.

I wish for you that power, that passion, that purpose that will make you and your life something special and powerful for you and the world around you.

Clinton Weekend With Bernie

January 13, 2016 by Mike McRitchie Leave a Comment

Okay…bad imitation photoshop…

So there was a movie called Weekend At Bernie’s back in 1989 (yes, before the internet and email and smartphones).

The gist of it is: A pair of losers try to pretend that their murdered employer is really alive, but the murderer is out to “finish him off”.

A friend of mine had this same photoshopped pic but used for a different purpose. And to me it seemed perfect for what is purported to be a serious attempt to win the Presidency.

But after watching several Democrat debates (and comparing them to the Republican debates), I’m more and more doubtful that Bernie Sanders is there for anything more than a diversion to give Hillary the chance to slide in to her coronation as President without much fuss. Just like in the movie, the kids try to play things off and keep living off of Bernie’s goodwill.

The other thing that is funny for me is Bill and Hillary. Now Bill had a suave way of making people feel like he was their long lost best friend. And he could get away with a lot of missteps and misdeeds because of his ability to just smile and make things go away.

And Hillary was the plotting mastermind that kept things under wraps. Whether it was shutting up the subjects of his playboy advances. Or if it was keeping the financial and other nefarious activities under wraps.

And so Hillary brings in Bill to campaign for her. But the Bill of old is not the current Bill Clinton. The current Bill is a grandpa. Kind of sad. And has no connection with a younger crowd who never even knew him as President and doesn’t pine for the old days. And those who do know him either are already on his side, but not all that energized by the prospect of another round of Clintons. Or they’re against him. There really aren’t a lot of people he’s likely to sway these days.

And then there is Hillary. Hillary has the ball and chain of her emails and email server weighing her down. She also has health issues that may cause either “low energy” (a Trump softball) or possibly a serious limit to her ability to perform the role as President. And with this is the campaign process which is still lengthy and likely to make her health even more of an issue.

Then there is the fact that Hillary isn’t nice, doesn’t smile a real smile much (only the fake politician smile and cackling laugh). And her record sucks as Secretary of State and as a Senator.

And Barack Obama didn’t do her any favors by remaking America…in a bad way.

So whether Bernie is the whipping boy to make Hillary look better. Or whether Hillary should be the “Bernie” in the picture, it just seems like a cavalcade of cronyism and corruption coupled with an inept politician who will not be able to keep the charade going through to the White House.

Now if I looked at the Republican field she might have had a chance if old punching bag Jeb Bush was the frontrunner. Because he and Nikki Haley would play nice in the sandbox and do like so many Republican candidates from John Mc Cain to Mitch Romney to Bob Dole would do – and that’s cave to the pressure and negative press. And we all know that the mainstream press will happily feed the narrative that Republicans are kill old people, are anti-women, poison the earth, racists and rich people who don’t understand the little guy.

But Trump won’t play that game…either from the Democrats and their mainstream media sycophants…or from the Republican establishment. Who even as of last night’s State of the Union Address rebuttal, seem more intent on putting down Donald Trump and those fighting back against an oppressive wave of special interests intent on destroying America, than on supporting an America-first vision that “Makes America Great Again”. Because even though Barack Obama says we’re still the best, he’s consistently done everything in his power to degrade our status in the world.

So are the “Weekend At Bernie’s” style keystone cops of Bill, Hillary and Bernie going to prevail? Or will Trump thump them? Only time will tell but it is sure entertaining!