Author: Mike

Michael Bloomberg has soared to the number two position in the most recent national poll. This qualifies the former NYC mayor to debate Crazy Bernie Sanders, Pete B, Joe Biden, Amy K, and Elizabeth Warren. I actually like everyone left standing with the exception of Bernie Sanders and would support any of them over Trump except Bernie Sanders.

This is my Bernie Sanders intervention moment on my small blog. You want to know the worst thing to happen to the Democratic party in the past four years? It wasn’t Hillary Clinton. More to the point it’s the do nothing fantasy pandering Democratic Socialist from Vermont.

BTW, speaking of Vermont… Bernie voted ‘no’ there around four times as a congressman on gun control measures because he withered from the hunting lobby in his tiny little state.

Bloomberg will be prepared, albeit probably a bit rusty, but he should be fine once he gets through the first fifteen minutes. Be careful what you ask tomorrow night, Bernie Boy. All those young Bloomberg staffers from places like Harvard and Yale know even more about you than the guy at okcthunderground.com.

Bloomberg is not a rock star debater like Obama or Bill Clinton. That won’t be him tomorrow night. He’s a steady grinder. Obama and Clinton are/were Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard…. Mike B is more like Smokin’ Joe Frazier per the boxing analogy.

I keep reading he did this horrible thing with the frisk and search in NYC in an effort to save black lives in what was then a war zone, but here’s what Michael Bloomberg didn’t do….he didn’t vote for Bill Clinton’s Crime Bill in 1994 which in reality was far more punitive towards blacks as far as excessive federal sentencing practices.

Bill Clinton put this into law, not Michael Bloomberg. Bernie Sanders voted for it as a congressman. Joe Biden voted for it as a senator. Amy Klobuchar enforced it as a federal prosecutor. All three participated in punitive and excessive sentencing towards the African-American community. Are we sure we want to go there on cross examination, guys?

Race and law enforcement are/were tough tasks. Ask Pete B how that’s gone as mayor of tiny South Bend. When Mike Bloomberg was mayor 80% of gun related homicides in NYC involved black males between the ages of 18-28 years of age.

You think Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were cool with that at the time? I don’t think so. In fact, the inverse argument was being made when Rudy Guliani started the stop and frisk policy: ‘Why are you indifferent to our black children being murdered?’

As far as tough talk–I mean, if you can’t handle some F bombs here and there in the highly intense world of trading and finance…you might be in the wrong line of work. The story about ‘killing it’…. I simply don’t believe. Who talks like that? Even the grifter pos fuck Trump wouldn’t say that.

As far as red-lining goes…read Michael Lewis’s The Big Short if you want to be up to speed on the practice on how bundled traunches of high risk high default mortgages were a part of the 2008 financial crisis.

New York guys talk tough and to the point. I coached hockey with a guy from Long Island for four years. It’s a different language…literally. I was in shock the first week.

But from what I’ve witnessed of late from the Democratic National Party is they could use a little tough talk if they want to beat Donald Trump this November.

This is famous author Michael Lewis. Lewis quit at Solomon and went on to write the iconic Liar’s Poker which kick-started his writing career and a list of NY Times bestsellers. Unlike Michael Lewis….. Michael Bloomberg was fired at Solomon Brothers then started his company Bloomberg after this setback at the age of thirty-nine. This is Lewis talking about his books Liar’s Poker and The Big Short.

For the past thirty-six months I’ve been somewhat conflicted on President’s Day. I know there aren’t many white guys in Oklahoma feeling like this today, but at least there was me. Because in these last three years I now fully realize how much I miss having a POTUS I respect and admire as a husband, a father, and a man.

As far as Trump’s economy…it’s the one he inherited from Barack Obama as this market continues its eleventh year for the longest bull market of any in history.

During Obama’s 96 months in the White House the S&P index rose from 7,550 to 19,827 for a net gain of 166%. Unemployment dropped from just below 9.8% to 4.8% in these same eight years. In all, 11.6 million new jobs were created.

Those without health insurance dropped 15.2 million in numbers, but with some higher rates as Mitch McConnell sat on the plan and didn’t allow the needed tweaks.

Oil production of all things even without Scott Pruitt running the EPA rose 77% making the United States the largest crude producer in the world under Obama. Funny…..Inhofe and Lankford never share this stat with their constituents in Oklahoma. Meanwhile… dirty coal production dropped by 30%. Auto emissions were down by 11%.

There were no 28 billion dollar bailouts required to bail out our farmers from our own president’s undisciplined trade treaties. But there was a bailout of the auto industry while later under Obama’s call Leon Panetta ordered our bravest men to kill Osama bin Laden.

You would never know it from what Birther Donald Trump has said to his cult followers, but during Obama’s eight years unauthorized illegal immigration dropped by 6%.

There were things called the Paris Climate Accord, the Iran Nuclear Deal, and the understanding with our allies in NATO that the Marshall Plan wasn’t a deep state myth propagated on MSNBC by Lawrence O’Donnell. Instead it was the most thought out successful plan which kept the world from initiating World War III for three-quarters of a century.

To date an Access Hollywood video hasn’t surfaced with Obama bragging about grabbing pussy whenever he felt the need. Or with Obama as president enduring the acute embarrassment of having a POTUS who’s skill set looked more in line with that of a sketchy owner of a strip bar versus that of the leader the world’s greatest democracy.

America was clearly viewed as the leader of the free world in which federal judges and lawyers from all over the country didn’t have to sign petitions to give the president a primer in appropriate American legal conduct by a sitting president.

We never dreamed there would be a president coming who would make Richard Nixon seem almost acceptable.

There wasn’t a Stormy Daniels or any playboy bunnies or Paul Manaforts , Michael Cohens, or Roger Stones… just Michelle, their two daughters, plus Michelle’s mother.

There weren’t any impeachment hearings.

There was just President Barack Obama…the leader of the free world growing into the role.

What a quaint time in history those eight years were in historical hindsight.

If you watch the farewell video above you’ll observe search and frisker Michael Bloomberg sitting next to Joe Biden at the Obama’s table.

This podcast took place about fourteen months ago. Pretty young kid asking the questions. Nice kid, kind of reminds me of the innocent millennials over at Daily Thunder. He’ll get better and learn to ask better, more pointed questions.

But still, it’s the iconic James Carville who got Bill Clinton elected in 1992 in spite of his client’s numerous electability issues.

Carville is a very sharp guy in my view. He doesn’t pull punches and gets right to the point…which I like. Fact he loves college football makes him even taller in stature with me.

Like me, he originally endorsed Michael Bennet. I actually endorsed Bennet before I knew Carville had done so….. which makes me feel good about my initial choice as a historian/political scientist. Carville is a guy I’d love to have lunch with some time.

I think Joe Biden is too old as does James.

We both agree Bernie Sanders might be a good choice if he was running in Denmark or Greenland.

Like Carville…I think Pete B is extremely bright and he drives down my moderate lane. I just honestly worry how he would hold up under the scrutiny of the Trump, Miller, Bannon, Rebeckah Mercer, Breitbart machine in a national general election.

Elizabeth Warren would make a nice attorney general.

Amy Klobuchar is very sharp and I think she’d make a helluva vice-president in her first national campaign. Bloomberg is too old to go beyond one term himself so maybe she should consider this as a resume builder for the Presidency.

Which brings me to Michael Bloomberg and why he’s now the candidate I’m endorsing even with some things he did while at Solomon Brothers or as mayor of NYC. I’m primarily going with Bloomberg because he’s smart as a whip, tough as a rattlesnake, and yet in these later years of his life has shown he has a heart of empathy for multiple causes of basic human decency.

The Little Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood faction of the Democratic Party needs a stark reality check. This is a unique election in our nation’s history.

Beating Donald Trump and removing him from office will require a unique set of smarts and toughness.

This isn’t the time to go beyond FDR’s New Deal.

Just beat Donald Trump and reset from there like pragmatic adults.

As horrible as the national anthem performance was…this was utterly beautiful. It is hard for me to fathom the same producer who had a part in Jennifer Hudson’s tribute to Kobe and his daughter… okayed the wreckage of Chaka Khan’s dumpster fire performance of the national anthem.

Jennifer Hudson was fantastic. Bravo.

Other than perhaps when Fergie was allowed to butcher our national anthem several years ago.. this was perhaps the most brutal version of our national anthem I’ve ever heard.

One week removed from trolling a millennial Trump supporter at a Michael Bloomberg rally…my calm is wearing thinner in America by the day.

If we held the election tomorrow we would have a choice between a pussy grabbing pathological liar and a Democratic Socialist who had a heart attack this summer. I am becoming A Man Named Ove. (google)

Maybe me getting banned for life on the Daily Thunder was the check engine light coming on my life dashboard. Maybe I should talk to a professional counselor or something.

With each passing day I’m becoming George Costanza or something akin to George screaming at the Bubble Boy.

This is how a real country sings their national anthem.

History will tell us Joe Biden isn’t dead politically…just yet.

In ’76…upstart Ronald Reagan staggered incumbent Gerald Ford coming out of the GOP primary gates. Bush 41 caught Ronald Reagan confused and without energy at the Iowa Caucus in ’80. While in ’88, Bush 41, after serving two terms as Ronald Reagan’s vice-president was beaten by GOP insurgent Bob Dole in Iowa.

On the Democratic side, in ’92, Bill Clinton dodging all of his numerous scandals didn’t win a primary until the ninth primary in the campaign season. As recently as 2008, Barack Obama overcame a toxic video of his minister Reverend Wright giving a sermon… which many thought would doom Obama’s campaign.

There is contemporary presidential history which tell us not to bury Joe Biden… just yet. Because in the five instances listed above…Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bush 41, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama came back from bad starts to capture their party’s nomination.

But for Joe Biden it starts this week in Nevada with nothing worse than a second place finish, then the following week in South Carolina with a win.

Joe Biden has to shake off the fact Donald Trump’s impeachment trial hurt him more than it did the CGOTUS (Chief Grifter of the United States) Never ever forget Rick Wilson Rule # 3 …Donald Trump could shoot Chief Justin John Roberts on the streets of Manhattan and the base is still going to be with him.

Ford had the pardon of Nixon clouding his chances. Reagan lost his message early in 1980. Bush 41 in ’88 had to hire Lee Atwater and James Baker to turn his campaign around.

Clinton was trickier in that every week it seemed there was a new woman coming forward he’d slept with in Arkansas, but he somehow weathered the storms. With Obama…it was probably just youth and inexperience more than anything before his campaign steadied with David Axelrod calling the shots.

But for Joe Biden…he has to come out of the gates this Monday. If I were Biden’s manager…I’d have him watch this video and see if that Joe Biden is still around.

It was a great NBA three point shooting contest with former OU National Player of the Year Buddy Hield winning the championship over Devin Booker on his last shot. Great stuff. For OU fans it was doubly special because the other recent OU National Player of the Year…Trae Young was in the contest as well.

The dunk contest could have been epic. But I think the NBA handled it all wrong. Both Jones and Aaron Gordon should have been awarded a share of the championship as neither one of their final dunks was a game winner in my view. Quite frankly—the NBA embarrassed itself on this one. Like me, the Chicago crowd sat in stunned silence as once again Aaron Gordon was screwed in the NBA Dunk Contest.

So to make things right on my little sleepy Slovenian blog….’FLOTUS proclaim dreamy Aaron the dunkster champion and Hopes that we at some time can Peloton together and discuss Brad Pitt, Justin, Macroon, Donalt situations.’ -FLOTUS Melania-

Q: Would Bernie Sanders becoming the Democratic nominee be a disaster for the Democratic Party in November?

As much as I disdain Donald Trump with his bullying bluster, tiny little hands, and timely bone spurs– I would have to answer….. yes.

Like Smerconish, I’m a former Republican who has been voting as an independent since 2000. I don’t consider myself a crazy driving in either of the extreme lanes of ideology which have paralyzed our country.

But it wasn’t just Donald Trump who drove me away from the GOP. It was the Tea Party which preceded him.

I try to be fair and think things through.

Let’s start with what is the technical definition of what Sanders believes as per the definition of being a Socialist Democrat.

“Democratic Socialism describes a socialist economy where production and wealth are collectively owned, but the country has a democratic style of government. The goal of democratic socialism is to achieve socialist goals of equality, while opposing authoritarian socialists ideology.

As a term democratic socialism was popularized by social democrats who were opposed to the authoritarian socialist development in Russia and elsewhere during the 20th century.”

In the recent primary in New Hampshire in a state with little diversity the combined vote of Sanders and Elizabeth Warren collected 38% of voters and that doesn’t take into account independent Trump supporters who intentionally voted this way to make Trump’s path to becoming a two term president much easier with Sanders atop the Democratic ticket.

Having Sanders at the top of the ticket would also hurt the Dems in the House and the Senate as reasonable moderates like myself in no way in hell would ever want either body of government controlled by the same party as Bernie Sanders.

This is why you’ve seen James Carville losing it on cable news the past ten days or so.

Interestingly…Sanders’ own individual net worth has increased from $1 million to around $3 million since 2016 in the wake of making $1.7 million in book royalties from three books he’s written. Sanders and his wife now have three homes and recently acquired their first dacha near Lake Champlain. Google dacha if you don’t have any democratic socialists in your inner circle. Just to be clear… Socialist Bernie has approximately the same net worth as Lindsey Graham. Oh, really.

Bernie and his wife will not be in the upper 1 per cent he rails about until their net worth gets to the $10 million net worth plateau. But of course that won’t occur until two more books are written after the loss to Trump in the general election.

Long story short, not even taking Michael Bloomberg’s fate into account, there’s no way I would vote for Bernie Sanders…and, yes, I do think his candidacy would be horrific for the Democratic Party.

Americans don’t want open borders. They don’t want overtly punitive tax rates. They don’t want non-citizens or people in prison voting for them. They do however want to keep their own doctor of choice. Americans want even handed pragmatic governance for all those who have the spirit to walk through the door to be a part of the American Dream.

Like James Carville with his rants…I would suggest the Democratic Party get it’s act together…in a hurry.

The power of incumbency with the Bully Pulpit and a one billion dollar war chest are on the side of Donald Trump. I would ignore every poll. Polls mean nothing related to Trump. The presidency will not be up for grabs if Bernie Sanders is the nominee.

Danilo Gallinari’s 29 points led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 123-118 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans to close out the pre All-Star Game portion of the season.

Rookie Zion Williamson led the Pels with 32 points and kept New Orleans in the game until around the eighteen second mark of the game. It was an exciting game with fairly good flow throughout and with the win the Thunder head into the All-Star break on a high note with a record of 33-22 which puts the Thunder in the No. 6 Seed.

For a team which wasn’t supposed to even be trying to win games this late in the season…this was kind of a big game for the Thunder as they broke a two game losing streak.

All told Six Thunder players scored in double figures. Dennis Schroder, Shai G. Alexander, Steven Adams, Chris Paul, and Mike Muscala all scored timely baskets to give Gallinari enough offensive support to lead the Thunder to their eighth straight road win which is a franchise record for the Thunder while in Oklahoma City.

Steven Adams looked better physically running the floor and hit his first three pointer of the season swishing a last second three to end the first half giving the Thunder a four point lead at intermission.

With 27 games left in the regular season after the break the Thunder would need to go at the minimum 17-10 to reach the 50 win plateau which would be the first time since Kevin Durant’s last season in Oklahoma City the Thunder would have done as such.

For Steven Adams the break would appear to be timely as it should give him a chance to get his body healthy and some bounce back in his step. With a refreshed Adams and no key injuries the 50 win plateau shouldn’t be a pipe dream. This team’s smarts, free throw shooting, and ability to play on the road should give this team a chance to fight for the No. 6 seed or maybe even the No. 5 seed depending on how Houston holds together without Clint Capela.

As far as the trade deadline, the Thunder held pat with Gallinari and I think were wise in doing so. Presti can at the worst sign and trade or at the best resign Gallinari to a three year deal which he was seeking at the deadline.

From my conversations with Thunder fans throughout the city it’s been the same response as in….. thrilled. The fans and the city are thrilled to have a team which in one season has gone from one of the dumbest teams in the league to one of the most intelligent poised teams in the NBA.

Two words, as in…… Chris Paul.

The break will give me some time to work on the Melania FLOTUS Slovenian Secret Diaries. As an aging white male in Oklahoma I think this fairly well sums up what Little Donalt has done to my emotional stability in three years.

Disclaimer: I read something Kate Bennett referred to as a ‘book’ titled ‘Free Melania’. It would rank as the worst book I’ve read in the past decade….. easily. It was a HUGE disappointment. Total Slovenian fluff through the filter of a struggling CNN writer of sorts..

Rick Wilson and I agree…the Slovenian FLOTUS diaries in regards to the ‘big’ Donalt are much better.

If you’re a Daily Thunder reader you will need a signed permission slip from both of your parents to go any further.

Part 1

‘So, typical day.

I gets up, does the Peloton until you know, am sweatings like same way Donalt is sweating when he climb maybe two stairs. No, diary, Not two flight of stair. Two stairs. No, is not mean, Is real!

But Peloton is good. You see this body? Work, bitches.

Anyhows…typical day. I don’t has to see him on typical day, which is you know…good. Prenup is points system; go to rally, 50 points. Go to press conference 100 points. Don’t asks what get 5000 points, but I would rather doing so with Justin Trudeau, if you know what I am meaning.

So he is saying to me, “Why you no look at me as you look at Justin and Macroon?”

Diary, one day creepy Jared see me texting Justin, I am telling you this if Roger Stone does anything to FLOTUS.

Please gods of Slovenia… don’t let him be releect. Please….I am begging you.

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