Dan,

I'm not about to pick this apart line by line, but I'll throw out a few thoughts.

CD offers up what seems to be a mixed bag of views. I largely agree with his thoughts regarding the heroic actions that helped found our country (while I would omit references to a divine hand in it) and it's good that he acknowledges, however slightly, the shameful actions as well. I agree with him that Congress is largely a pathetic, ineffectual group but it's the GOP who regularly refuse to meet the Democrats halfway and work toward compromise. The GOP base would view this as treason and the offending politician would get a primary opponent who is even more reactionary.

His thoughts on SCOTUS are lacking. Sure, this year has been largely beneficial for liberal issues but prior years have seen more victories for the conservatives. He bemoans politicians who are only concerned with their next election but where is his criticism of Citizens United? Does he know that five of the justices were appointed by Republicans?

He mentions President Obama's imperial presidency and I assume this is a reference to his issuing of executive orders. I wonder if he's aware that this president has issued fewer executive orders per year than the vast majority of his predecessors.

I disagree strongly with his view of the Iranian Nuke deal and I'd happily go toe-to-toe with him with respect to the national debt. I wonder if he realizes that our annual budget deficits have been shrinking greatly since the president took office. And there's no mention of his willingness to cut entitlements and defense or increase tax rates on the wealthy so his debt worries seem overstated.

I think Daniels represents a lot of the folks who have thrown in with Donald Trump. This group, weaned on Fox News, reality television, and hate radio see demographic changes that reduce the little power they have (the browning of our country you might say), they feel income stagnation and have a sense that globalization will only further damage them and their kids, they recoil from the greater rights being afforded to women and gays, they detest all elites, irrespective of political party, and they think that illegal immigrants are just pouring over our border. In fact, illegal immigration rose dramatically from 1990 until about the time that the Great Recession hit. Under President Obama, the number of illegal immigrants has stopped rising and basically held steady.

So, to sum up, CD offers up a shallow rant to his conservative brethren that offers heat but no light. They'll lap it up, not knowing shit about the fine print. That would require some reading something more than a bumpersticker.

Peter T.