Phillips says he is primarying the incumbent because Democrat voters need an alternative.
“If President Biden is the Democratic nominee, we face an unacceptable risk of Trump being back in the White House,” he wrote on X.
His backstory is fascinating. He started as the president of Phillips Distillery, a family business. He was also the co-founder of Penny’s Coffee, a twin cities coffee chain, and was a co-manager of Talanti Gelato, a luxury producer of gelato and sorbet.
His grandmother was Abigail Van Buren aka “Dear Abby”.
He is currently married to Annalise Glick, with two daughters from his first marriage.
He has a net worth of $65 million, according to Open Secrets.
According to his campaign website he is the “the only member of Congress who refuses to take any money from PACs, federal lobbyists, or other members of Congress.”
“I live with gratitude for my blessings and was taught that success is not to be measured by how much one collects, rather by how much one shares,” he says.
Unlike many Democratic Candidates , he describes himself as “a responsible gun owner.”
Under Higher Education and Job Training he states “We must treat the underlying problem of college, affordability.”
He also supported the passage of the 2022 Relief for Restaurants and hard-hit small Businesses Act.
“This is the time to meet the moment. This is now and it’s time for a new generation. It’s that simple.”
He also said California Governor Gavin Newson is running a “shadow campaign”
He has been criticized for recruiting defund-the-police activists Alondra Cano into his campaign albeit he has been endorsed by the Minnesota Police and Peace officers Association, Minnesota’s largest Officer organization.
Now, at last, the Democrats have two major candidates. They can start to think about a debate.
Michigan Trucker Anthony HudsonSeeks GOP Presidential Nomination
By Bob Small
Anthony Hudson owns a Michigan trucking company and wants to be the GOP nominee for president in 20204
On issues of social policy, Hudson supports everyone’s freedom, including the right to choose who to love. “If you find love, you find love,” Hudson says. “You deserve that. We all deserve that.” He also feels that transgender issues should be addressed at home, not in our schools.
He has a fiancee and two sons from a previous marriage.
On his campaign site, under the heading “Veterans and Homeless”, he states: “There are over 500 military bases in this country that are closed! We would like to reopen those bases and use the housing facilities for our homeless vets and other homeless Americans.”
Another innovative proposal appears under the heading “Immigration”. “Immigrants would take out a citizens’ bond and would be responsible for paying $150 a month to the federal government in exchange for working visas and the right to be here and get established, until they have completed the immigration process. “ Again, see the site for the full proposal.
He also propose innovative solutions for the following topics:
Parents and rights
Small business support
Securing our schools
So why haven’t we heard of this candidate?
How does a candidate enter the GOP debate? To make the stage, candidates must garner at least 6 percent in two approved national polls, or 6 percent in one poll from two separate early-voting states: Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
Participants also need to amass at least 80,000 unique donors, with at least 200 unique donors per state or territory, in at least 20 states.
Maybe we need some other format, like podcasts, radio, or TV, that will find a way to include some of these lesser-known candidates, so that a wider audience can hear them.
This Michigander, for instance, deserves to be heard in a wider context than the one he has now.
As for a candidate not having held prior political office, neither did Dwight Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, William Howard Taft, and one Donald Trump.
Michigan Trucker Anthony HudsonSeeks GOP Presidential Nomination
Frankie Lozada Wants To Be First Hispanic President — Frankie Lozada wants to be our next President, the first Hispanic president. Frankie, a New York Democrat, feels he is qualified to be the “next leader of the best country in the world”.
He says that “poverty is the largest illness that plagues America”.
Frankie recently joined Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in addressing the Hispanic Chamber gala in Savannah,Ga..
He previously ran for Congrees in New York’s 5th District.
He says he wants Medicare for all and to “encourage competition among pharmaceutical firms”
He was one of the few Democratic candidates to quote the Bible which came up during a discussion of immigration citing Matthew 25 31-40; “I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me”.
“For a country that was founded on religious freedom, we have strayed away from our values when we deny our own neighbors at the border and beyond,” he said.
He also suggests a “credit forgiveness program.”
Regarding prison reform he said prisons are intended to be rehabilitation centers but have “punishment facilities that embezzle money from our government.”
“The United States has a 68 percent rate of recidivism,”he says.
See also his extensive responses on Ballotpedia’s candidate connection survey.
Now, why should anyone consider any of these lesser-known Democratic Candidates? After all, Joe Biden is scheduled to run again.
Well, Biden appears to have various “issues”, and there are not a plethora of well-known candidates seeking the Democrat nomination.
RFK Jr. running as an independent, after all, and Politics1.com has demoted Marianne Williamson to the “ other Democrats” list, which the political equivalent of the Reading Phillies.
Albert Harshaw Wants American Dolls To Be Made In America
By Bob Small
A theme of Albert Harshaw presidential campaign is the insanely large number of “All-American” brands that are actually made in other countries.
Harshaw, of Jackson Township,N. J., is running as a Republican.
He points out that Major League baseballs are made for Rawlings in Costa Rica. The American Girl dolls, of course, are made in China. Other countries to which manufacturing is outsourced include, but are not limited to, Brazil, India, Mexico, and Taiwan. Other brands not made state-side include, but are not limited to Brach’s Confections, Chevy Silvarado, L. L. Bean, Levi Strauss and New Balance,
Harshaw discusses this outsourcing trend in copious detail. Two of the many points he makes are his assertion that the future of manufacturing will entail robotics and , “will require, instead, individuals who can manage the robots, and the A.I. components”.
Harshaw says he is a US Navy vet who traveled to Africa, South America, and the Ukraine while in the Navy, and that he recieved a Maritime Law Certificate during his service
He has also worked, as a civilian, he worked for the New Jersey State Police.
He has been married since 2007.
Harshaw is president of the Albert Harshaw Tree and Landscape Service.
Mark Stewart Greenstein (MSG) is a Connecticut Democrat who posits himself as an “anti-left” Democrat. On his web site, he lists reasons for Republicans to vote for him, including, but not limited to the following: “elimination of the income tax, faster dismantling of Obamacare, faster immigration reform, and forced socialism”.
But he also lists reasons that Democrats should vote for him, such as his dislike of the two-party system, the fact that he “likes Bernie but prefers he stays in the Senate” and the fact that he is “not enamored with any of the staged candidates”.
Lastly, he seeks the Independent vote as well, stating that he’s a candidate “who prefers small government” and “who wants to return to Constitutional governance”.
Mark Stewart Greenstein
It’s pretty evident that his stances — only a quarter of which are stated above –are fairly contradictory. Many, for example, would say Bernie Sanders stands for “forced socialism”.
MSG takes so many contradictory stances that he could probably debate himself.
In an insanely long meet-the-candidate article from his run for the Connecticut State Senate — 26 pages printed out; take on a train ride to read — we learn that MSG is a graduate of the University of California Berkeley School of Law. He founded and currently runs Ivy Bound, a company that helps prepare students for the ACT and SAT college-entrance exams and does academic tutoring.
During this state senate campaign, one of MSG’s goals was to bring an NHL team back to Hartford, Connecticut — previous home of the Hartford Whalers, as you no doubt knew — and the slogan was “Make Connecticut SKATE again”.
Greenstein was the first Democratic candidate for the presidency to file in New Hampshire.
Most of the time, I read about history, but a week ago, Oct. 9, I was at the National Constitution Center as history unfolded.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. generated excitement among the highly diverse crowd in attendance, many, like me, returning to Philadelphia for the first time in many years. It felt like a combination of rock music, politics, and sports. It was a time to let hope overcome fear and regain belief. It was a new time feeling like some old times.
We may think we know about this Kennedy but on his website, you will discover how many times he has fought big corporations including Ford, Mitsubishi, Mobil, along with various departments of our own US government, while representing the under-served American Indians, family farmers, Mexican fisherman, and migrant workers.
One part of his philosophy is to disengage from empire building.
“We have to stop seeing the world in terms of enemies and adversaries,” his website says. “As John Quincy Adams wrote, ‘Americans go not abroad in search of monsters to destroy.'”
RFK Jr. will revive a lost thread of American foreign policy thinking, the one championed by his uncle, John F. Kennedy who, over his 1000 days in office, had become a firm anti-imperialist. “
The speech was a good hour long and we spent almost two hours standing, cheering, singing, talking, listening, and hoping. When was the last time a candidate spoke and gave you hope?
Mostly, people vote for better than, the “lesser of two evils”, “he won’t start a nuclear war”.
There was a saying among us Greens “vote your hopes, not you fears”, knowing that Ralph Nader, etc. could never win but we wanted to hope.
Now here was a candidate that giveas us hope and whom we think, just maybe, could win.
This is not to say that he doesn’t have some negatives, but we’ll leave that for the Democrats, and Republicans to point out.
Just for now, for one bright shining hour, hope is allowed.
Time Of Treason And Hope Was Message At Quarryville Gathering — It was a warm gathering this afternoon, Oct. 14, for those who braved the bitter rains, backroads and buggies of Quarryville, Pa. but what was heard came without a sugarcoating.
“We live in treasonous times,” filmmaker and author Trevor Loudon told them.
The event was sponsored by Patriots of Lancaster County.
Loudon said that there were 100 members of Congress who couldn’t pass a background check for a top secret-clearance and 40 members of the Senate.
He noted the FBI is answerable to them so don’t expect action on that front.
He said Iran and China our aware of this gap in our security and worked to get those elected who either sympathized with them or whom they could control.
Loudon cited Congressmen Jerry Nadler (D-NY12), who chaired the House Judiciary Committee when the Dems had control, and Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA28) as two examples of those under their sway.
He said that Joe Biden was working with Russia since the 1970s, Iran since the 1980s and China since the Millennium.
Loudon said that was the reason that Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland has been shutting down every oil lease and uranium mine she can.
Her department controls about 20 percent of the country.
He said that China is running voter registration drives in swing states using data maps made by an American socialist who graduated from George Mason University but is working out of Wuhan University.
Loudon said Democrat-sympathizers often run as Republican in Pennsylvania and win.
He also said it is foolish to avoid social issues, unlike what the professional pols claim, as that is what drives turnout.
People will always vote for God, country and children, he said.
He said that vote fraud must be ended and can be. Florida did it he says. That was why it was the only state with a red wave.
He suggested that vote fraud can be handled nationally with a highly vetted squad of agents “untouchable” to corruption.
Loudon said that courage is required for these times and that courage is proof of faith.
“You can say you believe . . .all day but until you put your job on the line, your reputation on the line or your life on the line they are just words,” he said.
J R McGee
Security consultant J R McGee described a likely strategy by Israel regarding the horror inflicted on that nation, Oct. 7, by Hamas terrorists from neighboring Gaza.
Israel will give residents of Gaza City 72 hours to evacuate and be put into tent camps in the southern Gaza desert, McGee said. Israel will then march into Gaza City considering everything to be a potential military target.
McGee noted that Hamas along with Lebanon-based Hezbollah are controlled by Iran.
He said that when Israel invades Gaza, Iran will have no choice but to unleash Hezbollah from the north. This is a much more serious issue as Hezbollah has far more and far better weapons than Hamas.
McGee thinks Iran overplayed its hand, however. He said he is absolutely sure it’s using money Biden gave them
McGee said that America is in the same boat as more than 20,000 military age men from Iran and China were captured by Border Patrol in last two months. He said, though, that those who got away can’t be counted.
“If you don’t think we can experience something that Israel is facing now you haven’t been paying attention,” he said.
He said that Hamas, Hezbollah and the Taliban are absolutely in the United States.
McGee said Iran has become very good at duplicating our stuff, and that the things Biden left behind in the evacuation of Afghanistan is being studied by the Iranians, Chinese and Russians.
He urged all to vote, even if they didn’t like either candidate.
“In the primary support the perfect candidate,” he said “In the general vote for the one that is not the greatest evil.”
When you don’t vote, the greater evil wins, he said.
He said to vote even if you think there is cheating.
They said that Pennsylvania had the largest freedom caucus of any state legislature.
Zimmerman noted that the establishment is scared of the grassroots and will pull out all stops to keep power.
Mrs. Fink’s primary victory of long-term incumbent Stan Saylor in 2022 has absolutely terrified them.
Mrs. Fink she had little interest in politics before 2020 when the establishment’s actions regarding Covid and that year’s election woke her up.
“I was happily living in Wendy’s World,” she said.
But she got involved and caused an earthquake.
She was later teased by another caucus member about “Wendy’s World”.
“Wendy’s World was nice,” she said.
Discussed was Gov. Josh Shapiro’s unlegislated mandate of automatic voter registration at driver’s licensing. Nobody is certain how Shapiro specifically instituted the policy. Was it a phone call? A memo?
One would think there would be some legal challenge by the opposition. Mrs. Keefer said that neither Republican leadership in the House nor Senate was interested, however.
She said the Freedom Caucus is looking at a lawsuit using private lawyers.
Mrs. Keefer said one goal of the Freedom Caucus is to have ballots counted at precincts rather than at centralized centers like the Wharf.
Tom Jones said lukewarm Republicans are worse than Democrats.
Mike Jones condemned child porn and condemned the legislators who make excuses for inaction, especially regarding school libraries.
Not Unanimous For McCormick
Attorney Josh Prince, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Commonwealth Court in the primary, described his Russian Roulette blog series regarding the strident reaction by the GOP establishment to the grassroots.
He said it seems that supposedly Republican supporters such as Commonwealth Partners inevitably back weaker candidates in primaries setting them up for inevitable November defeats.
Prince suggested that York County District Attorney Dave Sunday be the GOP Attorney General nominee for 2024. He said Sunday squelched the attempts of state oppression in his county during Covid.
He also brought up the Pennsylvania GOP’s strange, early endorsement of equity fund CEO Dave McCormick for U.S. senator.
Prince said he understands the endorsement vote was not unanimous as had been claimed. He said the voice vote was declared over before the asking for nays, and there most certainly were nays.
Cutler Challenge From Nissley
Ron Boltz of PA Liberty Fund described his organization’s training sessions and how it has been actively campaigning against State Rep. Bryan Cutler (R-100), who had been Speaker of the House until Republicans lost it last year.
Carmela Ciliberti and Dave Nissley
Boltz noted that Cutler spent money to defend endangered incumbents in primaries, rather than use it for the general. He thinks this was a big reason for the GOP defeat.
Cutler will face a primary challenge next spring from Dave Nissley who was introduced along with Carmela Ciliberti.
Carmela will be again challenge long-time incumbent John Lawrence in the 13 District State House GOP primary.
She recommended Tactics by Gregory Koukl for all political newbies.
Time Of Treason And Hope Was Message At Quarryville Gathering
Even a Kennedy from a long-term Democrat Dynasty has come to terms with the demise of the Democrat party. No Camelot, it’s a party unrecognizable from earlier times. Robert Kennedy Jr., who was running for the 2024 presidency as a Democrat, announced Monday, Oct. 9, to a large crowd in Philadelphia that he will continue his run, but as an independent. He intends to “wrest power from both parties and return power to the people” with a populist movement that cuts through left/right division.
This is a wise decision by Kennedy. Although some may see his exit from the party as slow in coming, no one can begrudge Kennedy the time to process his former party’s abhorrent treatment of him. Coming to terms with the reality of the moral collapse of the Democrat party that his family had been so closely connected to for 140 years surely requires processing. This was the party of his father, who might have been the 37th president of the United States, had he not been assassinated, and the party of his uncles, President John F. Kennedy, also assassinated, and Sen. Ted Kennedy.
One of the legacies of Robert F. Kennedy and John F. Kennedy was a sense of unfulfilled promise and hope. What RFK’s son most definitely conveys in his campaign is hope – not the faux hope of Barack Obama’s “Hope,” but real hope to bridge the tremendous chasm in America and heal.
In watching many of the long-form interviews Robert Kennedy Jr. has given in recent months, he is grounded and centered. This may be the basis of his skill in addressing issues without attacking others. Given the frequency with which we hear Joe Biden attack those not bowing to party narratives, it’s a welcome change to hear Kennedy engage calmly, respectfully and with common sense. As well, like when listening to Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, there’s no disputing how smart Kennedy is. He peppers his responses with historical details that show a wide knowledge base, and he has many relatable lessons learned as a scion. Add on a very active and long career as an environmental lawyer committed to the protection of waterways and the rights of indigenous people, as a writer and as the founder of Children’s Health Defense and the Waterkeeper Alliance, and Kennedy has a commanding presence.
To a rational, thinking person, Kennedy would seem The Choice to be the Democrat nominee for the White House, similar to 2020, when Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard ran for the Democrat nomination. Of the long, weak list of Democrats running in 2020, Gabbard was also calm and respectful. Sharp as a tack, she exuded the most presence, composure and command, and she spoke common sense. Two strong Democrat candidates for the presidency in two different elections have been sidelined and maligned by their own party. Instead, the Democrat party’s new standard is to look for the least competent.
Not only did Kennedy’s party abandon him – Biden would not even provide Secret Service protection for this candidate – members of his family have been ugly. Apparently not the recipient of the brains in the family, sister Kerry Kennedytweeted on the morning her brother announced his independence:
Perhaps the fortunes of the Robert F. Kennedy siblings are so closely connected to The Borg that is today’s Democrat party that they had to toe the line for “the party.” Stay with us, comrades.
“If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything” might have been a better path for the siblings to take. With a family like that …
Of course, being family, they may know more. Kennedy has not been without his failings, including drug and sex addictions. We used to be more forgiving and open to redemption, but now all failings are used as weapons. Look for an increase in attacks on Kennedy’s personal failings as his popularity mounts. For those who commit to his candidacy, hopefully his demons are well at bay now at age 70, and he won’t disappoint followers.
Heading into the 2024 presidential election, anyone concerned about the direction of our country who is voting should listen to any of Kennedy’s long-form interviews with Tucker Carlson, The Joe Rogan Experience, Elex Michaelson, Russell Brand or others, and top it off with the Philadelphia speech. I considered recapping the Philly announcement, but decided it’s most impactful to listen to it in its entirety.
While media has downplayed the momentum of Kennedy – not surprising given the number of corporate media that act as the PR arm of the Democrat party – it’s clear there’s growing enthusiasm for Kennedy who is inspiring those beaten down by eight years of pronounced polarization in America. Kennedy believes, “The people are ready to take back power.”
It’s always interesting to read the comments after video, and Kennedy’s Philly speech is no exception. People are encouraged by Kennedy and see possibility of shifting the current trajectory of ever-growing rancor, division and ugliness in the country, which would be a significant achievement in our current environment. In one interview, Kennedy was asked what leadership lesson he’d learned from family. Kennedy responded that his dad wanted his children to understand that the path to happiness is through service to others. Kennedy is committed to service, and this is one reason people are drawn to his campaign.
As well, from his uncle and former U.S. President JFK he learned: “The primary job of a president of the United States is to keep our country out of war.” Kennedy in his Philly announcement said, “Peace and diplomacy first.” This is essential for the 2024 election, as current U.S. leaders – after dumping more than $124,000,000,000 into the Ukraine war – want more money for the proxy war and undoubtedly will start asking for more money for Israel (on top of that country’s annual $3 billion they receive from the U.S.). A Biden official said the U.S. can address the needs of the Ukraine, Israel and – should China make a move – Taiwan. Big talk for a country with $34 trillion in debt.
America cannot stand four more years of the tyranny and totalitarian rule of this corrupted, broken iteration of the Democrat party that is completely disassociated from its name, headed by a mentally incapacitated puppet. The power in Robert Kennedy Jr.’s run for the U.S. presidency can be assessed in a number of ways. On a numbers level, 63 percent of Americans want a third party, the highest percentage in 20 years of Gallup asking that question, and Kennedy appears to be the one who can deliver. Most telling for me is the view from my partner, a man who has never voted for a Democrat. He told me he’d consider voting for Robert Kennedy Jr. Now that’s something!
Maria Fotopoulos writes about the connection between overpopulation and biodiversity loss, and from time to time other topics that confound her. On FB @BetheChangeforAnimals and givesendgo.com/calliescathouse.
If we’re looking for a bald Republican candidate for president, look no further than Brian Friend of North Carolina, whose slogan is “America Reborn 24;”
Friend moved to Kure Beach, NC in 1987 and received his bachelor’s in accounting from UNC-Wilmington, while washing truks for $4.50 hour.
He also has a masters degree from the former Jones International University in Forensic Accounting/Advanced Taxation.
In some ways, his campaign is boiler plate GOP, describing it as
Pro God, Pro Military, Pro Law Enforcement, Pro 2nd Amendment
And he adds the statement that “America needs to be baptized”.
However, he sees the need for other changes. He is for affordable housing, choice for vaccination, school choice, cutting healthcare costs and trade schools
He also wants Americans “stranded in Afghanistan and Yemen” to be returned.
He is also anti-digital currency and defends bail bonds saying, “it is essential to . . . to keep dangerous criminals off the street, but also to let criminals that are not dangerous the opportunity for release.”
Pennsylvania GOP Endorses McCormick For Senate For 2024 — The Pennsylvania Republican Party officially endorsed Dave McCormick for U.S. Senate, today, Sept. 30, at its fall meeting we have been told.
It is believed to be the first time the state party has endorsed a candidate for an election more than a year away.
The seat that McCormick seeks has been held by Democrat Bob Casey since 2007.
McCormick lost a Republican primary election to Mehmet Oz for the 2022 Senate race.
McCormick worked at Bridgewater Associates, a private equity firm, starting as president in 2009, becoming co-CEO in 2017 and sole CEO in 2019. He stepped down in 2022 for his Senate run.
McCormick attended their meeting in Davos, Switzerland in 2021 and is extensively quoted on their website.
The presumption for this early endorsement is to stop a primary challenge by a Trump supporter.
Dave McCormick at Davos 2021 (click to enlarge)
Trump notably refused to endorse him last year.
Will we vote for McCormick?
We mean in the general.
There may be some possible possibility but we are not seeing it.
Here is some food for thought if the Republicans want to keep people like us in the fold: endorse Trump now, and that includes an endorsement from McCormick; and condemn — loudly, frequently and effectively — the vilely unAmerican lawfare being waged against him.
The most serious threats to the dignity and freedom of the American citizen are open borders, lawfare, untrustworthy elections and, especially, politicalization of monetary services, which is basically the Mark of the Beast.
Can’t say we have much faith that McCormick agrees with us.
Bridgewater Associates Is a World Economic Forum Partner
Pennsylvania GOP Endorses McCormick For Senate For 2024
