As they say in baseball – around the horn….meaning this column keeps my brain “loose” with all that’s going in the crazy world of national politics and political influence.

How many made it all the way through Donald Trump’s acceptance speech last Thursday night as the Republican convention came to a close in Cleveland?

I do not see that many hands raised…but then again it’s very hard to spot them in a newspaper setting.

I made it through the entire 74 minutes of Donald yelling at his audience. Sorry, but I failed to keep track of the number of times he smirked during his tirade….err, speech.

However, I was able to understand that The Donald, upon being sworn in as our new President on Jan. 20, 2017, will not waste any time tackling and doing away with the problems plaguing America. He made it extremely clear during his speech (and did so on several occasions) that he would return us to law and order; destroy ISIS; deport all the illegal immigrants in the USA and build a wall to keep them out; and create millions of new jobs……all, in his words, “very, very quickly.”

Let’s see….Obama has been in office eight years and got none of the above accomplished. How will Trump manage to do it so quickly? I guess through smoke and mirrors….just like his campaign.

But despite saying all that, I ain’t voting for Lying Hillary either.

With apologies to my man Ted Cruz, I’m thinking about sitting out this election.

• • •

At the state political level, I received a strange email on Friday from the North Carolina Democratic Party. It read as follows:

“Yesterday [Thursday, July 21] was a sad and disappointing day for North Carolina. The NBA announced the league’s official decision to relocate its All-Star game from Charlotte — a move that could remove more than $100 million dollars from our state’s economy.

“[Governor Pat] McCrory’s failures to lead and represent every North Carolinian equally continue to cost North Carolina families jobs and opportunities — and we cannot afford to give him a second term.

Pitch in $10 or more right now to retire McCrory and every other Raleigh Republican.”

So let me see if I can wrap my brain around the meaning of this email. If I donate $10 – I would assume to Roy Cooper’s campaign – does that mean good old Roy is going to bring back the All-Star game to Charlotte? Does that mean the folks in Charlotte (as in the hotels, restaurants, and other vendors catering to the crowd attending this game) stand to pocket the bulk of that 100 million bucks?

Aaaaah, I’ll politely decline the donation request.

I’m not an NBA fan to start with….I could care less where their spoiled, filthy rich superstars play their annual game. Plus, not a single dime of Charlotte’s rich payday will help the folks here in my neck of the woods.

Plus, I’m offended by the fact that the NBA is attempting to dictate political policy in this matter. They made it clear months ago they were not in favor of North Carolina House Bill 2 (aka the “Bathroom Bill”). No matter where you personally stand on that legislation, we, as North Carolinians, do not need a private entity to tell us what we need or need not to do.

If you need more proof that the NBA’s decision is nothing more than cultural cronyism…aka blackmail….league officials say they hope to award the All-Star game to Charlotte in 2019, given an “appropriate resolution” to House Bill 2 is adopted by that time.

And, while the liberal left-leaning organizations came out of the woodwork in support of the NBA’s decision, the party suffering the majority of the collateral damage – the Charlotte Hornets – directed its anger not on Gov. McCrory, but rather the Charlotte City Council for its inept decision that actually served as the catalyst for HB 2.

Hornets co-owner Felix Sabates said in part, “Our Mayor opened a can of worms, who knows why? Our city council is the one to blame for our losing the NBA All Star game, none of this would have happened if not for a very few minority forcing our supposed city leaders into creating a problem that never really existed. What is wrong with a person using a bathroom provided for the sex the were born with, if you want to change your gender so be it, we are a free county, but don’t force 8 years old children to be exposed to having to share bathroom facilities with people that don’t share the organs they were bourne (sic) with.”

 

Cal Bryant is Editor of Roanoke-Chowan Publications. Contact him at cal.bryant@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7207.