Wheel In The Sky

The 'Wheel in the Sky" keeps on turning!

Donald Trump, and more so Steve Bannon, are influenced by a generational theory book titled "The Fourth Turning," which considers world events unfold cyclically, rather than linearly.

We agree.

As (co-author Neil) Howe said in an interview with The Times: “There has to be a period in which we tear down everything that is no longer functional. And if we don’t do that, it’s hard to ever renew anything. Forests need fires, and rivers need floods. These happen for a reason.”

It is necessary.

We highly recommend you read this piece, and engage the book.

As Steve Perry and Journey so stated, "Winter is here again oh Lord."

America will need strong leadership during this period, which will propel prosperity as spring is welcomed in the aftermath.

That leader, the Gray Champion, appears to be Donald Trump.

Bannon’s Worldview: Dissecting the Message of ‘The Fourth Turning’ by JEREMY W. PETERS of NYT

Donald Trump For President

The 2016 campaign has been very heated, reflecting the pulse (pun intended) of our nation.

The GOP is very divided, deservedly so.  Elected GOP representative think they are part of a production of Animal Farm, turning into the legislators we sent them up there to defeat.

A strong field of GOP contenders set out to gain the nomination.  Marco Rubio, Rand Paul and Scott Walker could have easily won my vote.  I chose Sen. Ted Cruz, who had a vibrant history of fighting the establishment

However, Donald Trump won the race.

Unlike many, I did not take the #NeverTrump route, which I considered juvenile.

Donald Trump, who no doubt loves America, does not meet many of the principles and positions I as a proud member of the Reagan Revolution champion.

However, as we enter a version of The Fourth Turning, a historical and cyclical period of turmoil which places the continuance of our nation at risk, our nation will require exemplary leadership during this period. As Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform notes in researching The Fourth Turning, "The Grey Champion doesn’t necessarily have to be a good person, but they must lead and display tremendous confidence in their cause and path. Franklin, Lincoln, and FDR have many detractors, but during their Fourth Turnings, they most certainly led, casting aside obstacles (sometimes illegally) and enduring dark days and bleak prospects for success."

In my mind, Donald Trump fits perfectly the characteristics of a Grey Champion.

His opponent?

Hillary Clinton is an arrogant hypocrite, an intellectual progressive operative with disdain for the blue collar working families she professes to support, an individual who dreams of squelching free markets through taxation and regulation championing crony capitalism in support of self promotion and her political advocates all the while welcoming opportunities to abuse power. In no way, shape or form is this an individual we should even remotely consider for our highest office. She is a champion of distortion and failure.

The nation, due in large measure to the progressive policies engaged upon during the Obama administration, is in great peril. Things will worsen, at least in the short term, no matter who wins.

Should Hillary Clinton win, our nation ceases to exist as founded, and freedom and liberty retract measurably as the world enters deeper levels of violence, darkness and despair.  Yes, that bad.

Donald Trump offers hope, championing individualism and patriotism. We may not wish the Grey Champion to come, but come he must, and come he will.

He is here, his name is Donald J. Trump, and America desperately needs him to become the 45th President of The United States of America.

Rubio Must Reacquaint With Principles

As a Floridian who supported the Senate campaign of Marco Rubio from its outset, it was sad to see Rubio handily defeated in Florida on Tuesday.

A campaign of promise, backed by Rubio's Tea Party roots and compelling personal story, was derailed early with his heavy participation in the Gang of 8 and exacerbated recently by his joining the establishment in personal attacks on Donald Trump; out of character for Rubio.

The damage is real and could potentially end his political career.

In concession, Marco Rubio noted America's climate, the fourth turning, a time of crisis, in midst of a “political storm… we should have seen this coming.” America is angry, and at this time does not provide an avenue for Rubio and his hopeful and optimistic message.

Rubio has too many strengths to just fade away.

Should Rubio become reacquainted with the principles he championed which led his rise, when the climate in America changes and enters a first turning, those across the fruited plain would welcome his seasoned message of hope and optimism.

At that time, I will look forward to hitting the voting booth to once again cast a ballot for Marco Rubio.

The Case For Cruz

BAHL Revere will  be casting a ballot on March 15 in Florida for Senator Ted Cruz of Texas for President of the United States of America.

To take a step back, the wide field for the GOP was a collection of outstanding individuals for consideration, with each and every one of them far superior to anyone the Democrats have running or thinking of running.

While a couple of them had no hope, some had stellar backgrounds and compelling visions for the future of America.

Rick Perry and Scott Walker were very accomplished men who for whatever reason were eliminated early on.  Both were outstanding, conservative governors.

Bobby Jindal has always impressed, but although he came out swinging, he never got any hits.

Sen. Rand Paul we hold in very high regard, but he got off kilter in many of the debates and did not in our estimation adequately address the terror issue, which sadly became a top discussion point in the aftermath of terrorist activity.

Carly Fiorina was tremendous, calling out folks and speaking with eloquent and intellectual precision, but she never could keep hold of gains she would make. If it were up to me, I would find something for her to do in the next administration.

The time has passed for Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, although Santorum does have keen insight on the Islamic situation, which could benefit the next president.

Chris Christie is a very smart guy and quite capable.  But over time, we have learned of his progressive leanings and we cannot get past his embrace, seemingly for political purposes, of President Obama in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.  Brokeback Boardwalk we found appalling.

As governor of Florida, we had absolutely no complaints with the performance of Jeb Bush.  But Bush is now an open border man, spearheaded common core and thinks we need to move away from the Reagan years.  He must have lost his ever loving mind. Thanks, but no thanks.

We have never really embraced John Kasich, who we consider a conservative Democrat.  Had he switched parties, he may well be our next President.  He is a fan of Common Core and thinks government can pick winners and losers, which I abhor.

Dr. Ben Carson is a brilliant mind and a wonderful person, and would be dealing with healthcare issues in the next administration if it were up to me.  But we never saw him as "the man" this go around.

That leaves Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump.

Marco Rubio got our vote for Senate in Florida, where he campaigned as a Tea Party guy.  We elected him to go stop Obama.  Next thing we know, Rubio has team with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R:SC) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D:NY) to craft an immigration policy which allows forms of amnesty. In addition, Rubio cast the sixtieth vote on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), which we consider an attack on American sovereignty. Therefore, of the remaining three, he gets our bronze.

Donald Trump is an individual I have always liked over the years, and love his book "The Art of the Deal." In 2011, we asked Trump to run as a Democrat to derail Hillary, as Trump himself said he has always thought of himself as more of a Democrat.  Trump is scoring big on the issue of the border, and is also against the TPP, which no doubt helped him get the endorsement of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R:AL), one of our favorites.

We have been very disappointed with the demeanor carried by Trump during the campaign.  Trump does not take criticism lightly and appears to have an enemies list of those who he considers an opponent, which we do not condone.  Trump appears to not have a deep understanding of the Constitution, and seems uninterested with the constraints of placed on government within the document. He recently said he supports the healthcare mandate, which we deem unconstitutional.

The list of people who despise the candidacy of Trump includes many of our favorite folks, inclusive of Mark Levin, Glenn Beck, Sen. Ben Sasse (R:NE), Dana Loesch, Andrew McCarthy, Dr. Thomas Sowell and David Barton to name a few.

Other folks we like are backing Trump, inclusive of Sen. Sessions, are Sarah Palin, Michael Savage, Eric Bolling and Steve Forbes.

Trump will get things done, and we consider him perhaps the Grey Champion described in work of Strauss and Howe in their "The Fourth Turning" book. As described by Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform, the Grey Champion "doesn't necessarily have to be a good person, but they must lead and display tremendous confidence in their cause and path." As America enters the period of a Fourth Turning, the arrival of a Grey Champion is a must, and he will come. Is he here?

While Trump is intriguing, a breath of fresh air and someone ready to place a well deserved kick in the ass to not only the GOP establishment but the entire ruling class, he exhibits too many liabilities to garner my support in the primary.

That leaves Sen. Ted Cruz.

In the last several weeks, the Cruz campaign has lapsed, having been taken off message and blindsided by some decisions made by staff members.  Cruz is in the weeds trading insults with Rubio and Trump and the news media.  Just this Sunday on FOX News, Cruz appropriately called out Chris Wallace, but when given the opportunity to knock him out with truth, failed to do so.

Cruz needs to get back to his original message, which empowers the individual, limits government, forces financial sanity and returns our nation the the friendly confines of the Constitution.

Much is made that Cruz is not well liked, but we view that as a positive. My vote is not sending him to Washington to get along with and do deals with progressives and socialist whose objective is to transform, if not ruin, the country as founded.

I know which politicians have been fighting Obama every step of the way, and Cruz leads that brigade. Cruz is a principled man with great respect for our founding who is country first, recognizing the expansive opportunities available in an America which champions liberty and freedom.

A major divide in the GOP is forming, and good people are getting in unnecessary scraps.  All of the blame can be placed on the GOP establishment, who have become one with the ruling class and have rejected the will of the governed.

While my ballot will be cast for Cruz, I fear it is too late with the Trump train having already left the station and I am quite certain Trump will win Florida easily.

Should Trump become the eventual nominee, while I have reservations beyond those documented above, I will support him against Hillary Clinton, who could never secure my vote, Micheal Bloomberg, who could never secure my vote, or a GOP establishment candidate (Mitt Romney?)should the GOP start playing games down the road.

America is over with the games, and that is why, in large measure, Trump is on his way to a landslide win, not only in the primary, but in November as well.

I think the Grey Champion is here.

A Grey Choice

Jim Quinn, of the truly excellent blog The Burning Platform, quotes Franklin Delano Roosevelt from a speech in Philadelphia in June of 1936: “There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations much is given. Of other generations much is expected. This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”

It seems apparent that America is facing such an important turning point in 2016.

Quinn has written extensively in spellbinding eloquence and intellectual fortitude about The Fourth Turning, a book written by Struass & Howe in 1997 which advanced the idea of generational cycles where decisions by particular generations of individuals have life altering consequences, not only individually, but for their generation and for generations to come. Similar to the Tytler Cycle, the thought centers that life is not led on linear progression, but rather a reoccurring circle of generational trials and tribulations, that if not dealt with effectively, can significantly alter the tract moving forward.

Both the book and Quinn's works on the subject I would highly recommend you seek out and consume.

Quinn summarizes in his writings the theory of a Grey Champion, who emerges at the time of the fourth turning, a period we have recently entered as a nation. Quinn discusses it as follows:

"The world is becoming increasingly chaotic and the American people are seeking a leader who can bring order, make tough decisions, and capture the zeitgeist of this moment in history. They are in search of a prophet generation (Boomer) Grey Champion, whose arrival marks the moment of darkness, adversity and peril as the Fourth Turning careens towards its climax. The Grey Champion doesn’t necessarily have to be a good person, but they must lead and display tremendous confidence in their cause and path. Franklin, Lincoln, and FDR have many detractors, but during their Fourth Turnings, they most certainly led, casting aside obstacles (sometimes illegally) and enduring dark days and bleak prospects for success. Is there someone of that stature ready to lead the American people now?"

Apparently conservative icon Sarah Palin thinks such an individual is Donald Trump, whom she endorsed at a campaign rally late this afternoon in Ames, Iowa.

Sarah Palin Endorses Donald Trump

“I am greatly honored to receive Sarah’s endorsement,” Mr. Trump said in a statement trumpeting Mrs. Palin’s decision. “She is a friend, and a high-quality person whom I have great respect for. I am proud to have her support.”

In many ways, the endorsement of Trump by Palin is not surprising, but most would have thought she would have sided with the true conservative in the race, Sen. Ted Cruz. However, there is no doubt her endorsement will provide Trump a significant boost in the campaign.

Like many others, Palin feels Trump is a powerful force that will wrestle the power away from government and give it back to the people, making America great again.  She may not be wrong.

In fact, if you subscribe to the thought process of The Fourth Turning, Trump does in my mind fit the criteria of what a potential "Grey Champion" would look like.  Trump seems poised to upset the apple cart, dealing establishment politicians a heavy blow and disrupting the status quo, which as Ronald Reagan once noted, was Latin for the mess we are in.

When asked about Palin's endorsement of Trump, Cruz campaign spokesman Rick Tyler said on CNN’s New Day "I think it [would] be a blow to Sarah Palin, because Sarah Palin has been a champion for the conservative cause, and if she was going to endorse Donald Trump, sadly, she would be endorsing someone who’s held progressive views all their life on the sanctity of life, on marriage, on partial-birth abortion.”

Bristol Palin

While Sarah Palin's daughter Bristol, and apparently Sarah herself, took great offense, Mr. Tyler is correct.

Although it may not be a central factor in the grand scheme of things, or as part of the emergence of a Grey Champion, Trump is not a conservative. Trump has previously supported eminent domain, bailouts, a single payer health care plan and a wealth tax.  Good grief!

Trump is so far away from conservatism, and given the potential of a Hillary Clinton presidency, which we feel would doom America as founded, we encouraged Trump in 2011 to play a real trump card and run as a Democrat to derail her.

An area which we disagree with Trump strongly on is when he often notes that our government is being run by incompetent people.  That through process is incredibly naive and dangerously incorrect.  The folks running our government, full engaged in orchestrating the transformation of America, fully understand what they are doing, and without any real push back from the GOP, have been quite successful in their endeavors.

Furthermore, Trump thinks, that with his intellect and proven success as a businessman, he can control the levels of government in a much more efficient manner, bringing America back to prosperity with the right administrator.

Except I wish to drastically reduce the levels of government, whether it is "administered" by someone whose ideas I champion or someone whose ideas I vehemently oppose.

Ben Shapiro wrote a great piece today, noting "The Palin Acid Test: Do You Care More About Conservatism Or Fighting The Establishment?"

Sarah Palin

I have been and continue to be a big fan of Sarah Palin, and this may the first time I have parted company with Palin. While I am also a fan of Donald Trump, and will gleefully support him should he win the GOP nomination, I will remain true to my principles in the primary, and like Shapiro, position myself at home with the conservatives.

However, it is worth noting, that as a subscriber to the ideas presented in The Fourth Turning, it certainly does appear Trump may be just who are nation is not only looking for, but needs.

We may not wish the Grey Champion to come again – but come he must, and come he will.” – The Fourth Turning – Strauss & Howe – 1997

Perhaps that is what Palin is seeing and feeling. Maybe I don't disagree with her after all.  The choice is Grey.