DONALD TRUMP VERSUS WES MOORE

Donald Trump you know, Wes Moore probably not.  Chances are that neither will be the primary party candidate for president in 2024.  For one, Donald Trump could soon be in jail, for he has a few upcoming court cases.

• He will be arraigned tomorrow for paying off a questionable female.  The larger question is, will this be linked to his 2016 presidential victory as voter fraud?  If thusly convicted, that could become his end.  Certainly there must also be more to come of his New York financial shenanigans.  In any case, these are small potatoes compared to what is to come.

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  There is, of course, his infamous call to Brad Raffensperger of Georgia, as prime evidence for his state trial in the Peach State.  Democrats want to low key and prolong this agony as long as possible.

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  Finally, awaiting the right moment, probably as late as early next year, is Attorney General Merrick Garland's move to try Trump for planning and causing that January 6 attack on the Capitol.  That should take until the summer to totally screw up the Republican National Convention in July of 2024.

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  His value to Democrats is incalculable to win both Congress chambers and the White House on November 5.  All that is needed would be 5% of Republicans abandoning their party, and 10% more Independents voting for Democrats.  Half of that would be sufficient no matter who the candidates are that day.

Can you believe Trump has already been on the cover of Time magazine 35 times?  Nixon had 55 appearances.  Trump was Man of the Year in 2016.  However, Hitler had that title in 1938.

Now, what about Wes Moore?  Much of the following comes from Wikipedia and a Time magazine article published last month, authored by Molly Ball.

Moore’s theme is both a product and a through line of a remarkable biography. Growing up fatherless and surrounded by violence, he turned his life around, graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University, and won a Rhodes scholarship to Oxford. He’s a decorated Army combat veteran, a best-selling author of inspirational memoirs, and a former Wall Street banker, small businessman, and nonprofit CEO. Just weeks into his first term in elected office, he is widely considered the Democrats’ most talented political newcomer since Barack Obama.

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  In high school was on the football, basketball, track and wrestling teams, and served as student body president.
• The only black governor today in the USA, Wes Moore is a 44-year old with an impeccable career.

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  Graduated from the Johns Hopkins University and went on to Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
• Deployed in Afghanistan as a captain in the 82nd Airborne Division of the Army.  You need to know the service to appreciate how prestigious this is.

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  Has been a White House Fellow to Secretary of State Condeoleeza Rice, worked as an investment banker at Deutsche Bank in Manhattan, then Citibank.
• At the age of 29, actually gave a speech to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, supporting Barack Obama for president.
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  Founded a television production company, creating content for the Oprah Winfrey Network, HBO, etc.
• Founded BridgeEdU, a company to provide services to students in their transition to college.
• From 2017 to 2021 was CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a charitable organization that attempts to alleviate problems caused by poverty in New York City.  Raised $650 million.
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  Wrote a book, The Other Wes Moore, which is scheduled for movie production.  Has written five books.
• Mind you, he is not perfect and has had minor skirmishes with the government, organizations and individuals.
• More from Time:

Headlines already speculate he’ll be the second Black President. The party’s leading figures clamor to associate themselves with him: President Biden held a rally with him right before the November election, and Obama himself cut an ad on Moore’s behalf. Representative Steny Hoyer, the former House majority leader, puts Moore in a category with Obama, Bill Clinton, and John F. Kennedy. “Wes lifts people up from their cynicism into their optimism and gives them a sense of the possible,” says Hoyer, who endorsed Moore and barnstormed his Maryland district for him despite planning to stay out of last year’s crowded gubernatorial primary.

So why Trump vs Moore?  They're opposites.  Trump is descending into the sewer on his way to hell.  Moore, if those peccadillos are just that, could become the 50-year old Democratic candidate for president in 2028.  Wouldn't that be something, though, if they do both turn out to be their party nomination for 7 November 2028?

Today was a Mexican lunch and an early evening Odyssey Food Festival, ending with a meal in our cabin.  We don't go to indoor restaurants anymore.  Thomas Keller's Grill is on Friday, so we'll need to make a decision.

Count the drinks.  I staggered back to my cabin and managed to fall on our bed.

But I was ready for the Odyssey Food Festival around the pool.

The food was appetizers.

That's Victor, someone who always serves us in The Restaurant.  He is from Ecuador.

We had dinner in our room and watched The 355, given 24/86 ratings by Rotten Tomatoes.  Had a stellar cast led by Jessica Chastain, Penelope Cruz, Lupin Nyong'o, Diane Kruger and Fan Bingbing, five women with 6 Oscar nominations.  

The plot kept twisting, and went over the top.  But we liked the film.  Why the title?  It is derived from Agent 355, the codename of a female spy for the Patriots (the 13 colonies) during the American Revolution.  The audience affirmed it enough that there will be a sequel.

I wasn't at all hungry, but cabin mate wanted to order dinner, so we had another feast, but only with a beer for me.  

Only 1554 steps.  Haven't found a way to exercise.  I'm becoming a Seabourn Slug, someone who moves slowly, if at all, sleeps a lot, and eats too much.  They have 27,000 teeth.

Slugs hibernate under certain conditions, and this environment for me is on a cruise while being self-quarantined.  Did you know that a natural trap for them is beer?  However, some people keep slugs as pets.  The life expectancy can be 5 years.

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