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THE MOST CONSEQUENTIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN HISTORY

There have been times in the history of the United States when the presidential election determined the future of Humanity.  Which one was the most important?

A case has been made for 1940, when then President Franklin D. Roosevelt ran for his third term.  

  • The makers of the Constitution did not include presidential term limits.
  • Some had tried.
    • In 1880, Ulysses Grant ran for a third term and failed.
    • In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt also ran, but lost to William Howard Taft.
    • Harry Truman sought a third term in 1952, but dropped out after losing in a primary.
  • In 1940, FDR, a Democrat, ran against Republican Wendell Wilkie, who was an isolationist, and totally against the U.S. entering the war in Europe.
    •  FDR too indicated his opposition to the war, but insiders knew that was just something he said in public,.
      • Hitler and continued recovery from the Great Depression were compelling issues inducing FDR to go for a third term.
      • Wilkie, a relative unknown, had upset Senator Robert Taft and New York District Attorney Thomas Dewey for the Republican nomination.
      • FDR got 449 electoral votes, Wilkie only 82.
      • The U.S. shortly thereafter entered World War II, and no doubt saved the world from Fascism.  Where would the world be today if Wilkie had won?
      • While not in good health, Roosevelt in 1944 won a fourth term.
  • In 1947 Congress passed the 22nd Amendment, limiting the President of the United States to two terms.  There is some additional language relating to succession.  It took until 1951 for 36 of the 48 states to ratify the amendment.
A second is Abraham Lincoln's victory in 1860, leading to Civil War victory and end of slavery.  I would place the Donald Trump vs Kamala Harris presidential election up there with those two, and maybe even as the most consequential, for the choice today will lead to continuation of freedom, liberty and Democracy versus the Dictatorship of King Trump.  As I post this blog, no knows for sure which it will be.  Now that's downright scary.

Here is another frightening development.  Prior to our arrival in Miami, the Norwegian Encore departed from the Cayman Islands.  Raphael is now at 60 MPH, and tonight will attain hurricane strength.  The track of Raphael is right over Cuba and would have intersected with our path from the Caymans to Miami.  Hurricane Raphael should weaken into a tropical storm before making landfall over Louisiana early next week, but you never know for sure exactly where or at what strength
A bigger ocean storm is in the West Pacific.  Typhoon Yinxing is at 100 MPH, will strengthen into a Category 3 and skirt just north of the Philippines, and head for Vietnam.
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