According to the uber-liberal New York Times, Donald Trump's keynote address last week was designed to terrify voters.
TRUMP: “The irresponsible rhetoric of our president, who has used the pulpit of the presidency to divide us by race and color, has made America a more dangerous environment than frankly I have ever seen. ((EDIT)) The problems we face now - poverty and violence at home, war and destruction abroad - will last only as long as we continue relying on the same politicians who created them in the first place.”
But President Obama does not buy Mr. Trump's allegations; instead he paints an optimistic picture:
OBAMA: “But it's also important for the American people to remember that our crime rate in this country is much lower than it was in the '80s or the '90s or when I first took office, that immigration rates are substantially lower than they were when Ronald Reagan was president, that, as serious as these terrorist attacks are, the fact of the matter is, is that the American people are significantly more safe now than they were before all the work that we have done since 9/11.”
Talking Points is in business to put forth the truth so here it is.
According to an average of polling by Real Clear Politics, 69% of Americans are unhappy with the direction of the country.
Just 23% are happy with the present condition of the USA.
That is a direct repudiation of President Obama's point of view.
Because if we are all safer and the economy is fine, why would the folks feel the country is on the wrong track?
The perception problem is two-fold: Americans believe that a stagnant economy is making it very difficult for workers to increase their salaries.
The majority of Americans also believe that disorder both at home and around the world is putting them in danger.
Donald Trump has capitalized on those sentiments, saying he will make things better.
Hillary Clinton seems to mostly support President Obama's vision, but does acknowledge the economic problem.
HILLARY CLINTON: “I want an economy that gets back to raising incomes for everybody. Most Americans haven't had a raise. I want an economy that's going to help lift millions of people out of poverty. Because, given the great recession, we have fallen back in the wrong direction.”
But the great recession was nearly nine years ago. I mean, come on, by this time the American economic engine should be roaring.
Instead growth this year is estimated to be below two percent -- that is dismal.
There are three new polls in the Trump-Clinton race.
CNN has it 48-45 Trump, so he got a bounce out of the Republican Convention last week.
CBS has it 44-43 Trump, a statistical tie.
And the Los Angeles Times has it 45-41 Trump over Clinton.
So despite all the controversy surrounding Donald Trump, if the election were held today he might very well win.
However, to be fair, perhaps Hillary Clinton will get a bounce out of her convention this week.
Now back to the problems.
Higher taxes and massive income redistribution will not stimulate the economy, so Mrs. Clinton is going to have to deal with that and separate herself from the Obama machine.
Many in the Democratic Party support open borders -- that means the consequences of illegal drug importation, illegal aliens committing crimes and higher competition for low wage jobs will continue.
It'll be interesting to see if any Democrat puts forth a specific solution to deal with illegal immigration this week.
On the foreign front President Obama's decision to pull all U.S. troops out of Iraq directly led to the rise of ISIS.
The president's failure to attack ISIS on the ground has allowed the savages to expand their influence.
Mr. Obama's failure to destroy Assad's air force in Syria when he could have after drawing a red line over poison gas has directly led to millions of refugees storming into Europe.
That crisis has profoundly damaged the region and perhaps even stimulated Great Britain to leave the European Union.
President Obama's failure to confront Putin in Russia has directly led to chaos in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
The Iranian nuke deal has increased the power of the mullahs in the Middle East.
The Libya debacle has given ISIS a foothold in that country.
The Chinese are expanding in southeast Asia.
Afghanistan is now a sanctuary not only for the Taliban but also for ISIS terrorists who killed 80 people over the weekend in Kabul.
The list goes on.
Back home race relations are worse than at any time since the 1960s.
In some areas police and young black men even fear for their lives.
The far-left has run wild under President Obama, selling a narrative that America is a bad country dominated by white supremacy.
Drug use is skyrocketing even as the Obama administration puts forth that criminals who sell poison like heroin, meth and cocaine are non-violent and deserve leniency.
Political correctness is destroying free speech and giving power to charlatans who are clogging the court system with frivolous law suits.
Again, Talking Points could go on for hours.
So Donald Trump may be terrifying voters with his rhetoric, but his warnings are based in reality, are they not?
Foreign and domestic terrorism is a contagion that is not being effectively confronted.
Americans understand that all our lives have been changed. It is now routine to see innocent people slaughtered.
Now all of what I have just laid out is in-stone truth.
No spin.
And that has led to the rise of a strong-man politician, Donald Trump.
The Democratic Convention this week will seek to counter Mr. Trump.
We'll see if it succeeds.
And that's the memo.
