In fairness, a state dinner at the White House is not a common occurrence for Canadian PM’s. If I’m not mistaken the last time the head of state from Canada was the guest of honour at the White House was in 1997. President Clinton warmly welcomed Prime Minster Chretien for an evening of Pomp and Circumstance. Let’s see, Clinton and Obama, Democrats; Trudeau and Chretien, Liberals. I find it deliciously ironic that the intelligentsia always campaigns on helping the impoverished, working for the middle class, saving mother earth, but would never dare using photos of a state dinners when campaigning to the masses. That would be too difficult to square. The all-knowing and chosen ones are best fit to suspend reality. There’s no point trying to square the lavishness because it is too complex for simpletons to understand.  It’s something that’s always done, and that should be enough. Oh wait, Prime Minister Harper never had a state dinner in his honour. I’m sure it was simple oversight and had nothing to do with political ideology.

The poor Conservative and NDP party, all they can do is grit their teeth and watch with envy. What’s their argument, Trudeau shouldn’t attend? Irrespective of which party in Canada is in power, the RSVP would never go back, “sorry, I’m indisposed”. Everybody would go if they were invited. I would!  But like our former Prime Minster, Steven Harper, I never received an invite. No worries Steven, (in my mind I think he reads my blogs) you can come to my place to watch the Stanley Cup play-offs. We’ll watch the game, have a couple beers, and laugh about Justin’s father using the White House swimming pool when he was the honoured guest in the late 60’s. The elder Trudeau is the only Head of State to use the swimming pool at the White House. We should all burst with pride. The then sitting president, Richard Nixon, AKA, tricky dicky, couldn’t stomach Justin’s father. I suspect the elder Trudeau was well aware of that, and to make Nixon nuts he had a pool party. 

The timing of the visit is not a coincidence. Ideological cousins look out for each other, and help when they can. It’s one thing to be photographed while looking at panda bears at a zoo; it’s altogether different having your photo taken while hobnobbing with the leader of the free world. A high profile soiree in your honour gives you political street cred; something which may be needed when trying to sell the soon to be federal budget.

Until next time,

Cheers.

Never, in my wildest dreams did I think that Trump had a chance.  I firmly believed that this was nothing more than a publicity stunt for him, and that Republican Party would do whatever was necessary to put a stop to him. Well, it hasn’t worked out that way. Donald Trump now believes he can become the president of the United States of America, and why wouldn’t he? His candidacy has now become a movement.  The more outrageous his claims become, the more his popularity grows. The more he changes his positions, on a daily basis, the more people lineup up to hear him speak. The angrier he becomes, the more American’s say “he’s our guy”. His road to the White House still has many miles to go. The American political system is a little convoluted. It’s not about the number states he wins, but rather the number of delegates he receives in each state. In many States the delegates are distributed by the proportion of votes the candidate received in the primary election. In other words, if you finish in second, you still win delegates.   To become the republican nominee, Trump would require 1,237 delegates. As of today he has 329 delegates.  So, it would be a little premature of him to start working on his inauguration speech. This may not be resolved until the Republican Conventions takes place. A deal may have to be brokered at the convention, and that would be one hell of a closing act. 

I must admit that the indignation, shock, and dismay that Canadians are exhibiting over the possibility of Trump becoming president is a tad self-aggrandizing. As we’ve demonstrated in the past we do not necessarily elect the most worthy of candidates. I really miss Rob Ford. The problem with politics today is that too many voters look at style rather than substance. Unfortunately, that’s what wins elections. It’s how a community organizer became a president and a former supply school teacher a prime minister. It’s no longer about the resume but rather ones oratory skills. What’s unfolding before us may be a new low in American politics, but as Canadians maybe we should dial back the holier than thou rhetoric. We don’t have the market corned on electing the best and brightest.

I don’t have a dog in this race so it matters little to me who wins the presidency. The current president has treated Canada like an afterthought for the last 7 years, and somehow we still managed to survive. If the new president does the same, and even builds a wall on our border, we’ll do what we always do, carry on. But if I did have vote mine would go to Ted Cruz. It has nothing with his policies. I would vote for him because I’m a patriot. I would love to see a Canadian occupy the Oval Office.

Until next time,

Cheers.

Or is it? The U.S. November job report indicated that over 200k jobs were added to the work force, their dollar is soaring, the unemployment rate has been cut almost in half to where it stood in 2008, so what’s not to be giddy about? Well, there is data to support that consumer spending, housing starts, and job creation have flattened. So the question is what happens if their economy has flattened, while at the same time the overnight lending rate is going up? Some pundits are actually suggesting that raising the rates now gives the Fed some wiggle room if they have to lower rate, yet again, to stimulate the economy. It’s not as if this hasn’t happened before.  Like back in 1930′s, a rate hike, followed by a quick rate drop, all the while knee deep in the Great Depression. Yeah – that little historical nuisance.

So what does the Fed’s move to increase rates mean for us here in Canada? For the time being, not much. We normally walk in lockstep with the U.S. Fed, but we’re about to decouple from that standard practice, and continue on the path we are on today. The reality is that our economy is still too fragile to mimic the Fed’s move. The oil sector in this country has been hammered, and the fallout has been far reaching. Some are suggesting that oil could hit a low of $20 USD a barrel by March. The natural instinct is to scuff at such a suggestion, in the same fashion it was to scuff at the suggestion that oil would be $40 USD, when it was selling for well over $100 USD, a few short years ago. Today, the price of oil is $37 USD. The many variables which impact mortgage rates, cost of funds etc., means we might see an uptick in mortgage rates, but it’s still cheap money, and that cheap money will be available for the foreseeable future.  As we all know that poses a whole other set of challenges, like tightening mortgage rules to curtail borrowing. There’s always a yang to the ying.

For the time being Americans get to say that the worst is behind them, and that they are healed and can move on. They can put the ravages of the sub-prime mortgage crisis, and the near collapse of the global economy, caused by them, in the rear view mirror. For the rest of the world? More time and recovery will be needed before a deep breath can be taken.

I find it somewhat ironic that in the same month that the U.S. Fed will raise the overnight lending rate, a movie is being released about the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The movie The Big Short hits theatres today. The movie is based on a book, The Big Short, which hit the shelves back in 2011. The movie’s cast is rather impressive: Christian Bale, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt, Steve Carrel, and Marisa Tomei. The movie is based on a true story of a small hedge fund, which tried to warn everyone that the sub-prime mortgage market was nothing more than a glorified ponzi scheme. When no one would listen to them they said fine, we’ll bet on the market collapsing, and on the institutions who bought the paper. And the rest, as they say, is history. Unless, of course, you live anywhere but America, and are still waiting for your economy to completely heal.  For an industry that isn’t very “sexy”, I bet it makes for a good movie.

Until next time,

Cheers.

Our invited guests embraced the opportunity to listen and learn from speakers whose subject matter expertise may have appeared to have only a subtle correlation to their daily actives.  But, they came open minded and prepared to see where the experience takes them.  I got a big kick watching our guests as the event evolved.  Here was a small group of people who for the most part were strangers to each other or know by name only.  However, in a short period of time small micro groups were formed to talk about issues that each individual faces each and every day at work.  It’s remarkable how quickly trust was built among the group, and it was a safe environment to say “I got a work problem, and I don’t have an answer”. Assistance and suggestions from peers was immediate, and no one held back for competitive reasons.  I can’t tell you how cool it is to watch a team come together. Make no mistake, this is a team.  As of today they know they can pick up the phone and reach out to one of their peers from across the country to help them solve a problem.  Sometimes business can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be lonely.

In my humble estimation, the event was a success, and here’s why.  First and foremost, our guests wanted to be there.  That was demonstrated by their support of Merix to ensure they were invited. Also, our guests are all focused on building a business, and not just a job. That’s an important distinction. Secondly, Merix set the right expectations.  It was learning first, party second.  Don’t get me wrong, there was time to have fun.  Like the night we all went to Madison Square Gardens for a Fleetwood Mac concert.  Our seats we on the floors and we were swept up by the music and the New York audience.  Even though there was bit of a “generational” gap for some of our guests, all danced, had a few libations, and allowed themselves to be swept up by the event and the masses.  But come 8:30 am the next morning, all were ready to begin a new day.

An extraordinary amount of time and effort is put into planning one of these events.  I can never really be sure if our guests will find a benefit in attending, while leaving their business for a few days.  After the wrap up dinner we hosted on the final night, one of our guests sat next to me and gave me a book.  She wanted me to have the book because she thought I would enjoy the read.  She mentioned that she wrote a note on the inside of the cover but asked me not to read it at the table.  She said she didn’t want to become emotional.  I smiled and said I would respect her wishes.  After three hours of the book being by my side, I finally made it back to my hotel and I read her note on the inside of the cover.  It was heartfelt, genuine and so sincere.  It was right then that I knew the effort in putting this event together was worth it.

So to Gerry, Tim, Scott, Shawn, Karen, Richard, Brenda, Tracey, Sandy, Paul, Sarah, and Elisseos, if you don’t mind…let’s do it again.

Until next time.

Cheers,

The Canadian Real Estate Association, (CREA) released data this week which will make all sides of the Canadian real estate market argument happy.  Example, according to the MLS Home Price Index, home prices have increased by 7.6% from a year ago.  Now if you take Vancouver and Toronto out of the equation, the increase was 4.6% on a year over year basis.  So are we on the cusp of a potential real estate bubble or is it simple supply side economics?  The number of homes sold came in slightly lower than a year ago.  So is demand outpacing supply, causing prices to increase?  And oh my god, condo sales increased in Toronto as well. Red Rover, Red Rover, Doom Sayers come on over.  There’s a little something for everyone. The teeth nashers and those predicting Armageddon are fist bumping each other.  Others, justifiably so, are saying it’s a balanced market.  Should the price of a real estate never rise? If that we’re the case we would all be squatters, living in tents.  The commentators I love are the ones that sit firmly on the fence.  An economist for one major bank said their analysis suggests that we all experience a 10% decrease in home values, and there could be further risk if sales activity was to increase. They were so concerned with the “risk” that they matched the 2.99% five year rate that one of their competitors came out with.  That fence post must really be uncomfortable to sit on.

Sifting through all the commentary can be confusing, and let’s be honest, depending on the amount of skin you have in the game will influence the argument and opinion you support.  To combat human nature it’s important to seek contrary opinions, and I force myself do that, almost daily.  It takes some effort to find commentary which is not self-serving, like those selling newspapers, hedge funds that are shorting the Canadian economy or politicians playing politics.  Here’s a couple names to look out for when you want broader viewpoint, economists Nouriel Roubini and David Rosenberg.  What’s their bona fide? They predicted the financial collapse of 2008. So what are they saying today?  According to Rosenberg, “Nattering nabobs of negativity – stop knocking yourself out. First, there are a host of reasons why I see inflation rising moderately, and the wage process is but one of them. There is a very interesting development taking place that is not garnering a lot of attention. The U.S. commercial banks are loosening their purse strings. As for the U.S. economy, it is looking as though Q2 real GDP growth will come in close to a 4% annual rate. Why I turned bullish on the U.S. consumer.”  Clearly he’s refereeing to the U.S. Economy, but like it or not, when America sneezes we look for a tissue.  In good times and bad.

Until next time!

Cheers,

Now that Americans have decided to maintain the status quo, high unemployment rates, mounting debt, failing economy and political gridlock, the only question remains – How does the election result impact Canada?  Unfortunately the American Presidential election is not something we can simply dismiss by saying “it’s their business, not ours”; our business is impacted by who and what party America elects.

In Canada, the Harper government did what it was supposed to do, they, stayed out of it and keep their opinions to themselves. Not easy to do considering how intertwined our economies are but we’re the junior partner in this relationship and we have to tread lightly.  It didn’t take long for both Prime Minister Harper and Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to issue statements that maintaining the status quo for America is not an option for the global economy, more specifically for Canada.  Here’s how Prime Minister sugarcoated it, “The U.S. has taken many aggressive and ambitious measures on its financial system but we’re now facing the fiscal cliff situation in the American political system in the next couple of months. That’s a big uncertainty.”  Finance Minister Jim Flaherty was more direct, “Of course we’re worried because it would mean — were the entire fiscal cliff risk to come to reality, there would be the effect on U.S. GDP — according to the Americans themselves — would be four to five per cent, which would put the U.S. economy into recession quite quickly, and the Canadian economy would follow shortly thereafter, and would have significant effect on the global economy.  So this is all very serious, and we hope our American colleagues move forward to a resolution promptly.” No ambiguity there.  The stakes are high and it’s hard to imagine that both Democrats and Republicans would be willing to drag their economy, and subsequently ours, into another recession for ideological reasons. Then again I wouldn’t bet on them doing the right thing for the greater good either.

Obama’s reelection probably means that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke stays on the job when his term expires.  The Republicans made it very clear they were displeased with Bernanke, and the role that the Treasury plays as it relates to monetary policy.  Bernanke willingly or unwillingly helped Obama out during the campaign with the introduction of QE3, quantitative easing, which helped to boost economic data over the last two months of the campaign.  If Bernanke stays on the job we can expect rates to stay at historical lows until Q3 of 2014.  As I’ve stated before, if you want some indication as to where rates are going in Canada, see what the Fed Chairman is doing.

So, our government is concerned about the fiscal mess the Americans are in, rates are not going up in the mid-term,  no indication if Obama is going to change his position on the Keystone Pipeline, looks like not much has changed.  For our sake let’s hope the President is willing to move to the center and work with Republicans on the “Bush” tax cuts and budget.  The pragmatist in me believes it may happen given the President doesn’t have to pander to his base anymore; he’s never running for office again. The pessimist in me takes over when I consider the President has never made an attempt to move to the center, even after the Democrats lost their majority in Congress in 2010.  That should be worrisome for all of us because we all have skin in this deal.

Until next time,

Cheers.

I have the distinct pleasure to be in New York City over the next couple of days to attend the World Business Forum.  For those of you who have been you know all about the cities vibrancy, pace, attitude and frenetic energy.  Walking the streets you can just feel it. You either keep up or you better step aside. There’s no middle ground when it comes to New York, people love it or hate it.  Put me down in the infatuation column.

New York always finds a way to make the headlines.  Most recently is was the squatters who protested on Wall Street.  Remember them?  They ended up being just another footnote in New York’s long history.  Ah, but today there’s even juicer headlines in the Big Apple.   New York Attorney General filed a lawsuit against J.P. Morgan Chase & Co on Monday for fraud over faulty mortgage-backed securities packaged and sold by the former Bear Stearns.  That’s right; they’re being sued for something allegedly done by Bear Stearns before J.P. Morgan Chase & Co was forced to buy them by the U.S. Government back in 2008.   It was the critical first days of the sub-prime mortgage meltdown and the heads of the major banks were summoned to Washington, and they were told in no uncertain terms by then Secretary of the Treasury,   Henry Paulson, that before anyone goes home deals would have to be cut to ensure banking stability.  That’s the Readers Digest version of how J.P. Morgan Chase & Co ended up buying Bear Stearns for $2 USD a share.  It appears now that they ended up buying a whole lot of headaches.  I’m sure the timing of this lawsuit is all coincidental and it has nothing to do with the upcoming U.S. Presidential election.  Sure, the sub-prime mortgage meltdown first came to light in 2008, and the first lawsuit just happened to be filed just prior to the election; a mere coincidence.  It took the Obama administration close to 4 years to create the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities Working Group to investigate the selling and pooling of risky mortgages.  Better late than never, I guess.  Does someone deserve to pay dearly and possibly go to jail for nearly bringing down the global economy? Damn right, and long overdue; but to do it now reeks of politics and not justice; coincidence? As a New Yorker all I want to say is, “coincidence this!”

Until next time,

Cheers.

Leave it to bureaucrats to come up with an acronym which acts as camouflage for the truth.  QE3, Quantitative Easing Part Three, is code for bail-out.  Politicians and bureaucrats are loath to use that term for fear of negative press and political ramifications.  If it looks like a duck, and it quacks like one, it’s a duck!  US Federal Reserve Charmin, Ben Bernanke, announced a couple of weeks ago that the Fed would inject $40 billion a month through purchases of mortgage back securities.  This move by the Fed is viewed as being dramatic in that it is a two pronged approach.  Firstly, there’s no defined time limit and they will not deviate from this policy until they succeed.  What does Fed deem to be success?  Full employment.

Rarely has the Fed exercised its authority and flexed its muscles in a such a manner.  This is a sign that the Fed has little confidence that the Whitehouse, Congress and Senate, will put their bickering and their campaign posturing aside to do what’s right.  This move has put Bernanke into the Republican crosshairs, we can use that reference in Canada because we Canadians wouldn’t take that term literally.  Being so close to the US presidential election, it’s odd that the Fed would make this move now.  Say what you will about Bernanke, he’s injected himself into this political campaign.  I believe his motivation was not political but of necessity.  Managing the economy has not been president Obama’s stronger suite, and the Republicans wouldn’t agree to anything today that Dem’s might suggest.  Fixing the US economy has been put on hold for over a year now because of the length and nature of  presidential campaigning.  Maybe Bernanke was willing to roll the dice because he has nothing to lose.   His tern as Chair expires in 2014.  The Republicans are questioning the need for a Federal Reserve Chairman, and maybe Bernanke has already decided that if asked he will not accept reappointment.  If he does step aside it would be a challenge for whoever replaces him as Chair, given no defined end date for QE3.  It is always easier to make bold decisions about the future knowing that you may not be subject to the consequences of that decision in the future.

The reverberations of QE3 will be felt here in Canada.  Bernanke has stated that the Fed is committed to leaving its target interest rate close to zero until 2015.  A few short months ago the prediction for a rate increase was 2014.  Clearly the Fed believes interest rates are too high in the US to encourage investment and mortgage borrowing.  I am not sure how enamored the Bank of Canada is with this decision.  Up until now the Bank of Canada has been in lock step with the US Fed.  Will they deviate from that?  I highly doubt it.  So, an overnight lending rate increase may have been pushed out for another 12 months in Canada.  That’s good news for consumers, especially for borrowers renewing their mortgages over the next 24 months.  The not so good news is that if you’re a first time home buyer, don’t expect the government to reverse the most recent changes to mortgage rules anytime soon. 

Until next time

Cheers

Copyright: CBS News (www.cbnews.com)

Most polls show the race for the oval office within the margin of error.  Stunning considering the economic mess our friends to South are in. What’s more staggering is the incumbent may perform the greatest slight of hand trick ever known to man. To be reelected based on today’s economic data would be Houdini like, straight jacket and  all.

For all intent and purposes the presidential election campaign begins post labour day weekend.  Up to this point all the primaries and conventions have been but a mere warm up.  From here on both parties will resort and say to whatever it takes to win.  The nastiness will begin in earnest, and for the president it’s imperative that the focus is diverted away from the facts.  The fact is that unemployment rate in the U.S has been understated for some time now.  The latest numbers has the U.S. unemployment rate at 8.1%, down from 8.2%.  The decrease is a function of people who have stopped looking for work, and no longer count.  Over 60% of people in the U.S. now believe their children will not be better off than they are.  Over 50% of people believe the economy is getting worse.  The latest job figures came in less than what was expected, and yet according to a new poll by Reuters, the president has actually widened his margin since the Democratic Convention.  Me thinks those who were polled must have all lived in Ontario at some point because that is the only explanation I can come up with for the bump in the polls for the president. Why let facts get in the way of a good story?

Like the millions of people outside of the U.S., I really wanted this president to succeed.  He represented change and his election was a signal to the world that race will not play a part in determining the leader of the free world.  But simply being cool is not enough to get elected.  Then again millions of Americans disagree, and to them I say, you deserve what you elect.

Until next time,

Cheers.

So on Tuesday night I watched President O-Blah-ma give his State of The Union address.  Why?  I’m a political junkie and I’ve always been fascinated by American politics.  In Canada we only really pay attention during an election campaign.  In the US, politics is a blood sport.  The US Presidential election cycle is all day, every day.  If you watch Fox News, CNN or god forbid MSNBC, it’s all about politics, all the time.  Watching the news from the US is like watching The Young and the Restless.  I can change my viewing habits, come back a month later, and nothing’s changed.  There’s comfort in that.  Just like the comfort people get seeing what Victor Newman is up too on the Young and Restless.  Hey, I know my Y & R, I went to university.  I remember when Victor locked his wife Julie in the basement.  That’s going back some years.  I digress, back to the soap opera known as US politics.  President O-Blah-ma rode into the White House on a platform of Hope and Change, and Yes We Can.  Regrettably not much has changed, and it’s the same old – same old.  That to me is really disappointing.  I wanted him to do well.  I wanted him to lead.  The eyes of the world were on when he got elected, and people were prepared to give him a longer honeymoon period because his election was history in the making.  History will judge the Presidents effectiveness, and if something doesn’t change soon history may not be kind to him.  So as I watched him give his speech I couldn’t  help but think this is “dead man talking”.  Even as an incumbent he’s got a hell of a fight in front of him.  He’s very aware of the poll numbers, and knows he’s going to be judged based on where the US economy is this November.  There’s a very good likelihood this was his last State of The Union address, and he knows it.  As I watched the State of The Union address, I wondered what his speech would sound like if he was completely convinced that he wasn’t going to get reelected, and he just didn’t care anymore.

“Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow Americans:

I stand here before you as a lame duck president.  There’s a very good likelihood that I won’t be reelected.  I’m a pragmatist and the numbers don’t lie.  Given that I’m setting aside my prepared speech, and shockingly to most of you, I’m turning off the teleprompter.  This is going to be an off -the -cuff conversation.  Trust me, this will be short and sweet.

Mr. Speaker, it’s nice to see you.  I’m a little surprised not to see you crying.  Every time I see you on the news you’re bawling your eyes out.  Nice to see you holding it together.  By the way, when I give my speech try not to plunge the knife to deeply in my back. Cool?

Mr. Vice President, my man JB.  I almost didn’t recognize you without your foot in your mouth.  You’ve caused me a lot of grief so this one time I’m asking you not to say or do something stupid.  We both know Hillary is trying get you removed from the ticket, and if I need a miracle to get reelected, I’ll dump your sorry ass.  Stay on script and no improvising.  Understood?  No, don’t answer yes, just nod.  Excellent!

To the Republican members of congress, let’s be totally honest, I don’t like you and you don’t like me.  As a matter of fact I think you’re all morons.  You spend half the day thumping your bibles, and the other half caressing your guns.  You go on add nauseaum about the national debt.  You call me the food stamp president.  You say government is too big.  Are you daft?  Big government means there’s a gig for all of us for a long time.  We benefit financially, and here’s the beautiful part, it’s not our money.  If you can’t grasp a concept that simple how can we possibly con the voters?   Do me a favour, put your banjos down for a few moments and start thinking these things through.  By the way, whatever legislation you send to my office this year to be signed off on, it ain’t happening.  Besides, knowing you idiots it will probably be written on the back of a KFC napkin.

To my Democratic members of Congress, are you kidding me?  I completely wasted the first three years of my administration to pursue your pet projects, and you’re crying out for more?  This economy was in the tank when I came into office, and that should have been job one for me.  But nooooooo, I wasted the first 14 months in office on the health care bill.  It’s what you wanted, not the voters.   I put ideology over necessity, and then you have the temerity not to give me unanimous support during the health care vote?.  I’ve created class warfare.  I’ve convinced a lot of people there should be a redistribution of wealth.  We take from those who have, and give it to those that don’t have.  Be it the downtrodden, the clueless or the lazy ass.  You intellectually incompetent sycophants.  We’re buying future votes, and some of you want to side with the other guys?  Listen, when you get voted out of office…and you start cashing that obscene government pension cheque…write me a thank you note ever month that simply says…Dear Messiah, thank you.

To the rest world, I’ll begin with China.  For the next 12 months I’ll be talking about trade imbalance, currency manipulation and piracy of intellectual properties.  We both know we’re bought and paid for so cut me some slack.  It’s just lip service.   Keep the cheques coming.

To Canada, enough already with the Keystone Pipeline.  We both know it’s the right thing to do, and that it would create thousands of jobs in both countries.  But I’m not going to take on the environmental whackos during a campaign.  So chill, it will get done in 2013.

To the Arab world…don’t mess with me.  Yes, I went on the apology tour when I first came into office.  But let me remind you that I capped Osama Bin Laden’s ass.  I gave the order.  I ‘ve also signed off on more terrorist executions than the cowboy who used to sit my chair.  I’ve got drones with missiles attached to them and I’m not afraid to use them.  And if you really push me…I’ll take the leash off Israel.

Finally, to my fellow Americans watching on TV, you got what you voted for.  I was only in the Senate for 3 years.  I had no work experience other than being a community organizer.  You wanted a Washington outsider, and you got one.  Now you want to complain?  You want to vote me out?  Come on,  this has been on the job training, and now I know how this place runs.  So I’m asking you to give me another four years.  As much as you don’t like me, do you really want the other guy to have his finger on the button?

Look, we all know I’m the smartest guy in the room.  It’s difficult for me to dumb it down so that you can  all understand what the issues are, and more importantly what’s best for you.  I know what’s best for me right now.  I just noticed my beautiful wife sitting in the balcony.  Hey baby, you look fine in that blue dress.    Let’s get out of here and go back to our crib.  Daddy needs a distraction.

Peace out everyone…oh yeah…and may God bless the United States of America.  Blah, blah, blah”

Until next time

Cheers