OUTspoken’s Top Blog Posts for 2018

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The end of the year means another list somewhere, and this blog is no exception. Since Steve Charing OUTspoken is a mix of LGBT, Politics and the Arts, the top 5 posts for 2018 according to page views are listed within the categories below. You may click on the title of each to access the full post.

LGBTQ

1.     The Pride of Howard County (October)  

A survey taken of Howard County candidates on their perspectives on LGBTQ issues.

2.     HoCo Pride 2019 Officially Launched (July) 

The official kickoff event to publicize the first ever Pride celebration in Howard County.

3.     Andrew Howard Named LGBTQ Liaison in Howard County (July) 

Then County Executive Allan H. Kittleman appointed Andrew Howard to be the county’s first ever LGBTQ liaison.

4.     Orioles Host Their First Ever Pride Night (June) 

Nearly two thousand Pride celebrants attended to first team-sanctioned Pride Night.

5.     Oh Dear, Homophobe Daniel Murphy is at it Again (August) 

Chicago Cubs newly acquired second baseman was dismissive of accusations of his homophobic comments a few years ago setting off another round of controversy.

Politics

1.      Figure Skater Rippon Wins Gold for Pence Snub (February) 

Adam Rippon, the first openly gay athlete to compete for the U.S.in the Winter Olympics, was right to snub Vice President Mike Pence’s alleged request for a meeting during the competition in Pyeongchang.

2.     Mr. President,please sit down with Robert Mueller (September) 

A tongue-in-cheek open letter to President Trump urging him to be interviewed by the Special Counsel.

3.    

When it Comes tothe Military, Trump is AWOL (November) 

Trump’s avoidance of military service plus his numerous displays of disrespect to service members is unprecedented.

4.     

  4. Democrats Must Play the Trump Card (February)

Democrats were urged to associate Republicans with the unpopular Trump as often as they can in the upcoming elections.

5.     There He Goes Again (July) 

Trump once again found a distraction from his horrendous performance in Helsinki by reverting back to the NFL on players kneeling during the national anthem.

Arts

1.     Take a Chance on ‘Mamma Mia’ at Toby’s (July) 

Received most page views for any theatre review on this blog. Popular show being brought back this season.  “… the polished, colorfully costumed, well-staged production at Toby’s is flawless with a high-spirited, talented cast performing their hearts out.”

2.     ‘YoungFrankenstein’ Brings Monster Laughs at Toby’s (January) 

“[Young Frankenstein is]a comedy about a monster but it’s also a monster comedy.”

3.     Ten Hairy Legs HeatUp the Theatre Project (February) 

All male dance revue. “[Ten Hairy Legs] combines athleticism, emotion, energy, technical mastery, ingenuity and range in a power-packed one-hour performance."

4.     ‘On The Town’ is a Helluva Show at Olney (June) 

“Leave your worries at home for a few hours and enjoy a talented cast giving their all in this wild adventure in New York, New York, a helluva town.”

5.     Sassy ‘Misbehavin’Swings Into Toby’s (September)  

“The joy and warmth exhibited by these performers tell the audience they are truly having a great time onstage.”

Blasts from the Past

In addition to those popular posts from 2018 (above), below are several posts from previous years still garnering many views in 2018.

Grand Central in Baltimore is Up for Sale (October 2017) 

‘Boys Will be Boys’ on Sizzling Atlantis Cruise (February 2009) 

Iron Crow Delivers a Naughty ‘Rocky Horror Show’ (October 2017) 

G•A•Y Lounge to Close (October 2017) 

Baltimore LGBT Ally Surprised at ‘Ellen Show’ (October 2017) 

‘Everwood’s’ Coming Out Scene Hits the Mark (April 2006) 

Provincetown: Gay Mecca-By-the Sea (May 2012)

Why Dems Will Not Face Trump in 2020

Potential Democratic presidential candidates for 2020 have been dipping their toes in the political waters to determine if they will indeed make a run. From the familiar Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden to the lesser known Julian Castro and Mitch Landrieu, with well over a dozen in between including Beto O’Rourke, Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, these individuals are exploring whether or not they can raise sufficient money for a presidential bid, if they are viable to survive the grueling primary system, and to see if the voters think they are tough enough to stand up to Donald Trump in 2020. 

The latter point is interesting as these candidates will attempt to out-Trump Trump in an effort to corral the Democratic base behind them.  It should be noted, however, that Hillary Clinton has always been considered tough yet she couldn’t topple Trump for a bevy of reasons irrespective of her toughness. 

Nonetheless, voters, especially Democratic voters, will be applying ideological litmus tests to these candidates as well as determining their electability against an opponent who has yet to approach, much less crack 50 percent job approval.

With all the hand wringing that will take place in order to figure out an effective way to “stand up to Trump,” it may be a moot point.   I may be in a small minority but I truly believe that Donald Trump will not be their opponent in 2020.

The President’s legal woes haven’t even scratched the surface and already he’s in trouble. For the first time, Federal prosecutors directly implicated Trump for federal crimes involving illegal campaign contributions resulting from payments made to Trump’s alleged mistresses in an effort to defraud the U.S. by paying hush money to these women so their stories remained hidden from the voters during the 2016 campaign.

Those offenses alone supported by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen’s statement as well as corroborating evidence and testimony that are in the possession of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) and Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III would amount to, in the opinion of many legal scholars, an impeachable offense.

Yet, that is just the tip of the iceberg.  According to NBC News, the following are other investigations underway:

. The Mueller probe looking at Russia’s interference in the 2016 presidential election, and whether there was cooperation/coordination/assistance from the Trump campaign;

. New York prosecutors looking at the inaugural committee;

. New York’s attorney general examining the Trump Foundation and Trump’s business dealings;

. the lawsuits looking at whether Trump is violating the Constitution’s emoluments clause through his business dealings; and

. the defamation lawsuit by Summer Zervos, who alleges that Trump defamed her after she claimed she was sexually assaulted by the president in 2007.

In addition, there is Mr. Mueller’s investigation into possible obstruction of justice on the part of the President (think: Comey and Sessions firings, Trump’s public comments to Lester Holt and, of course, his tweets).

And let’s not forget the myriad investigations the Democratic-controlled House will launch in 2019.  Any organization Trump had led over the past decade is currently or will be under investigation. Follow the money because with Trump, it’s all about money.

A full listing of ALL the investigations that involve Trump and Russia can be seen here.

That is one big basket of deplorable legal perils. 

My gut tells me that the meticulous, professional and extremely competent Mr. Mueller will present

Image: The Daily Beast

(if allowed to complete his work) a convincingly damning case against Mr. Trump in the areas of his purview. Moreover, the relentless U.S. Attorney’s office in the SDNY as well as an incoming New York State Attorney General will probably clobber Mr. Trump and members of his family for other crimes.

So, what does all this mean with respect to 2020?  There will likely be Articles of Impeachment drawn by the new Democratic majority in the House of Representatives after reviewing the reports and/or indictments that will undoubtedly be forthcoming. But even if impeachment is voted by the House, the fate of Mr. Trump’s removal from office rests in the hands of the Senate.

When President Nixon was about to be impeached, key Republicans approached him to tell him his time was up.  Rather than face a difficult and divisive trial, Nixon chose to resign.

 Most people that I know believe a defiant Donald Trump would never cave like Nixon did.  He will fight back with all his might and try to rally what will remain of his loyal base to “revolt,” as he suggested, pressuring Senate Republicans from convicting.

Whether those Senators will succumb to such pressure will be determined by how the public reacts to the Special Counsel’s report and indictments and from what the SDNY brings to the table.

If the evidence is so overwhelming and his support erodes significantly, I suspect Mr. Trump will choose not to fight any impeachment attempt and may resign and return to his gilded lifestyle that was partially interrupted by winning the presidency. Even his wife feels the stress is too much for his health.  

More likely though, he will not seek a second term and will blame the media, the Democrats, President Obama, “Crooked Hillary” and everybody else but himself.

Either way, Democratic presidential candidates will not be facing Mr. Trump in 2020.

The Walls Are Closing In

How will a volatile Trump react to the Mueller findings?

During the run-up to the 2016 election, Donald Trump was already discounting the results if he lost saying it is a “rigged system.” This accusation was offered without any evidence.

However, we are learning that the election was, in fact, rigged but in Trump's favor as interference on the part of the Russian government has been documented by the findings from a number of U S. Intel organizations.  Then after Trump stunned the world by defeating Hillary Clinton in the Electoral College, he claimed, again without evidence, that he lost the popular vote because of voter fraud.

You see, Donald Trump cannot accept losing. He would be portrayed as weak and that's his biggest fear other than losing money.

As the legal walls continue to close in on Trump with likely charges of conspiracy and obstruction of justice facing him as a result of the work of Special Counsel Robert F. Mueller III and his formidable team, the shit is about to hit the fan .

If anyone believes Trump will take these citations calmly and with reverence to the probe, I have seaside property in Kansas to sell them.

Rather, we should anticipate an explosion the likes of which this country has not seen in modern history. I’m not suggesting his fire-breathing supporters will automatically take to the streets with their beloved weapons pointed and shooting everyone.  Nor will there be a civil war of sort as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones suggested .

But we could be entering dangerous territory here. I wouldn’t rule out an increase in attacks against minorities and immigrants even if they’re sporadic as a reaction to their cult leader finding himself in hot water.  Sharp spikes in hate crimes have already occurred since the election so it’s not out of the realm of possibility.  Trump would say or do nothing to quell an uprising regardless of the degree. He has been anticipating such an outcome ever since the “Russia Thing” got underway.

And he seems to be pushing for one.

His rallies with his base have been aimed at whipping up support for himself and defiance towards the Mueller probe while denigrating the “fake news” media and urging action to lock up his opponents.

Moreover, his off-the-rails tweets, which at times have further placed the president in legal peril, are not simply rants that occur often in the wee hours of the morning during an insomnia-induced brain dump. They are also messages to his rabid base to point out how unfairly he’s being treated by his enemies--mostly angry Democrats--who cannot accept a defeat in an election they were supposed to win.

These tweets and incendiary rallies are intended to send signals to his base that anything coming out of the Mueller probe cannot be taken as legitimate. The angry mobs Trump may actually see will not be Democrats (as he predicted following the Democratic takeover of the House) but his own fire-breathing supporters who will deny the inevitable outcome of a serious investigation that is a threat to the Trump’s presidency as well has his family.

A similar view is presented here.