If the Democrats want to defeat Donald Trump at the polls in 2020 (assuming he even runs again), they’d better radically alter their proposed policies before it’s too late.

And this is coming from a confirmed Democrat who would like nothing more than to see the Trumpster go back to shady real estate deals–or embrace a leisurely retirement at Mar-a- Lago.

Three major Democratic initiatives are seriously flawed–the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and Taxing the Rich (at the previously unrealistic and unfair rates).

Let’s start with the Green New Deal (a fossil fuel free economy by the year 2029).  I have solar power in my house, an electric vehicle (EV) in the driveway, and collect rainwater to combat drought (which I give seminars about within my community in liberal California). My essay on Medium.com details the last 10-year climate initiative that failed. See https://theascent.pub/global-warming-and-global-warnings-the-ipcc-lester-r-brown-and-me-cc7a1bb5c7d6

I’m about as green as green can be short of living as a cave man, and not naive about what it would take to combat global climate change in America by such a date.  And, besides, if policies are implemented to discourage new and much more efficient nuclear plants, and minimally polluting natural gas generation, then they’re wildly misdirected.

Oil burned as gasoline is everyone’s bogeyman as far as transporation related carbon dioxide pollution is concerned, but with less than 2 percent of us driving and owning EVs, fuel-cell or biodiesel powered cars, the future of oil is, well, rather secure. Especially in all our plastics and chemical concoctions.

Now, onto Medicare for All. A single-payer, universal plan that works (basically) in Canada, Britain and elsewhere is desirable–except that America can’t afford it at present with its $22 trillion dollars national debt (according to the Wall Street Journal).  And bumping everyone off of their private insurance plans–with a promise of “you can keep your doctor” is one of those false incentives, and ingenuous slogans, that led to cracks in the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). 

Covering everyone for pre-existing conditions, regulating cost overruns and eliminating the millions (billions?) of dollars in Medicare fraud would go a long way toward stabilizing our health care system. (Maybe making Medicare available at the Social Security age of 62 would be a start, as its 80-percent coverage is much better than nothing at all–or high premiums for full coverage when you’re relatively young and don’t need repetitive or chronic medical attention.)

Someday maybe we can afford to do what Canada does–even though, in reality, there are some provinces, such as British Columbia, that have some surcharges in addition to basic coverage. As well as long waits for elective care that drive some Canadian crazy, for who can afford to come south–and not just for the winter warmth…

Re-establishing sky-high tax rates for the uber rich (except that defining “rich” is a slippery slope) is certainly one way to kill a prosperous economy, as previous democratic presidencies have learned.  I don’t understand why Democrats fail to see the chilling effects of high taxes on business expansion–especially since the majority of businesses are small, and often run by Democrats. 

I, a Woodstock festival veteran, have been in business in a variety of ways most of my adult life–and working for others, while a reality for most, should not discourage entrepreneuralism (I coined the term “entrpreneuring” in my book on surviving the last recession). Liberals shouldn’t be opposed to hard work and the fruits of private enterprise–and pure socialism removes most incentives.

At this point I don’t see any Democratic candidates I can, in good conscience, support. Most lack charisma and many are short on basic common sense. Where are the John Kennedys and Franklin Roosevelts, who scholars consider among the 10 best Democratic presidents of all time?  (Donald Trump, according to one bipartisan scholarly panel, is scraping the bottom of the presidential barrel–at least he was closing in on the two-year tenure mark.) 

To some extent learning on the job is necessary, but not from a standing start.  (Had he been more receptive to listening to advisors instead of firing many of them I might be more respectful.)

Our country clearly needs a leader who is truly multidisciplinary, well educated (and read), mature and also wise in the ways of politics and statesmanship.  (Guess who doesn’t have those qualities.)

So unless something changes, I might not be voting at all in 2020 so at least I won’t have to feel guilty that I helped elect a political buffoon. And buffoons come in all ages and sizes, male and female, with nicely coiffed hairdos and freshly pressed suits. (Well, except for Bernie Sanders, who just threw his hat in the ring for a second go.)