Hodge Podge by Charlie Hodge – Politics!

Like a snag in a sweater it seems life is unraveling at a rapid pace for Donald Trump. It’s about time and quite frankly I am shocked and dismayed that it took this long for the racist, bigoted, chauvinist pig to fall from his lofty tower of public approval.Wednesday night’s final debate for the upcoming presidential election in United States provided one last glimpse for American voters and fixated Canadian viewers. What we saw was not pretty however considering the characters involved I suppose that is not surprising.What began as a publicity stunt for Trump has turned into a mockery of the democratic process and an example of how easily a lot of money and a mountain of arrogance can create false realities. It is hard to comprehend how any rational thinking person could possibly conceive that Donald Trump would be an appropriate or respected figurehead for one of the largest and most  powerful nations in the world. In fact it is downright scary.I admit to normally not paying much attention to US politics, however such was nearly impossible with the amount of airplay and hype that this campaign generated. I also partially blame my wife for my new attraction over the political debacle south of our border. Tez has always had an interest in the political games played down there, and through the osmosis of watching the TV set with her my interest slowly grew.Like many I fully expected Trump to bow out early in the election not realizing the depth of his despise for not only Hillary Clinton but also Barack Obama. It seems ever since the current President mocked Trump at an event last year that the Donald became determined to strike back.One cannot help but wonder if in a twisted way Obama inspired the dangerous joke now being perpetrated upon the American public.Sadly the US election is looking a lot like Canadian politics with voters not really given a logical choice. There is no question that despite Trump’s various moral and mental issues that Hillary is not a whole lot better. Certainly she is more politically savvy, better educated, and for all intent and purpose much classier than the wealthy comb-over. However she has a dubious track record of questionable activity and lies.Tragically whoever takes the throne three weeks now they will not be able to hold a candle to the demeanour or job of Obama. It appears that the step out of the dark of racism by US voters in selecting Obama is now in potential peril based on possible results at the polls.While Wednesday night was actually relatively tame compared to previous debates Trump could not resist eventually unraveling on stage. His greatest mistake was telling the public he would not promise to accept the final results of the election, suggesting those results were already rigged. Paranoid?That comment inspired one commentator to later say that Trump acted, “like an old man in the park feeding squirrels and talking to himself.”On a positive note, the election is just three weeks away, though the rhetoric and name-calling will likely go on for a long time. Pathetic.

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 Speaking of battles and aggressive behavior the United Way and John Howard Society have combined forces to create a unique fund raising event. Boxing For My Community will take place November 3 and will feature an evening of boxing matches with combatants getting pledges from supporters for their contribution.Three of the fights will involve women including two friends – Lindsay Stillborn and Angela Nagy. Ironically Stillborn and Nagy will battle each other which makes it difficult for me to decide who to cheer for.I have warned Stillborn that for three years on Kelowna City Council I found myself occasionally engaged in verbal fisticuffs with Nagy, or watched her take on other counsellors. If her physical boxing skills are as strong as her verbal Lindsay may want to book a room in emergency ahead of time. On the other hand, Stillborn despite her gentle demeanour and diminutive size is a determined lass with a lot of spunk and a feisty side. Should be interesting.Money raised during the evening will go towards supporting men’s programs.If you are interested in supporting the event, or to learn more, go to   http://tinyurl.com/hbn9z2b or www.boxingforcommunity.com

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HodgePodge by Charlie Hodge
Charlie Hodge is a best-selling author, writer, a current Kelowna City Councillor, and a Director on the Regional District of the Central Okanagan Board. He spent more than 25 years as a full-time newspaper journalist and has a diverse background in public relations, promotions, personal coaching, and strategic planning. A former managing editor, assistant editor, sports editor, entertainment editor, journalist, and photographer, Hodge also co-hosted a variety of radio talk shows and still writes a regular weekly newspaper column titled Hodge Podge, which he has crafted now for 41 years. His biography on Howie Meeker, titled Golly Gee It’s Me is a Canadian bestseller and his second book, Stop It There, Back It Up – 50 Years of the NHL garnered lots of attention from media and hockey fans alike. Charlie is currently working on a third hockey book, as well as a contracted historical/fiction novel. His creative promotional skills and strategic planning have been utilized for many years in the Canadian music industry, provincial, national, and international environmental fields, and municipal, provincial, and federal politics. Charlie is a skilled facilitator, a dynamic motivational speaker, and effective personal coach. His hobbies include gardening, canoeing, playing pool, and writing music. Charlie shares his Okanagan home with wife Teresa and five spoiled cats.

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