The Trump-Clinton Landslides

If you can make it in New York -- you will win your party's presidential nomination.  That is the big message following the landslide victories Tuesday by Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton.   

Trump trounced his opposition, collecting 60 percent of the Republican primary vote and 89 delegates.  Senator Ted Cruz paid a huge price for mocking "New York values" as he won a mere 14 percent of the vote and zero delegates.  Talk about a Bronx cheer! 

"We don't have much of a race anymore," Trump said in his shorter than usual victory speech Tuesday night at Trump Tower.  As a result of his decisive victory in New York, Trump is all but certain to achieve the required 1237 delegates to win his party's nomination outright on the first ballot at the Republican Convention.  No matter, there is little doubt that he will come close enough to the magic number to fend off any attempts to stop him.  

"The race for the Democratic nomination is in the homestretch and victory is in sight," Hillary Clinton said at her victory rally late Tuesday.  While Hillary Clinton's Democratic victory was nearly as impressive as Trump's, Senator Bernie Sanders was and remains a formidable opponent with a huge passionate following.  Clinton reached out to Sanders' supporters in her remarks, "To all the people who supported Senator Sanders, I believe there is much more that unites us than divides us."

Sanders congratulated Clinton Tuesday night, but told reporters in Burlington, Vermont, "We have a message that is resonating throughout the country."  His explanation for his New York loss was the process.  "Some 3 million New Yorkers were unable to vote (Tuesday) because they had registered as independents, no Democrats or Republicans, and that makes no sense," he said.  

There is no clear path forward for Sanders to the nomination.  Yes, he went from having no name recognition to drawing enormous crowds at his campaign rallies across the country.  Yes, he magically ignited the imagination and support from millions of otherwise disengaged young Americans.  Yes, his progressive voice gave hope to the disenfranchised and the victims of income inequality.  Yes, his anti-Wall Street fervor tapped into a deep-seated frustration in America.  Yes, his anti-war posture reflected the feelings of many in a war-weary nation.   

Sanders has run a brilliant campaign, a campaign that has generated tremendous emotion.  But emotion can hamper clear and practical judgement.  Were Sanders to decide to aggressively continue his attacks on Clinton, especially his negative attacks, he will be playing into the Republican's hands.  He may also make in impossible for some Sanders' supporters to vote for Clinton in the general election.  

On the other hand, Sanders could resume his positive campaigning, speaking out on issues that have shaped his campaign while highlighting his differences with Clinton.   This would be a constructive way to legitimately raise issues without turning his most ardent supporters against Clinton.  And there will come a time in the next few weeks when the Democratic Party will have to unite, just as it did following Barack Obama's nomination in 2008.  

Donald Trump has set his sights on the White House.  He has overcome gaffes,  he has won despite alienating Latinos, Muslims, women, Mexicans, and Fox News anchors.  He has staged a highly entertaining campaign that has drawn enormous crowds, and he has campaigned round-the-clock on Twitter.   Several times Trump has defied pundit predictions of his demise, most recently following his defeat in Wisconsin.  He has done so because he has tapped into the frustrations of millions of Americans who believe Trump is the one who will "make America great again," even though Trump has offered little in the way of details.  

Trump has proven to be a fierce and wily politician who will pose a tremendous challenge for Hillary Clinton.   And he has already started using his "crooked" Hillary Clinton line at rallies.   Trump has already begun to unify the GOP, even though many Republicans don't trust him.   

Yes, presidential candidate Donald Trump will be unpredictable and challenging in the general election.  But he will be near impossible to beat if the Democratic Party is divided, and Sanders' supporters stay home.  Then everything that Sanders believed in will be lost, and decades of progress for progressives will be deleted from history.  

The Death of a Baby Bird

The northern cardinal is one of the most familiar birds for residents of New York City, especially those who live near Central Park.   They are characterized by their bright red color and distinctive chirp.

The cardinals start appearing in spring, just as the last trace of winter snow is melting away.  What a joy to watch them flit from budding tree to budding tree.  They build their nests high above the ground where the cats and other predators can't reach them. Nonetheless, tragedy can strike these most beautiful creatures.

In an Upper East Side neighborhood, known as Carnegie Hill, a family of cardinals lives behind several townhouses and buildings.  This doughnut hole, as it is called, is made up of a dozen backyards protected by a wall of buildings.  Each yard, separated by wooden fences, has a garden while some have trees.  This is an ideal home for any bird, which could spend a lifetime in these friendly confines.

But this Garden of Eden can be treacherous as well.  High winds, associated with thunderstorms and heavy rain, can shake the smallest and least experienced bird from its perch.  And so it did this past week.  A baby redbird fell to the ground and landed at the base of our building, on a glass atrium.  

Its parents spent hours frantically looking for their child.  Their chirping was loud and desperate.  Drawn by the noise, our dogs peered out of the window and watched with fascination as the birds flew from tree to railing, yelping loudly while looking everywhere for their baby.  Finally, they spotted it on the atrium and raced to its rescue. 

As the mother approached her child, she realized that she could do nothing but check on its condition.  The baby was too young to fly.  As the father jumped above from branch to branch, the mother continued to call to her baby.  As the parents flew above hours passed, but they had no way to save their child.  It was so painful to watch.  

I considered saving the chick, but I had no easy solution.  If I touched it I thought the parents might reject the child.  If I moved it to the backyard, it would still be unable to fly, and it would be in more danger from predators.  

Later, as I worked out at the gym, I decided to capture the chick and put it in a large plastic container with food and water.  But by the time I returned the chick was gone.  I went outside and searched the area for any sign of the little bird.  I could not find it.  Maybe a cat or hawk grabbed the chick.  But the parents continued to circle the area, landing on the top of the fence and looking below.  

As darkness fell, a major thunderstorm rolled through the area.  The storm cell settled over the city inflicting lightening, loud thunder and heavy rain.   I knew that had the chick survived the day it would not survive Mother Nature's wrath.

The next morning I went out into the backyard to clear the debris.  The parents continued to chirp and fly around the atrium area.  I climbed over the barrier and swept the dead branches from the top of the glass.  Suddenly, I saw the dead chick trapped in between some wire mesh and the wood walkway.  Fate had dealt its blow.

Sadly I removed the bird's body.  But the parents continued to look for their child until darkness fell again on the backyards of Carnegie Hill.  They will never know their child's fate.   Will they return?