Post-Debate Analysis: Trump Fared Badly … America Fared Worse

By all measures and opinion, last night’s first 2020 Presidential debate was a complete debacle … especially for Donald Trump. Almost all post-debate polls show that Joe Biden not only clearly won the “shit-show”, as it was described on-air by several pundits, but he also increased his likability numbers by nearly 10%, while Trump decreased his by nearly 20%. The former VP also increased his lead on the major issues, as well as taking a slight lead in the current P’s strongest category – the economy.

However, while the fallout from DJT’s abysmal performance continues to be discussed, ad infinitum, the true losers of last night’s disgusting display are the American people. For one, the sanctity of the presidential debate process itself was completely trashed by Trump’s repeated disregard for the very rules that he and his campaign negotiated with their counterparts and the Debate Commission. Quite frankly, it was embarrassing and difficult to watch. I can’t even imagine how it played out for those watching their first American Presidential debate … especially children. I have heard reports of numerous children that left their viewing rooms in tears, and even heard of one that turned to their parents and asked if they needed to arm themselves because they were scared for their family’s safety. That should not be the end result of one of these deliberations.

Additionally, the sanctity of our democratic voting institutions continued to be denigrated by the sitting President in an effort to undermine the validity of an election that seems to be slipping away from him. It’s like watching a drowning man furiously trying to grasp the last inches of a lifeline tied to his fleeting boat, carried away by the wind and ocean’s currents. But, the most worrisome part of this baseless ploy is that he is willing to take our democratic conventions down with him. The peaceful transition of power has been a 244 year testament to the strength of our democracy, and the validity of our voting system. Yet, Trump continued to make it clear that he is willing to do literally anything to retain his hold on the office he currently inhabits … most likely in a desperate attempt to avoid the various prosecutions awaiting him the moment he leaves the shade of the presidency.

Perhaps the most painful part of the night was the utter disregard for the sanctity of the American moral compass, when he was unable and, most importantly, unwilling to publicly condemn white supremacy groups in this country. While his affinity for racist tropes and their authors is not news to those that have followed the course of Trump’s life – from his refusal to rent to blacks, to the Central Park Five, and the Charlotte protests where there were “fine people on both sides”. But, last night, Fox News moderator Chris Wallace lobbed up a softball for the embattled candidate to hit out of the park, and begin to restore his moral reputation: “Mr. President, are you willing to condemn white supremacists?”. Trump could have easily lied through his teeth (which he has showed thousands of times that he is willing to do) and simply said, “YES! Yes, I do!”. Instead, however, he revealed his true racist self by giving a shout-out to the known racist group the Proud Boys, and the rest of the white nationalist collective, by saying “Stand back, and standby!”. Those were, by far, the most frightening words I have ever heard spoken from a Presidential debate stage – and, the most chilling by any American elected official.

However, the fact that, despite separating children from their parents and placing them in cages; cuddling up to dictators and tyrants that are known enemies to our way of life; abandoning loyal allies; disparaging our men and women in uniform, and our intelligence community; lying, once again, to the American public about the deadliest enemy we have faced since WWII, leading to the deaths of over 200,000 of our fellow countrymen/women, and the worst pandemic reaction in the world; continued examples of his fondness for racist, anti-semitic supporters and their beliefs; and living what amounts to a nearly moral-less life, both professionally and personally; yet, can still garner somewhere between 32% and 45% of the American public’s support is perhaps the most horrific takeaway from last night’s battle royale. It is an alarming attack on the sanctity of the very word “American”, and what it is supposed to stand for: Equality, liberty, justice, and the pursuit of happiness for ALL.

Whomever wins this election will have the unenviable task of repairing the enormous chasm Trump and his minions have gouged into the landscape of American thought, belief,and conventions. A Trump victory will inevitably lead to a complete demolishing of what is left standing, at this point. Regrettably, a Biden victory likely will not be able to fill in the supermassive black hole his opponent will leave behind as he employs this scorched earth approach to the rest of his current term. So, while Trump was arguably the biggest loser last night, it is us, the American people, who are the real losers going forward … because, simply put, we have clearly lost ourselves.

Notorious RBG Gambled BIG … and, Lost

I join millions of my fellow Americans in mourning the immense loss, and lauding the myriad accomplishments, of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – aka Notorious RBG. Her illustrious career, beginning with admittance to the heralded Harvard Law School and culminating with the second ever female appointment to the highest court in the land, was filled with landmark decisions that helped promote equal justice under the law for women, minorities, and EVERY U.S. citizen. Her ascension as a true giant of jurisprudence is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Which is why I am absolutely shocked that such an intelligent, astute, and shrewd individual would not adhere to one of the most basic of old adages when it came to how she would bow out of her position on the Supreme Court: NEVER count your chickens before they are hatched. It is a tenet we are all taught from childhood and, perhaps, one that only the most foolish or careless ignore.

Some of you might be saying, “What the hell are you talking about?”. Well, if the numerous reports are correct, RBG was asked to consider retiring during President Barrak Obama’s 2nd term so that he could appoint her successor. But, Justice Ginsburg deferred, opting to have her replacement named by what she assumed would be the first female President of the United States of America. This previously brilliant tactician was so confident that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 election, she was willing to throw caution, and that classic adage, to the wind in the hope that she could end her professional journey with a Hollywood-type ending.

Unfortunately, as we all know, HRC lost the election, and RBG’s gambit didn’t come to fruition … causing her to attempt to remain on the court long enough, while valiantly battling cancer, to hopefully outlast Trump’s reign as President. Her fight was nothing short of courageous and, regrettably, ended just a few months short of her goal.

Of course, nobody can predict the future. Nothing is assured. Most rational thinking adults realize this. Which is why I cannot fathom why this amazing woman took the chance she did. Now, there will be no Hollywood ending … only the end of an era of reasonable, sensible, judicious judgement from, perhaps, the most influential branch of our democracy. What’s worse … this seismic shift will be felt for generations to come.

We are now left with a political quagmire, and the real possibility that all of her life’s work may soon be wiped out by a SC that will be decidedly entrenched in right-wing thought and action. The voting public, must take some of the blame for allowing Hypocrite Mitch McConnell and his double-standard disciples in the Senate to remain in power (not to mention Twitler, himself), to have the ability to select the heir to her seat. Though, Ruthie has got to bear a large part of that liability, as well. She could have easily opted to have the first President of color, the first minority leader in our history, to appoint her replacement – securing a more moderate-centrist court and guaranteeing her legacy’s continued enshrinement in our nation’s laws. Instead, she gambled. She gambled BIG. She rolled the dice … and lost.

Election Post Mortem

I hate to say it. But, I knew it. I knew Hillary Clinton couldn’t win. I said it in 2008, and again this time around. I just knew that Republicans would find, or create, enough crap on her to make it impossible. It was one of the reasons I backed Barrack Obama then, and Bernie Sanders this election cycle. Perhaps I should have been more vocal about it … not that it would have changed much. The Democrat’s power machine had their eyes on HRC for a long time. It was a fait accompli.

Speaking of Dems. I lay much of this at their feet. Instead of taking the Bush buddies to task for their war, economic, and social crimes; their Kumbaya attitude of “let’s move on” emboldened right-wingers who had raped and pillaged so much, here and abroad. Allowing them to continue to plan for their future without fear of any kind of reckoning for the past. It also gave Righties an opportunity to not have to own the failures of 8 years of Bush II. To actually be able to paint Obama and the Dems as the architects of the Great Recession and the other collateral damage they left behind. Without something concrete to point back to, it gave them the ability to sweep everything under the rug and create a dog and pony show to distract the public from the reality they had just endured. After all, the average American’s memory seems to be about as reliable as that of my Alzheimer’s laden father.

Our ability to forget the past has truly brought us to this moment. Forgetting that our lives have been quantifiably better under the last two Democratic Presidents. Forgetting what our President-elect has said and done over the last several months, much less the past several years. And, certainly forgetting that it was the same dog-whistles, and vitriolic nationalism that led the world to the beginning of one of it’s darkest chapters a mere 82 years ago.

The media gets it’s fair share of the blame, as well. In their insatiable need to sensationalize everything for the sake of ratings, they allowed and even encouraged the legitimization of a candidate that was by many accounts “uniquely unqualified” and “spectacularly unfit” for the office of President. Our fourth estate failed us, as the job of journalist has taken a turn toward melodrama rather than truth. I’m sure that Walter Cronkite is spinning in his grave.

My hope is that I, and others like me, will continue to have the freedom to express our inner most thoughts and feelings through their blogs, podcasts, news outlets, and general media. Though, the way the Washington Post was banned from covering Trump during the campaign doesn’t give me confidence that the 1st Amendment will be defended as vigorously as the 2nd in the near future. I will continue to search for truth, and post about all the injustice, inequity, and plain unlawfulness committed against our society for as long as I am able. I truly hope I am wrong about what the next 4-8 years will bring. But, unfortunately, my hope has worn very thin.

Celebrate Good Times, C’mon!

In the early 1980’s, Kool & The Gang urged us to “celebrate good times” in their #1 Billboard hit “Celebration”. Back then, the NFL and it’s players took that message to heart with some of the most entertaining post-score frolic ever displayed at a sporting event. The Billy “White Shoes” Johnson end-zone dance, Ickey Woods’ “Shuffle”, the Fun Bunch jump, and others, delighted crowds and TV watchers alike, helping to propel the league to the top of the American sports popularity charts.
Today, while the iconic disco hit continues to get regular radio airplay, and is a staple of every wedding DJ’s playlist, the NFL has decided to take the opposite approach and secure it’s moniker’s definition as the “No Fun League”. For example, any type of group celebration, or multi-player choreographed revelry is verboten … very odd for the ultimate TEAM sport. Any use of a prop; including the ball, goal posts, or pylons; is forbidden. Further, anything that the officials deem inappropriate or found to be remotely taunting can evoke the dreaded yellow flag indicating a 15 yard Unsportsmanlike Conduct penalty.
Granted, the TD hoopla was getting out of hand with the likes of Terrell Owens and his antics – which included carrying a sharpie in his sock to autograph the ball and hand it to the defender, taking the ball to mid-field and spiking it on his opponent’s logo, and taking a nap on the ball in the end-zone on his opponent’s painted name. His celebrations were more taunting in nature, forcing the league’s honchos to reign in his potentially volatile-reaction-inducing acts.
However, as usually happens, the chieftains let the pendulum swing too far. Just this season alone, we’ve seen the penalty flag fly for two players who have imitated shooting an arrow into the air; three players who gathered and waved their arms in the air; and, just yesterday, a player was flagged for shooting the football into the air as if it were a basketball! Players can’t even remove their helmets on the field without incurring a penalty.
It’s time for the NFL to wake up! TV ratings are falling; teams are having trouble selling out; and the air of a fun, and even outlandish, player pool filled with mesmerizing personalities which helped lift the league to unprecedented heights is seemingly disappearing. The powers that be need to allow the hilarity of an Antonio Brown hugging the goal posts, the joy of a Cardinal team dancing, or the delight of a Michael Crabtree throwing the ball 50 feet into the air, to occur WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE. They need to allow their players to “celebrate good times … C’MON!”.

I Will Miss “OMAHA!”

He knew it. We all knew it. But, Peyton Manning was too classy to make his team’s championship moment about him. No … he waited until nearly the last minute possible to announce he was taking that proverbial stroll into the sunset on his brilliant NFL career in order for his teammates, coaches, and organization to bask in the glory of the rare feat of becoming Super Bowl champion. Oh, I’m sure we could all name a player or two (dozen) that would have stolen the spotlight in their post-game interviews and taken center stage in the media circus. But, not this ring leader.
Nor should it be surprising that the ultimate on-field leader would take the high road off-field, as well. He has spent his entire career trying to deflect the well-deserved attention to others; like colleagues Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas; coaches Tony Dungy, John Fox, and Gary Kubiak; or even team owners Jim Irsay and Pat Bowlen. So, when it came time to answer whether the 50th edition of Super Sunday would be his last in the NFL, he decided to merely say he was going to enjoy the moment “with some Buds” (we can only hope that there may have been some Spicoliesque double entendre intended).
In a word, Peyton Manning is “class”. It’s been the mantra of the way he has handled himself his entire time in the limelight of football. No outrageous attitude, no sense of entitlement, no diva behavior (can’t say the same for his QB sibling). Yet, he dedicated himself completely to his craft, honing his gridiron IQ and skills to the very end. If one was to ever search for the penultimate blueprint for success, Peyton Manning’s work ethic, attitude, and approach should certainly be considered.
I will miss Peyton Manning. I will miss the example he set, not only for his fellow football player, but for every fan of the game. I will miss seeing his magician-like play-action fakes, his pinpoint passes under ponderous duress, and his artful last-second audibles. Most of all, I will miss, as the play clock winds down to it’s last few precious ticks, the loud yell of “The Sheriff” preparing the other ten for the impending snap: with the accent on the third syllable … “OMAHA!”

Can’t Be Quiet Any Longer!

I can’t be quiet any longer! I just can’t!! My self imposed muteness must end. The shit pile we call a country was going down the crapper at a parabolic pace, and there didn’t seem that anything could be done on this end. The louder I screamed, the worse it got.
Many want to blame it on Obama, or the Republican controlled congress. Others take aim at Wall Street, or the Military-Industrial Complex. Still others hold the media responsible, be it liberal or conservative. Me??? I blame them all!
We, as a general populace, are screwed daily, from multiple directions, and from multiple uninvited parties. People into BDSM call it “Air Tight”. Which is what this poltico-socio-economic system we’ve come to accept; that represses, suppresses, and oppresses the vast majority of us in ways we may not even comprehend; seems to be for the very few who thrive splendidly in it.
That said, it is not the butt-fucking of the masses by the “of, for, and by the people” mirage that has me back on my cyber pulpit. NOPE! It’s actually the possibility that we could be repeating the unquestionably ugliest chapter in human history, a mere 71 years after the nightmare ended. In case you haven’t read your history, there was a man who rallied a disgruntled electorate behind a culture of distrust, and eventually hatred, of minorities; a belief that their society was superior to all others; and savagely, and eventually murderously, enforced their dogma with a goon squad made up of angry, violent sociopaths.
In the video below, you can see how Donald Trump’s legions treat anyone who does not espouse the same ideals as their vaunted leader. It doesn’t matter if you are vocal protestor, a silent observer, or even a legitimate journalist trying to make your living covering the front runner for the Republican Presidential nomination … you are fair game for a beat down:

The rabid staunchness of his supporters – and the lengths they will go to in order to defend his inane, if not inhumane, tenets – is eerily similar to the early days of what would become the Third Reich. His henchmen, hauntingly reminiscent of what would become the SS. His xenophobia, Islamophobia, and self-admitted chiraptophobia; strikingly similar to the many psychosis exhibited by Adolph Hitler, himself.
I guess it’s not surprising to see the ugly head of fear, race/religion-baiting, and bullying take hold of a significant portion of the public. After all, there is great discord going on in this country. Besides, most of the population can’t name the Vice President, much less remember the murderous crimes against humanity committed by a psychotic, paranoid, schizophrenic and his followers last century. Though, if you were to actually study some history, you might find the parallels unnerving. You might even find yourself wanting to stand up to the insanity and say “ENOUGH!”. I know I do.

The Gift That Keeps On Giving

With the Holidays impossibly already upon us, I was wondering what was the gift that truly keeps on giving? What would keep on giving not only to the recipient, but also to those they come into contact with? After all, if you are going to give something to someone, they should be able to share the joy of that gift with family, friends … heck, even strangers.

The cynic humorist would readily reply “Herpes is the gift that keeps on giving”. However, in the spirit of the season, I strive to a higher understanding here.

Donating an organ, or even blood for that matter, is a noble act that can offer the ultimate gift of life to it’s beneficiary. While no greater bestowment can surely be offered, it is one that actually stops with the donee. You can argue that the love and affection that friends and family can continue to share is proof of the “keep on giving” assertion. Yet, the gift of heart, lung, et al are only facilitators here, not actual participants in the “keep on” part of our quest. Besides, if the recipient turns out to be such a weenie that they’d make Ebenezer Scrooge seem like the poster-child for the Salvation Army, then the gift actually begins to “take away”.

Love is a wonderful gift to offer. Other than the aforementioned organ donation, there may be no greater thing to offer of one’s self. However, love is fragile and can all too easily be stepped on, like a night snail crossing an unlit sidewalk, ending it’s journey on the eternal conferring quest.

Kindness. Yes, as the recent TV campaign for an insurance company illustrates, random acts of kindness can be passed on infinitum, and actually come back to you in the end. But, get one dick-head slacker caught up in that karmic chain-letter and it gets knocked flatter than Manny Pacquiao.

So, what is it that can be gifted and continue to be passed on for eternity … or, at least, until the gift itself can no longer be viably shared? CASH! Yep … cold hard cash, dough, currency!! Now, before you go branding me a heartless prick who has no concept of the word “giving” or the idea of what constitutes a genuine gift, hear me out.

First, there is no doubt that cash keeps on giving to both acquaintance and stranger alike. If I give you a $100 bill, chances are you are going to spend it. You might treat yourself to a massage and facial, or a full tank of gas and a couple of Happy Meals. You might get the kids the latest toy craze that will undoubtedly go untouched within 60-90 days. You might take your significant other out to a dinner that doesn’t include paper napkins and ketchup packets. You might even put it in the bank to “save it for another day”. Yet, at some point, you are going to spend it … and the person who is next in the c-note reception line will end up spending it, too. And, so on, until that bill ultimately receives it’s untimely end at the end of a lit cigar, in a sunken safe at the bottom of the Laurentian Abyssal, or in a Treasury Department shredder.

Second, a certain freedom comes with an unanticipated windfall of wampum. You are free to spend, share, or dispense it as you please. Sure gift cards are nice. Though, the givee is restricted to the specific choice of establishment, and their offerings, of the giver. With an envelope loaded with legal tender, however, there are no constraints as to the who, what, where, and when the continued giving is conducted.

Lastly, everyone loves the gift of greenbacks! No one has ever stood in line for an hour or more to return or exchange the present of dead Presidents. Nor has anyone ever expressed disappointment, scorn, or regret in the boon of good-gotten booty. The unexpected largess of loot can bring a great sense of relief to the awardee in need; and feeling of frivolity, or even philanthropy, to those who are already flush.

Sure, banknotes do not carry the sentimental value that many other “gifts from the heart” may possess. But, sentimentality is not our pursuit here. And, please, don’t confuse cash with a check, which lends itself to be deposited rather than dispensed. Don’t even get me started on the cold, callous “electronic transfer”!

So, if you are wondering what to get Dorkus for the Holiday, allow me some literary license with, if not outright butchery of, the words of Lady Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, your crumpled masses of Fins, Sawbucks, Jacksons, and Benjamins yearning to breathe free … Send these, the spondulick, pocket-money to me. I lift my lamp beside the folding-green door!” Most importantly, I promise to pass them on!!

Please, Secede!

If you haven’t heard, several states have issued post-election secession petitions to the White House. Gun sales have also skyrocketed since President Obama won a convincing reelection bid last week. Some are now correlating that these two responses portend an impending Civil War II. While I won’t argue the ridiculousness of that assertion, based on the fact that the vast majority of the population in those states oppose such a radical reaction to a Black man inhabiting the Oval Office, I will offer a simple peaceful solution to the remote possibility that Americans will once again take up arms against each other: LET THEM SECEDE!

It’s not so much that many of these “America: Love It, Or Leave It!” bumper sticker toting hypocrites, who don’t believe in science; the separation of church and state; or true individual liberty, are trying to drag the rest of us into an apocalyptic quagmire they gleefully call “The Rapture”. It’s more that while they claim to want the feds to stop giving handouts to the so-called “takers” in this country, it is actually them that are the true recipients of handouts from “big government”. Yep! THEY are the ones creating a real drag on our economy and inflating our national debt with their insatiable hunger to suck on the tax-payer-teat. Six, count ’em, six of the top-ten per-capita recipients of federal assistance dollars are states that are leading this secession campaign.

I say, let ’em go! We’ll save money, we’ll instantly raise the IQ level of our country, and we’ll have a neighboring country to whom we can export the high tech products we will be producing: from alternate energy sources to efficient cars, innovative communications to cutting-edge entertainment, and new medical breakthroughs to natural resources. It will also make it much easier for the elected representatives that remain, the majority of which will come from “Blue States” based on the states leading this new Confederate charge, to move forward with the business of governing the country rather than trying to negotiate with reactionaries that are more committed to filibusters and political ideology than to compromise and real patriotism.

In short, it will be an expeditious way to clean the American gene pool, and get this country back on a track that honors and respects individual freedom, intelligent discourse, and the American tradition of including the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. Besides, if you truly want to leave this country because a person of color has become your leader, you were never a true American to begin with … and, please, let the door hit you in the ass on your way out!

Chicken Neck Sounds A Lot Like Chicken Little

First, let me say that I have ignored this cyber rag for way too long. But, that doesn’t mean that my mind hasn’t been whirling like Donald Trump’s hair during Hurricane Sandy. Only that I haven’t had a spare moment to tap away at this QWERTY keyboard. Hopefully, there won’t be the same hiatus between posts.
Now, on to the subject at hand. If you haven’t heard Bill O’Reilly’s lamentation on the results of Tuesday’s election, then you probably don’t know that the political sky is falling! That’s right!! Chicken Neck Bill took a page from his apparent ancestor, Chicken Little’s, take on the atmospheric state of affairs. According to the Fox Not News host (I can’t bring myself to refer to him as an “anchor”), rich, old, white guys (ROWG’s) no longer run the United States Of America!
While his ignorance of this national trend – that actually began in the 1800’s with the elections of Joseph Hayne Rainey and Hiram Revels, continued in the early 1900’s with the election of Jeannette Rankin, and has progressed to unprecedented heights in the 21st century – serves to underscore that most, if not all, of Chicken Neck’s opinions are based on little, if any, merit, facts, or truth. ROWG’s have been losing their piece of the pie for some time. It’s just that now, with a Black President re-elected for a second term, more women coming to Capitol Hill than ever before (including an entirely female New Hampshire delegation), more minorities serving in Congress than ever before, an electorate that has become decidedly colorized, and several states giving their okey-dokey to both gay marriage and recreational marijuana use, the cold hard facts are sinking in for the minions over at the reality-starved network.
While, in the face of this week’s election results, the Republican Party is getting a wake up call that they need to hear the voices of women, minorities, and young people if they are to remain a viable political entity in years to come, FOX Not News needs to come to a similar realization if they are to remain a viable media entity. Otherwise, they run the risk of looking like a black and white rerun of “Father Know’s Best” … nostalgic, but not very relevant. Though, by the look on Chicken Neck’s face, any progressive change that may come from either the GOP or FOX will, at best, come very begrudgingly, if at all. Perhaps, the ROWG’s skies are indeed falling.

Record So Cal Heat Spawns US 101 Brush Fire

Temperatures in excess of 114° Fahrenheit spawned a few brush fires today, including this one on US 101 just north of Westlake Village, CA just across the Los Angeles/Ventura County line. It was still burning at the time of this post. So far, there are no reports of injuries or property damage.