Jimmy Carter II: The long awaited sequel

By now it's nearly impossible for all but the most devoted fans of President Trump to put a positive spin on his second term.  Second terms are often a bugger when it comes to presidential legacies. After all, the driving motivation of the first term - getting a second term - has already been fulfilled. 

Nonetheless, we also know that second terms can yield some pretty good results.  I'm looking at you President Reagan.  Sadly, so far at least, President Trump's second term is not going in that direction.  At least it isn't yet.  

Like Carter, we have lag over of an economic downturn that continues to plod along.  Toward the end of last year, things did seem to be improving.  Finally.  Prices were going down, and if incomes weren't exactly skyrocketing, affordability getting better was a good enough compromise.

But since the Iran conflict, they've done an about face once again.  True, in some areas they aren't as high as 2022/2023 when the MSM assured us the economy was as strong and healthy as ever, and inflation but a minor blip in an overall robust economy.  But it's been going on a half dozen years of these high prices, and the strain is beginning to break a lot of people.    

Despite the media universally supporting the message, President Obama was unable to spend eight years assuring us that all problem with the anemic economic recovery were anyone else's fault.  I doubt it will work for President Trump without such MSM backing. 

Then we have the Iran debacle.  And debacle it is.  It should be mentioned that his usual clowning isn't funny anymore:

His 'let me be funny and troll them all' schtick has largely grown stale as the problems mount and the solutions seem far removed from his field of vision.  It's just not amusing when it's clear that Iran knows it has the cards to  play and the Administration no clear way to wrap this up.  I mean, even the most sympathetic analysis has to admit this is the case. It puts me in mind of the Iran Hostage crisis.  Whatever happens will depend largely on Iran or, from the looks of it, someone else in the White House.  Unless things take a major turn.  And in a bit of irony, I'm hearing Trump supporters admit this, though in a backward sort of way.  That is, they're saying Iran is just trying to hold out until the next president comes along, hoping it will be some leftwing President that Iran can then manhandle.  But even if that's the case, then it's still a loss for President Trump.  And a big one at that. 

Is he getting older, slower, and less sparky than his first term?  Sure.  Like all in the generation that won't give up the reigns, he's getting up there.  I couldn't deny noticing a marked difference in his energy and interactions compared to his first term.  Sure, it's nowhere close to President Biden's cognitive unraveling, but it's still there. 

I know, I know. I've never been a Trump fan.  But I also didn't want to go never-Trumper bat crazy either.  I've tried to give credit where it was due.  Especially in his first term, where even the most cynical critics had to concede that things took a turn for the better under President Trump.  And not just in the wallet.  He was scoring some impressive victories at home and abroad. 

But this time?  Not so much.  I'm not saying he's done nothing.  He clearly has scored some hits. But in the areas where it matters - the bank accounts and pocket books of Joe and Jane America - it's still lagging far below where they need.  And if things don't improve, given the growing 'we're against whoever is the establishment status quo of the day' movement, I expect some pretty stunning results at the November voting booth.  Not that it makes me happy, but where politics is concerned, I've always tried to be a realist.  

And this is looking past his continued 'total pro-life today, but tomorrow you never know' approach to almost anything.  In some ways, I've said President Trump is America's Id.  He's a bodily incarnation of almost everything we've been building as a society for the last century.  And when I say that, it's not supposed to be a compliment.  Either for President Trump, or for America under our watch for these last generations.  

What spending almost a month and a half listening to the Administration say it will be 

all over in Iran in a couple weeks reminded me of. 

My political upbringing

Mom and Dad as I like to remember them

Despite being almost nine years younger than anyone else in my extended family, I did pay attention to the discussions.  The first news story I remember, in the sense that I was aware of it and understood that it was important, was Watergate.  Naturally I didn't fully comprehend it.  After all, I was only about seven.  But I knew it was important because my parents acted like it was important. They also didn't allow kids making light of it either.  I know that for a fact.

But the part that got me was listening to them in that old kitchen we had at the time.  While the story gained steam, I recall them both saying they hoped and prayed it was all hot air.  They hoped Nixon was not connected to anything and nothing would result in him getting in trouble.  Because, as they said, they feared it would be bad for the country.  But here's the punchline - they were both Democrats.  

I don't know if my dad's family voted Democrat or not, since the brothers went their own ways all over the country.  But my mom's family, who largely stayed around Akron, was deep into the Democratic Party.  That's why later my parents both voted for Jimmy Carter in 1976 - the year of our country's big Bicentennial.  By then I was going on ten, and a little more aware of things.  One reason they chose Carter was the hope that it would stem the party's push toward extremism and what they saw as dangerous developments to the left of center.  

Both my mom and my dad had stood for things we would associate with 'liberal' in the pop culture sense.  For example, while serving in the army at Fort Knox and later Fort Hood, my parents had their eyes opened where racial segregation was concerned.  Especially Mom, who was sort the 'naive and sheltered' young girl of the day.  My dad, who knew his way around town and then some, was nonetheless also taken by the clear and naked legal discrimination he saw.  Now my mom might have been naïve, but she also inherited her dad's mouth, and was not afraid to let her opinions  be known.  At one point while in Texas, my dad stepped in and asked her to stop railing against what she saw, because many of the women she was confronting were the wives of his company's officers. Still, she got so upset about what she saw that on one Christmas, her family drafted up a fake application for the NAACP and gave it to her.

Nonetheless, in 1976 they saw many movements they had supported going in the wrong direction.  Directions they believed would be  harmful to the country they were raising their kids in. So they voted for Carter, hoping that the Evangelical would reign things in.  By the end, however, they were anything but fans of Carter.  Even though dad had seniority on the railroad by then (back when seniority in a job meant something), and the economic hits weren't impacting us, they were upset because they were hurting the country as a whole.  They were still weaned on the idea that we care about our fellow Americans.  And they concluded Carter wasn't the one to fix the problems that were impacting them.

So in 1980, both my mom and my dad became part of the legendary Reagan Democrats.  Jumping ship, they voted for Reagan, much to the chagrin of my mom's sisters and brother (her second brother had passed by then).  That led to some pretty intense discussions let me tell you. But here is the funny thing. It wasn't as partisan as you'd think.

The fact is, they all seemed to like Reagan.  Apparently he had visited the area once many years earlier, when they were all younger.  It was to visit the Akron Soap Box Derby, which used to be a big thing in its day.  I guess a couple of my aunts met him, and talked about how nice and down to earth he seemed.  They also went on about him being handsome. They just wouldn't vote for him because he was a Republican.  As they said, they didn't want their dad turning over in his grave. 

But even funnier was my mom and dad. Especially my dad.  A union man all the way, for the next eight years he frequently jumped up and down and yelled at the TV because of what Reagan had done.  Not all things.  There were things he openly supported, especially taking a hard line against the Soviets and other countries he felt had been pushing us around.  He also appreciated Reagan making patriotism cool again and pushing back at the 'Patriotism is for losers' movement pop culture had been peddling for years by that point.  But in other cases, he would become very upset at things Reagan did (we won't even mention his feelings about Elizabeth Dole).  Even though, unlike my mom's family, he voted for Reagan - twice!

So that was my experience with politics.  Democrat parents hoping the Republican president they voted against wasn't guilty because it might hurt the country.  Democrat parents actively supporting social causes but realizing such causes can turn down dangerous paths.  Democrat parents who weren't personally harmed by a floundering economy under a Democrat administration, but were concerned that it was hurting Americans as a whole.  So much so that those Democrats voted for a Republican in the 1980s.  And though my mom's family would never vote for Reagan, they generally liked him personally.  While my parents, especially my dad, who did vote for him twice, frequently became upset when he felt Reagan was in the wrong.  

If nothing else, you can see why I have little use for naked partisanship, or slavish devotion to this or that social movement, or defending one side to the exclusion of any other sanity.  I try my best to step back and see what is going on for what it is. Like Trump. I never had had much use for him, and there are things, especially this second term, which are worthy of criticism to be sure.  But neither will I go Never-Trumper derangement and wish for my plane to crash just because he's the pilot. Or fool myself into forgetting that many on the Left who call Trump Hitler had no problem partying with him, golfing with him, hanging out with him, and of course asking for money - at least before he put an "R" in front of his name. 

Divisions can be a "Both Sides" problem

 So I saw this make the rounds:

Basically, erase the FOX News logo and replace it with any other national MSM news outlet, and it's the exact same thing we heard daily during the Biden administration. 

In fact, one of the big laughs my wife and I had in recent years was on election night in 2024.   As it became clear that Trump was going to win, we were watching the ABC election coverage.  During one of the segments they discussed the economy.  One of the commentators said - I kid you not - that because people were struggling with rent and grocery prices it was difficult for them to see how healthy the economy really was.  My wife and I laughed and said 'Gee, people who can't afford food and shelter can't see how strong the economy is? You just can't figure people!'

But that had been the news coverage of the economy the whole Biden term.  So flagrant was it that various outlets would have stories about how to get help with rising grocery prices, or agencies to aid young parents with newborn expenses, or avenues to go for those facing a loss of housing.  Then when it was the economic news proper, Pollyanna was never more optimistic.  It was strong, healthy, wonderful!  Economist were elated, thrilled, excited about the future! 

Likewise, when it came to tackling the pesky inflation that was ravaging the already shattered finances of millions due to Covid, I saw many economists explain that inflation - it's a thing.  But healthy economies are made of more than just, well, grocery prices and inflation.  Just like above. Only this time it's FOX.  

Of course now that same MSM has been zeroing in on every negative spin on the economy for over a year.  Whatever good is happening, the stories always end with the bad.  Just like during Biden, no matter how bad, the stories typically wrapped up with a positive.  An old trick to be sure.  But it points to the bigger problem that it's not so much the suffering of millions that matters, but whether that suffering can be exploited or should merely be ignored.  One that obviously reaches across partisan lines in terms of priorities. Certainly where the modern media is concerned.   

That's why the trick is not to fall for it, or go along with it, just because your guy is in office.  Yes, we all know the thing we used to call the News Media is dead, and won't be coming back any time soon.  But that doesn't mean we should play along.  Because if we do, we're of no real use to anything, much less a Christian witness. 

When President Trump discusses Iran at this point

I increasingly feel like the frustrated Powderpuff Girls in this classic commercial skit for Cartoon Network:

Like Mojo, Trump just seems to be - rambling.  From 'this time Iran will really be sorry' to his multiple weeks of 'in just two weeks' a month or so ago, I wonder if he even hears himself. 

Obviously the Iran attack did not go as planned.  That much is clear.  I'm not going to break down whether or not it measures up to a Just War or not.  Though I am a bit confused why people are saying in our age of weapons that are capable of mass destruction we can no longer have a Just War.  I'd think in an age where weapons could kill thousands, or even tens of thousands, of people in an instant, there is no better time for justifiable use of arms.  But that's me.  No moral theologian here.

Nonetheless, I try to give President Trump a lot of latitude, and credit where it's due.  But as of now, there just isn't any for Iran.  He definitely has a tiger by the tail. Iran pulled a few haymakers that President Trump just didn't see coming.  And not only is the conflict itself anyone's game, but the economic disaster that is hitting as a result will only add fuel to the GOP bonfire in November.  Remember, many millions already had their finances shattered during the Covid-Biden period.  Now, when the economy goes over the falls, there is little left for so many of those people to grab onto.  

Just how we'll get out of this I don't know.  Even if I cling to the thought that President Trump's Mojo impersonation is a cover for his real plans, I can't imagine what those plans could be.  Right now, at least, I'm just looking for the tunnel, let alone any light of the end of it. 

A reminder to supporters of President Trump

The main reason he, and the GOP and pretty much anyone challenging the establishment in 2024, was swept into office was because things were falling apart.  And those who voted for President Trump want them fixed.

Right now we've seen a hurricane of activity from the White House, and some of it appears to be addressing some of those problems.  The chaos along the border, handling international crises, just giving the impression he's doing something as opposed to nothing.  In the wake of the Biden White House, just mailing a letter could be seen as a leap forward in personal accomplishment.

But we're going to have to see more.  The economy is not improving on any noticeable level for most people I know.  I just paid .70 a gallon more for gas than a month ago.  Prices aren't lowering, and now I'm sad to say, I'm seeing some go up.  I fear part of it is that the press has 'Covided' tariffs.  Remember how during the Covid panic and shortages that companies raised their prices, sometimes significantly and overnight?  Remember how they blamed Covid and the supply shortages?   Notice in most cases, those prices haven't gone down despite the Covid pandemic and shortages being over with?

I fear companies will do it again, this time using tariffs - and all with the media's blessings.  If that happens, and if people don't see some radical improvements to the staggering economic problems of the Biden years, it is going to go badly for the GOP.  And if it doesn't turn around, Republicans can give up on their dreams of a Vance presidency.

Oh, and for heaven's sake don't make the mistake that the Democrats/Press/Left made going into 2024.  Don't deny the obvious.  I saw a discussion about this on another site, and there were people saying things are great!  Prices are going down, salaries taking off, jobs, jobs everywhere!  Well, I'm glad they live somewhere those things are happening.  Because they aren't here, and aren't where most people I know are living in different cities and states.  And at the end of the day, that is what will matter. 

A note for supporters of President Trump

As President Trump shocked his supporters by initially putting the kibosh on the Jeffery Epstein case, there is another thing that is far more important for his and his party's fortunes in future elections.  He must improve the economy - for the average American.  

I'm not one who says he's been in office six months and hasn't ended sin in the world so I'm out of here.  I'm old enough to remember the horrible 1982 Recession, when the press and Democrats jumped all over President Reagan, saying it's because of him that our economy was on the brink of ruin.  

Then things cleared, the economy rebounded, and we entered into a stretch of huge growth across the board.  Growth that a large swath of America happily enjoyed (including those who criticized the excess of the day).  Hence the 1984 landslide happened - and GHW Bush coasted into his first term on Reagan's coattails.  Because that Recession blip turned out to be a blip.  And we saw overall growth and improvements for the bulk of the population, in addition to a couple other significant accomplishments on the part of the Reagan administration. 

Something the Democrats/Press missed in 2016, and again in 2024.  At the end of the day, you can have everything in your pocket, but in a democratic society, you have to produce.  You have to show results.  You can't lie or deny your way out of it.  The same here with a president the media doesn't support. Despite the media's hysterics, the economy hasn't collapsed and prices haven't skyrocketed through the ceiling because of President Trump.  Which is good.

But things haven't really improved either.  And they were bad these last several years.  Very, very bad.  The post-truth media, having perfected the art of ignoring the screams of a million dying innocents if they can't be exploited, thought it could  pour a ton of manure on the economic news hoping that something beautiful would grow.  But funny thing about people.  They'll believe a lot, but not that things are fine when they're suffering as a result of them not being fine. 

Because of the press's antics, however, it's easy to forget just how bad things were these last few years.  But now the pilot of the good plane America is President Trump.  And while he has only been in office six months, he has been in office six months.  Much of what he has done appears to be impacting vast, social, national and international long term issues and, as during the Biden administration, Wall Street as good as always.  Fair enough.

But by next year, people like me and tens of millions of others better see things improve.  We better see either the results of the staggeringly disastrous inflation under Biden reduced if not eliminated, or see incomes or wages or benefits skyrocket or something.  At the end of the day, for every other topic that drove voters into the booth last November, it was - to quote the sage - the economy stupid.  And rightly so.  Not since the 2008 collapse have I seen it so bad, only this time the press was insisting there was nothing to see and thus being no help.

But things were, and are, very bad for very many millions of Americans.   Of course, just like telling people things aren't bad when they are, people will also know they're good no matter how much the bad is focused on.  See the 1984 election, when so much media emphasis was on all those failing to benefit from the improvements.  People know when things are better.  But President Trump has a limit to how long it can go without the average American voter seeing things improve.  I'd say by the midterms there better be something to grab onto, don't expect them to go well for President Trump or the GOP. 

That lack of loyalty again

There's a funny saying that if you want to know what God thinks of money, look who He gives it to. I thought of that when I heard the news that Elon Musk is threatening to form a rival political party to combat both parties, including President Trump. 

This continues to be a giant fly in the ointment for President Trump.  Not in my lifetime have I seen a president inspire so little loyalty among his own allies.  I mean, you have your turncoats and the ones who decide they can no longer support a leader. You have those who jump ship and vie for control by usurping the leader in question.  It happens.

But wading through the stadium full of people who have turned on Trump and betrayed him and joined his opponents is telling.  I said that before, here.  I'm sure some of it is as above.  It happens.  Sometimes you have your Benedict Arnold types. But so many, with it happening so often, as to be almost the rule rather than glaring exception, has to mean something beyond 'it's not Trump but because they're all the nasties.' 

Oh, and eventually President Trump must fix the economy. So far his opponents have performed miracles by making the hysteria so bad that our country could plunge into a Depression and it wouldn't live up to the panic.  Nonetheless, when the dust settles, and the months have turned to years, we'll need to see the disaster of the last three years fixed.  Those prices will have to be cut, or incomes catch up, or something.  Otherwise I can't say who will be the next president, but I know who won't be.  Just saying.  

I will give JD Vance credit

He is willing to call out the BS and mendacity that has come to define our post-Christian, postmodern era:

That we have taken an entire generation and told them that every word uttered should affirm them as the gods of their realities, or they should unleash endless hatred or commit suicide - either being an understandable reaction - shows just how low we've sunk.  The only thing worse is how so many of our institutions that should know better (ahem, hello Christian Church), have pretty much gone along with it.  And have done so no matter how disastrous the results. 

We'll see how it goes.  Vance better be good enough to die for the sins of humanity, because even the slightest discovered transgression will be hyped more than Pearl Harbor was.  And more than that, almost everyone left of center, and the bulk of those who have settled into our post-Christian status quo, will jump on him like rabid inquisitors.  

Trump is going for his five bonus armies

 Heh:

Yep.  As any RISK player knows, N. America is the easiest continent to hold once you get it (at least that gives you more than two bonus armies a turn).  And if you start with America, then you need Canada, Greenland and Central America to make it a full continent and get those five extra armies a turn. 

My sons noted that, and joked that Trump must have been playing RISK recently.  A much saner appraisal than the bat nuts psycho hysterics around the world and across the media and leftwing punditry we're seeing.  Sometimes I think Trump does these things just to watch people make him look calm, reasonable and sane by comparison. 

Personally I think it's how he operates.  Throw a verbal grenade into the conference, create chaos, and then while your opponents are beating themselves senseless with lunacy and being distracted by their own nuttiness, he goes about getting done what he wants to do.  

It reminds me of what one of my sons said back during Trump's first term.  The only thing that makes Donald Trump seem grounded and sensible by comparison is his opponents. 

Now that's funny

 I have to give him credit, this made me laugh:

And if the Democrats lose to him, it more than serves them right. 

UPDATE:  On the other hand, the daily award for the most duplicitous headline about this story has to go here:

I didn't get to see all of the morning news outlets cover this, but the ones I did see mentioned only that Trump did this in response to some vague, unnamed statement by Biden.  No mention of what exactly Biden said.  Unlike the constant repeating of the comedian's statement about Puerto Rico, which was repeated endlessly for days.  One local network had on the ticker what Biden said, but the story itself wasn't covered. 

One of the great evils of our age is that we can't know what is going on in the world because the agencies with the ability to convey the information have long ago thrown integrity and truth out the window for the sake of their interests, no matter who or what is hurt as a result. 

Watching President Biden explain the economy to Erin Burnett

Including making false statements about inflation in the 2020 economy and blaming anything under the sun, made me think of this: 

If you're the sitting president, don't sound like Jake Blues. 

When politics trumps religion

 In one easy FB Post:

Yep.  Mr. Alt, apologist for the Catholic Faith, just put a stamp of approval on all those stupid anti-Christian, atheist, skeptic and other memes that say if you believe anything in the Bible, you have to believe we can kill sinners by stoning them.  

I'm sure in most cases, Mr. Alt knows why that is such an asinine argument. If he has the slightest theological education he certainly does.  Yet he just endorsed skeptics and opponents of the Gospel making that very point.  Though in fairness, most liberal ministers I knew from my Protestant days also invoked this stupidity, as if the Gospel hadn't happened yet.  

This is why keeping politics at arms length is the better way to go.  If we're not careful, we end up shooting Jesus in the kneecap in our attempt to hit those rascally other party types behind Him.  And the only one who wins there is the one who is always happy to see Jesus get shot in the kneecaps.  

The same is true of Ms. Bowers, FWIW.   I know nothing of her.  I found her FB to be fair and see what she was about.  Other than a title that suggests Christian, most of the posts were variations of 'hate Trump, hate him now.'  So there you go. 

Some Buckeye politics for the day

Not a state for radicals and extremists

So Bernie Moreno, the senate candidate endorsed by former president Donald Trump, won the primary.  OK.  He's going up against Sherrod Brown.  Senator Brown has been serving in elected positions since I got a "Desert Fox" playset for my birthday in fourth grade.  Now I'm waiting for my first grandchild, and he's still there. 

That's the first thing that could topple him.  The fact that Americans are growing a bit impatient with the super lifer pols who never go away.  

The second thing that could topple him is being linked to the economy.  At least if it shows all the improvement it has shown for the last two years.  Across the state, bond issues and tax hikes fell to the ballot, largely because of timing.  Who is going to vote 'yes' for more taxes when groceries are barely affordable?  

I know.  The press has spent the last year pouring a ton of manure on the economic news in the hopes that something beautiful will grow.  But people won't believe that things are looking hopeful when for almost two years they can barely afford to live.  So all of those municipalities and school districts who thought this was a grand time to raise taxes learned a lesson about reality versus media narratives. 

If Sherrod Brown falls, it might be because of the economy and his link as a Democrat.  The sad part of him is that he still falls along party lines.  And like the Democratic Party, he will not call out anything left of center no matter how bat-crazy radical.  He doesn't make a big stink about it.  He's not mister fanatic with a bullhorn, cheering the transactivists fanatics or celebrating the eradication of Columbus statues.  But he doesn't speak out against them either. 

That's why most Republicans, even those who do respect Brown as an old timer politician, aren't going to vote for him.  As a politician, he's pretty much traditional 'what Ohioans want'.  He keeps his feet close to the ground.  He's the guy who goes around and actually talks with people at the local diner.  He works to accomplish the best for his charge.  He reaches across party lines.

He has worked with Senator JD Vance since Vance came into office.  When the train derailed in East Palestine, Brown and Vance acted like they were in a buddy movie. They called out the railroads, the State and the White House for their responses or lack thereof.  

Heck, when my oldest was in high school, he sent an email to Senator Brown over some issue of the day.  I can't remember the topic in question.  But he responded with a hand typed message to my son.  A US Senator took time out to answer a teenager directly.  It was respectful, it was thoughtful, and it made an impression.  That's why he's generally liked in a state that usually isn't too radical and tends to gravitate toward a more moderate tone.  

Bernie Moreno, who until recently was pretty liberal about more than one issue, suddenly insists he's seen the light.  It's  mostly good old conservatism most of the way.  But his main campaign slogan was basically 'I'll obey Trump'.  Matt Dolan was, as far as I know, the only one of the three GOP candidates to poll ahead of Senator Brown in the polls, showing that Brown is vulnerable.  

Why Donald Trump didn't support the one who was able to poll ahead of Brown is pretty easy to figure. Dolan has criticized Trump.  And by now we know the routine. Obedience to Trump is a major priority for Trump, and he would rather loose at the ballot box than see someone who might not always agree with him take the seat.  If we end up with yet another term for longstanding Sherrod Brown, that will be a big reason.  

Hmmmm

I remember seeing this:  

Then suddenly, I see this:

Makes you wonder.  Don't think I don't.  

One reason I could not vote for Trump

Among many, but I'll admit this is a less 'objective' reason to withhold my vote.  There are many reasons I can imagine for not supporting Trump this time around.  But one reason that keeps buzzing about my mind comes to the front when I recall this scene from the movie A Knight's Tale.

As a movie, it's  one of those rare cases where I agree with Deacon Greydanus' review.  At the end of the day, the two least interesting characters were the leads.  Everyone else, villain included, was infinitely more interesting.  Sorry Mr. Ledger.  Plus the whole theme of 'what is so big about nobility' was lost when the main character ignores every beautiful common maiden in Europe to obsess over a rather cardboard, one dimensional noblewoman. 

Nonetheless, the scene above, whenever I think on it, brings me right back to Trump. Did you catch what Edward the Black Prince says?  He says 'Your men love you.  If I knew nothing else about you, that would be enough.' 

Well, guess what.  Almost none of Trump's men - or women - love him.  In fact, one of the fastest growing demographics nowadays is 'former members of Trump's staff willing to shaft Trump.'   It isn't hard to see why. 

After all, Trump thinks nothing of trashing and hashing anyone who doesn't lick his boots on command.  Even a loyal supporter who dares deviate just once can become the target of his verbal assaults. The minute - the second - anyone, including his supporters, deviates from Trumpspeak, he's all over them like a bad suit.  It's as if nothing matters but total obedience to The Man. 

Hence why finding former aids and staff who are willing to testify to the eternal yuckiness and vile evil of Trump is like finding football fans in Ohio State Stadium.  A man who seems to encourage betrayal and turncoats and hatred from his associates rather than anything close to love and loyalty is telling.  To quote the Black Prince, if I knew nothing else about Trump, that would be enough. 

Do this

I received a notice from the local Republican party on Facebook.  I responded that before I do or support anything, I'd like to seem them, you know, do something.  I reminded them that when the Christopher Columbus statues in Columbus were Talibanned, they boldly declared that they would swoop in, grab them, and set them up around the state.  Where are they?  Right now the pro-choice machine is pushing Issue 1, which would enshrine abortion as a constitutional right in Ohio.  Already I've seen weeks of commercials, flier handouts, promotions and interviews pushing the issue.  I have yet to see anything from the opposition - either pro-life organizations or the GOP.   Our bishop is the only one I've seen pounding the table on resisting this. 

Too often that is how the resistance to what we call 'The Left' tends to be.  Always next year, then the resistance.  Someday we'll stake a stand.  We won't take much more of this.  By golly, one more and that will do it.  And yet we've gone from 'why can't a man and woman have sex outside of marriage' to 'you're damn right we'll alter the bodies of your adolescents and we'll use the State to prevent you from stopping us.'  Yet where is that fabled resistance?  What line is it we're waiting for them to cross?  Murdering our kid?  Gas chambers?  Just what are we waiting for?

This came to my mind because that particular GOP message was sent after this weekend.  If you're a college football fan, then you've probably heard about the post game interview with OSU coach Ryan Day.  Ohio State won a nailbiter of a game on Saturday.  Underdog to the Fighting Irish, it looked for most of the game like the predictions were accurate.  We would lose. So far this year our team has looked lackluster, and that included the first three quarters of the game Saturday night against Notre Dame.  We started the season with dueling quarterbacks, which is never good. And the quarterback we chose has been under-impressive, to be blunt. 

Despite Ryan Day being, in terms of percentages, one of the winningest college football coaches of all time, the big games have eluded him. True, the game against Clemson was lost on what I admit is the single worst call in football history.  But he's lost other big games as well.  And worse for any Buckeye fan, he has now lost two games in a row against Michigan.  That makes him the first OSU coach since John Cooper to do so. Therefore, no matter how pretty the stats, there has been a cloud over his tenure.  And in Ohio State Buckeye Fan parlance, that is translated as 'fire him, fire him now.'  

That wasn't helped going into this week, when most pundits and analysts concluded Ohio State didn't have a chance.  None other than legendary Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said we weren't just going to lose, but we were going to lose because we aren't physical enough. We're soft.  Which is why we can't beat the big teams.  For OSU's fabled football program, that hurt. 

But again, most of the game looked that way.  Then, in the fourth quarter, with minutes left, down by four points, and seemingly unable to do anything well, the team hunkered down for some serious bump and grind football that would have made the late Bear Bryant proud.  Our new and sheepish quarterback completed one clutch pass after another, completing some in ways that were unbelievable.  We pushed our way down, overcoming perhaps the most convoluted Grounding call I've ever seen, and ended up on the one foot line.  Three seconds left, and we shoved our way into the end zone for a game winning touchdown. 

After the game, the obligatory interview with the winning coach took place. If we weren't ready for the heart-pounding victory that night, we were flabbergasted when coach Ryan Day responded to the reporter's question:

For context, Day has developed the reputation of being a rather 'blah' coach in interviews.  It's as if he's so scared he'll say anything, he usually ends up saying nothing.  Some reporters have called him the anti-Woody Hayes.  I'll admit, though I typically enjoy after game reporting, I've often ignored or just turned off the broadcasts because he hasn't been worth listening to.  It's all so - dull.

But my, oh my.  Naturally not everyone is happy, including detractors who have responded with the usual 'how dare you talk back to us after we called you losers.'  Some Buckeye's aren't either, but then Ohio State fans are a notoriously tough audience to please no matter what you do.  But not a few people - Ohio State fans and otherwise - have perked up and said it  was nice to see.  It was nice to see Day come out of his shell.  It was nice to see a coach be honest and passionate.  And most Ohio State fans  I know are tickled pink.  It's been since Woody Hayes that we've seen that much raw energy or intense support for the team.  

All of this came to my mind with that GOP post.  Whatever you think about Day's coaching interview above, that is exactly what people who see the crumbling of our civilization want from those who are supposed leaders of the resistance.  Whether politicians, pundits, activists, religious leaders, or whatever, that's what we're waiting for.  Why do we think so many Americans keep clinging to Trump?  

What we want is someone with the above passion, without feeling like we are compromising our values.  Someone who can clearly, honestly, bluntly and passionately rally the troops to stop what we're seeing.  We want leaders who will, like Day, stand up and defend our values, our heritage, our faith, our history, our heroes and ourselves.  Give us that, oh local GOP, and we will follow you anywhere.  The same goes for our bishops.  The same goes for anyone who will stand up to resist the madness and the coming darkness.

Sometimes you can't figure people

For the last couple days, I've seen news stories pondering why, despite such overwhelmingly positive economic news, Americans don't think Biden is doing a good job.  Some polls suggest Americans think he is doing a dismal job. 

The reason, of course, is that things are pretty miserable and we are a diminishing and crumbling society.  Part of that trend is watching a growing number of Americans unable to afford the basics.  The news keeps saying spending is strong.  Yeah.  Because the things people need to survive are off the scale expensive, and people are going into historically unprecedented levels of personal debt to keep up with just surviving.  Yesterday we had to buy laundry soap, toilet paper and dryer sheets.  We bought the smallest packages and got generic brands.  The total was almost $19.00.  That is unsustainable.  

Funny thing people.  You can tell them everything is peachy about vague things, but you can't tell people who can barely afford groceries that everything is awesome.  They won't believe you.  They may just resent you.

In 2016, after the conventions, I caught Fareed Zakaria on CNN.  He gave an editorial that had one clear message: The world was officially better than any time in history, and we owe it all to President Obama and his administration (read: Hillary Clinton).  The problem?  Things weren't great at all.  The post-2008 recovery was anemic at best.  ISIS was on the rampage and all we were told was to accept the new normal.  The African American community had all but been thrown under the bus.  And I could drive for weeks, if not months, without seeing a newly purchased car on the road. 

You can talk until you're blue in the face, but you can't tell people they never had it so good when they remember not so long ago when they had it so good, if not better.  The press made a huge mistake with that in 2016, believing that no matter what, a few propaganda nudges like Zakaria's screed would seal the deal and convince Americans to vote Hillary.  After all, Clinton was running against Trump for crying out loud.  Yet we saw how that turned out. 

You'd think they wouldn't repeat the same mistake again.  Fact is, except for hardcore leftwing thralls, most Americans can see the obvious.  As much as the press tries to make it about just hating the right groups of those people over there, most are increasingly bothered that things are getting worse and not better.  The press trying every other day to run stories about how great the economy is, how Bidenomics is doing a wonderful job, and how the future looks rosy and cheerful will at best not convince people who can't afford food without going into debt.  At worst, it will chase them away from the polls come November, or into the arms of you-know-who.

The seasonal GOP clown show

Have you ever seen a bad movie - I mean really bad - and then you see that an actor or actress you admire is in it?  Has that happened, and then you become embarrassed for the individual for being in such a rotten picture?  That's the feeling I had for the few minutes of the GOP debate I was able to stomach last night. 

Whew.  How far we have fallen as a country.  If my boys acted like that when they were young I would have punished them. I tried to watch it, but I literally became embarrassed.  Embarrassed for them on the stage, for the GOP, for our nation, and sorrowful for our children. 

I fear it has been a long time coming.  Probably when Richard Nixon appeared on Laugh In, the barrier between the stupid and the serious was forever shattered.  If it was already getting there, after that it was a fast dash to Clinton playing his sax and joking about pot smoking on Arsenio.  And from there the teenage level snark of Obama or the locker room adolescent behavior of 2016. 

But this is the age we live in now.  These are the leaders, who only look good when juxtaposed to the experts who will deride them.  I hate it for our kids.  As my son quipped after the disastrous police response to the Uvalde school shooting:  Great nations produce great men.   End statement. 

From a saner age:

It's difficult to find him

But I've noticed his name pop up in interesting ways recently.  I don't know much about Vivek Ramaswamy, and the media is as useless here as you can imagine.  Right now the media is already running with the "Trump v. Biden 2024" narrative that it so desperately craves.  

Despite the catastrophic failure of 2016, when Trump was supposed to destroy the GOP once and for all, the press wants to do it again.  Destroy Trump with a never ending barrage of accusations, litigations, felony charges, whatever, and then make darn sure he gets the nomination.  Similar to 2016, but with more baggage.  Or so the media assumes. 

I personally believe if they could find anyone beyond Biden they would take it.  Everyone knows Biden is in about as much control as the Sultan was in Disney's Aladdin.  But who do they have?  Vice President Harris?  That's rich.  At this point the press simply ignores anything negative to do with the White House.  Therefore the degree to which it ignores Harris shows how negative the press believes she must be.

So they appear stuck with Biden, and therefore their only hope is Trump.  To that end the press will do what it did in 2016 and shut out anyone else.  At least give nobody else the same level of coverage.  I remember in 2016. I first heard Rick Santorum was in the race when the press reported that he was dropping out of the race.  Even as a Buckeye, we had a hard time finding info about John Kasich, and he had been our governor and hometown boy.  The press wanted Trump in 2016, as it does today and that is its focus.

Therefore, learning about anyone like Ramaswamy is going to be like finding Big Foot.  From what I have seen, he seems prepared to say unpopular things in ways typically not acceptable to the modern Left establishment.  Like this.  To actually come out and call out the LGTBQ narratives and point out some obvious truths about the whole farse.  Takes guts.  More to the point, he did it in a way that was respectful and courtly, if I may use that term.  It seems to have disarmed a 'pansexual' activist, and that's no easy accomplishment. 

We'll see.  Again, I found some basic bio info, but that doesn't help much.  I'll keep an eye on him.  Everyone here knows I'm not fan of Trump. Never have been.  As I've pissed off more than one leftist by pointing out, I didn't like Trump back when liberal Democrats and Hollywood celebrities loved the guy.  I was ahead of the curve you might say. Still, you never know.  As they say, anything can happen in Texas.  

UPDATE:  To add interest, he has released a 'Ten Commandments' for his 2024 campaign.  If nothing else, he's making himself clear about these issues.  All too often politicians, especially Republicans, tend to him-haw and dance around hot button issues and liberal sacred cows.  Apparently he isn't.  Still learning about him and this is not an endorsement.  It is interesting how a politician speaking openly and honestly in a civil manner is newsworthy. 

The eyes of the world are upon Ohio

Whew. I have never seen our polling location this busy.  Not even in the most voted on election in human history in 2020.   And issue in question has been in Brit papers, Euro news and of course the US national press.  It's about - Issue 1.  The only issue on a midterm August special election ballot.  And it was a madhouse. In our little corner of voting world, it's the first time we have ever had to wait in line.

What's the issue?  Let me 'splain.  A couple years ago, coming out of the lockdowns when the School Board Battles were taking off, a bunch of transgender activists went to our statehouse and tried to play the 'save our trans kids from parents' card.  The local press jumped on the story and ran with it in the same way: if we let parents interfere, then what choice will our children have but to kill themselves?  And we can't have that!

Fortunately, a GOP dominated state government didn't let it see the light of day.  And in the midterms, when the GOP underperformed in several states, Ohio gushed red over almost the entire state in a conservative tsunami.  Same as with Florida, where the issue of sexing up our kids, surgically altering them, and keeping parents in the street seem to be winning issues for Republicans. 

Well, after that the SCOTUS dropped the Roe bomb and ushered in the new Terror - at least to hear the Left.  Sadly, the Pro-Life movement seemed content with resting on its laurels for a while as the pro-abortion rights movement prepared to storm the beaches.  The first big warning shot came in Kansas when Kansas voters struck down a much underreported attempt to enshrine pro-life policies in the Kansas constitution. 

Being Buckeyes, we realized the same can't happen here.  First, as soon as the abortion rights movement began pushing an amendment for abortion, conservatives effectively tied it to the same push we saw with the transgender activists only months earlier.  Which isn't altogether unfair if you think on it.   Second, the GOP moved to change our constitution to make it harder to amend the constitution in the first place. Finally we made darn sure to get the word out, even if Issue 1 itself was a little late in the promoting. 

What is Issue 1? Right now, Ohio is one of the few states where the state constitution can be amended with a vote of 50% plus 1 on citizen and legislature-initiated referendums.  Plus, currently to get an amendment push going, you need only obtain signatures from half of Ohio's counties.    This issue, Issue 1, would require a 60% vote to amend the constitution, and would require signatures from all 88 counties in order to get the proposal to move forward.

Naturally, its' really about abortion, transgender activism, parent's rights, and basically the growing rift between the Left's vision for America and those who don't accept that vision.  The pro-abortion movement already has an amendment enshrining abortion rights on the November ballot.  What will be required to get the constitution amended will therefore depend on what happens today.  

For me it's very simple.  Do we want pagan America, where life is precious or dirt cheap when certain people at certain times decide so?  Or is life precious and we work in our state's priorities accordingly?  Obviously, no matter how people articulate it, they get this is important.  That's why for the first time since we've been voting in our cavernous poling place we had to wait in line in the middle of the day.  We'll see.