Tippecanoe and Up Yours, Too....

National election time again.

Well, not technically, given that we're, at this writing, a year away from actual ballot casting, but in a culture that has you navigating the store aisles stacked high and cheap with Christmas decorations within a day or two of your closing down the pool for the year, it's only natural that presidential election campaigns eat up more than 1/4th of the actual time we elect people to actually do the job.

And, of course, as is tradition, with every shiny new national election comes the value added, free with every purchase glut of catchy slogans.

This time around, though, it occurs that if the snap, crackle and pop of this go-rounds collection of campaign mantras is any indication, the future is looking less like a sizzle and more like a snooze-fest.

And it's not that the bumper sticker bywords ultimately matter a hoot in hell compared to a particular candidate's stand on the economy, immigration, climate change, taxes and all the other issues that we satirically convince ourselves we have researched and pondered and come to enlightened decisions regarding.

Then again, judging from a lot of what's floating around out there in the social media mainstream, it's not incorrect to suggest that while polio, smallpox and yaws have been pretty much eradicated, dumb seems to be spreading like those wildfires in California that would go away if they just ratcheted up their forest floor sweeping schedule.

Oh...and that's "yaws" the rarely fatal, but highly disfiguring cousin of the syphilis bacteria.

Not that badly bootlegged, Swedish dubbed version of the killer shark film classic.

Personally, as a writer of some experience, and infamy, if not, accomplishment, it's my p.o.v. that you can tell a lot about a candidate for office by the catchphrase they contribute to the conversation.

For a couple of reasons.

First, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

And while rallies, town halls, chat room events, even deeply probing, insightful interviews by Rhodes Scholar level inquisitors like Joy Behar are fleeting moments on the time line.....

...bumper stickers are forever, baby.

And  a well thought out, appealing, even, dare we dream, simultaneously intelligent and witty slogan shows a potentially keen, even, dare we dream, simultaneously intelligent and witty mind on display.

Most slogan historians point to "I Like Ike" as the pinnacle of promotional savvy.

Me, I'm more of an "AuH20 in 64" kind of guy.

But I've oft been told I'm way too clever for my own good.

Campaign 2020, meanwhile, is, as mentioned earlier, not shaping up to be a massive wave of wit, whimsy and wherewithal when it comes to making the case in as few words as possible.

Joe Biden is letting us know that "Our Best Days Still Lie Ahead".

Which, frankly, sounds more like a pep talk for somebody suddenly rendered paraplegic than a reason to cast a Biden ballot.

Current, at this writing, full time candidate and, to hear Hillary tell it, part time Russian asset Tulsi Gabbard is pledging to "Lead With Love"

Could just be me, but I'm not particularly inspired to vote for anybody who has me finishing her slogan in my head with "it's the only thing / that there's just / too little of".

Bernie Sanders has mostly de-commissioned last time's "Feel The Bern" and opted for a more attention span challenged friendly "Not Me. Us."

Probably not a best choice, given that, depending on how the next year or so shakes out, accusations of criminal behavior-wise, Donald might be usurping that mantra to use frequently in the form of "Not Me. Never Me. In Fact, Anybody and Everybody Except Me".

And Tom Steyer, who you might know from people saying things like "who the hell is Tom Steyer?" is letting America know that "There's Nothing More Powerful Than The Unified Voice Of The American People".

Most certainly patriotic and powerful. But lacks the understanding that very few people are going to commit to putting three bumper stickers on their car.

Even my personal fave in the electoral fracas, Pete Buttigieg, is playing it pretty garden variety as he pledges "A Fresh Start For America".

Again, probably just me, but when I hear that, I'm not thinking innovative and inspiring national and global leadership as much as I'm hearing the voice of Jimmy Dean and trying to decide between links and patties.

Speaking of Donald, of course, there's the now combination iconic politically / classic comedically "Make America Great Again" which has been evilly ingeniously re-tooled into "Keep America Great".

Couple of thoughts.

First, "Make America Great Again" itself was a re-do, originally used by Ronald Reagan in 1980. Reagan was the Trump of the 1980's. A tax cutting for the rich, woefully inexperienced, essentially useless former celebrity. The key difference, of course, being that we all liked him because he was a nice guy and not a sociopathic narcissist.

Second, "Keep America Great" shows an irrefutable lack of creativity and/or imagination. In fact, it makes one suspect that the goal is to to keep the motto as simple as simple can possibly be, lending credence to the theory that Donald has always known that his success is based entirely on the support of people who are, themselves, as simple as simple can be.

Third......

....no, scratch that. That second one pretty much covers it.

The history of political slogans is a fascinating one and well worth the five minutes, or so, that it takes to Google up that history (start at Wiki / it's a very good place to start).

As you might imagine, they run the gamut from uncommon to unimpressive, odd to ordinary, well intended but poorly executed.

Something noteworthy in the list for not showing up very often in the list, though.

The real bare knuckle, low blow, kick 'em in the nuts, no ifs, ands or buts you might expect to find in a profession pretty much fueled on venom.

Oh, there were a few hit and run sloganeers along the timeline.

"Ma, Ma, Where's My Pa" was used by the James G. Blaine campaign in 1884 referring to the allegation that his opponent Grover Cleveland had fathered an illegitimate child. When Cleveland was elected, his supporters fired back "Gone To The White House, Ha, Ha, Ha".

Al Smith, in 1928, took advantage of the desire of voters to repeal Prohibition by sloganing, with a not so subtle wink, wink, nudge, nudge, "Make Your Wet Dreams Come True"

And in 1964, in answer to the Goldwater contribution, "In Your Heart, You Know He's Right", the campaign of Lyndon Johnson smacked back on Goldwater's pro-use of nuclear weapons stand with a snarky "In Your Guts, You Know He's Nuts".

Mostly, though, the campaign slogan scrapbook is filled with lofty and/or cliche' and/or predictable same ol', same ol.

Time for a change.

Lumped in among the wide array of bonus features included in the Trump Premium Package is what amounts to a free pass.

Anything goes. Sky's the limit. Gloves are off. No holds barred.

Formerly standard operating procedures like decorum, tact, courtesy, regard, subtlety, discretion, even garden variety politeness....they're all now not only passe', they're practically subject to ridicule. As in "speak respectfully to other candidates for the job I'm wanting? what kind of candy ass, snoflake, suck it up butter cup bullshit is that?"

And gracious acknowledgement of critique or criticism?

Fuck you, you featherweight pussy. Make America Great Again.

The problem with this attitude, of course, is that there is no end to the list of problems with this attitude.

First, if not foremost, being that no matter how supposedly "gutsy" or "tough guy" or "take no bullshit" the followers think, or have been led to believe, it is, at the hard rock bottom of it all, that's simply no way to run a civilization.

Of course, if you're one of those who got the "civilizations is for candy ass, sno flake butter cups" refrigerator magnet with your purchase of the red cap, you don't give that hard rock bottom a second thought.

Except, of course, when others insult you by complaining about the noise you're making scraping that hard rock bottom.

To which you always immediately and instinctively reply.....

"...fuck you, you featherweight pussy. Make America Great Again."

By the way, not to wander too far off the point path, but have you noticed how "Make America Great Again" has evolved, or, more accurately, mutated, into a kind of honorary hashtag at the end of most everything that the followers say?

It's a lot like that fun phrase William Shatner attached to just about everything he said during his stint as the mirthful mad cow lawyer on the TV series "Boston Legal".

"...Denny Crane."

The key difference there, of course, being that whatever preceded that verbal exclamation point was usually delightfully eccentric and/or affectionately satirical.

As opposed to ignorant, mean spirited and/or just flat fucking obnoxious.

Oh. Right. Sorry. I forgot.

Fuck me. Make America Great Again.

Meanwhile, back at the bumper stickers.

As much as I, and, I'm fairly sure, many others would like to see the next twelve months spent electing a president play out in a firm, but fair, powerful, but polite, strong, but civilized, intense, but tactful, dramatic, but diplomatic atmosphere, I'm prepared to make a killing by betting every dime I own and/or can get my hands on that this next twelve months will prove that the answer to the question "how low can you go?" is actually the same answer to the question "what's a number between, say, two and three?"

Infinity.

And beyond, baby.

Trump will see to that.

And if you're inclined to yank your, by now frayed and stained, red cap down with a little defiant jerk and unload on me with a whole mess of "Demo-rats" and "Sleepy Joe" and "Nervous Nancy" and all the other theoretically clever, but, truth be told, ultimately pathetic pencil dick attempts at a comeback defending your big, orange hero, let me just add.

Fuck you. Make America Great Again.

So, while those of us sitting in the civilized section would enjoy watching a well played game of, say, chess or tennis or even baseball, all games that are ultimately more about intelligence and strategy than they are brute strength, the unavoidable fact is that "Campaign 2020", again, bet all you can beg, borrow or steal, is going to pretty much look like the cheapest, tackiest WWE grudge match your imagination can conjure.

With business attire, as opposed to ill fitting, psychologically damaging Speedos, as the dress code.

And if, props to Doris Day, whatever will be, will be here, then let's go all in and do it right.

Enough with the same ol, same ol, plain ol, lofty, lame, lightweight, flimsy, feeble, half baked. cut rate catch phrases and let's PDF Donald's cheap shot, low blow, petty, pea brain playbook and get busy bumper stickerin' like a bitch.


Kamala Harris- It's Pronounced COMuhluh, You MAGA Morons.

Tulsi Gabbard- Russian Asset, My Ass.

Amy Klobuchar- Just Vote For Me And Stop Sounding Stupid Making Fun Of My Name

Bernie Sanders - Call Me A Socialist One More Time, Motherfucker.

Elizabeth Warren- Hey Donald, Read THIS Warren Report, Fat Boy.

Pete Buttigeig- Yes, I'm Gay. And You're An Idiot. Let's Work Together.

Joe Biden - At Least You Know Where MY Hands Have Been.


Starting to sound like we got something here, don't you think?

And not to worry.

For those who think their big, orange hero is going to be left out, we've got a killer campaign slogan for him, too.

One that, just like all these others, is in your face, up your ass, dividing and inciting and angering and stirring up hatred and bigotry and ignorance and brings out the very worst in us.

As Americans, as citizens, as voters, as neighbors, as friends.

As human beings.

Donald Trump- Make America Great Again.

Oh, wait.....

Make that.....

Fuck You. Make America Great Again.

It's worked like a charm so far.

It's Like Apples...And Orange Cult Worship...

For those unclear on, or even unaware of, the applicable historic contexts:

Any and all comparisons between the Trump impeachment process and the Watergate/Nixon impeachment process are pointless, if only for one irrefutable reason......

In 1974, the Congress of the United States was made up of men and women who, although passionate in their political philosophies, were, in the majority, honorable people who, when it was crunch time, put honor, integrity and country ahead of party and personal greed/gain.......

Men and women of that caliber are in the almost non-existent minority in 2019.

And only after you, and yours, and what matters to you personally have been sold out by them, will you finally realize that they had no goal or purpose, from the beginning, except to further their own personal agendas.......

It was, in 1974, the political party of the President, in fact, that made it clear to that president that he was in violation of his oath of office and was destined for impeachment and conviction......

There will be no such display of courage, honor or integrity this time around.

Humorously intended meme floating around:

Without authentic patriots, as well.

A Brief Commentary On The Perspective Of "That's It. Over. Done."

I write several commentary blogs and produce/host a couple of podcasts.

This particular blog, of course, is Politics In Plain English.

I'll give a concise example of what I mean in a moment.

First, today's ha-ha.





Being the Virgo meets Vulcan meets verbose guy I am, my commentaries, admittedly, have a tendency to get wordy a lot of the time.

When it comes to verbal expression, I'm kinda like the guy in that song.

"I got nothin to do / and all night to do it."

Sometimes, though, just a few words say all that need be said.

Hence, Politics In Plain English.

And here's a few words on Donald and his presence in our lives.

Do you still support this clown? Are you still planning on voting for him again?

Yeah, well, here's a thing.

He's done.

And although there are a thousand other reasons, here's the one that really tears it.

He's an idiot.

A moron.

The dumbest fucking sack of sorry shit to ever stumble bumble his way into a position of power in the history of the United States of America.

Do you think he's done a superior job with the "booming economy"?

Showed the world who's boss and not taken any shit from anybody?

Your kind of guy? Your kind of president.

We don't care.

Time's up.

He's an idiot.

A moron.

The dumbest fucking sack of sorry shit to ever stumble bumble his way into a position of power in the history of the United States of America.

Illiterate.

Uneducated.

Unsophisticated.

Stupid.

And it's not funny anymore.

It's ridiculous.

Unacceptable.

You want ultra conservative? You want fiscally stringent? You want cold and calculating? You even want compassionless, cruel, even downright nasty in the Oval Office?

Well, kid, we can discuss and debate and argue and piss and moan and bitch at each other about those qualities, or lack there of, for the rest of the days we are given on this Earth.

But, undeniably, outrageously, staggeringly, stunningly STUPID?

No more.

No way.

Time's up.

One way or another, this stupidity ends.

No later than November of next year.

End of discussion.

Oh.

One last thing.

There are tens of millions of us equally done with this chump.

And done with listening to anything you have to say about him.

Politics as usual? Maybe.

Politics in plain English?

Bet your ass.

No.

More.

Stupid.

He Has A Hose, An Axe And Some Game...Let's Not Let That "In Training" Badge Allow The House To Burn Down..."

I posted this recently.

Take a moment and click the "see more" to get the whole p.o.v.





After I posted, two friends offered their own p.o.v. in the always engaging comments section.

"....I'll give you he's intelligent and well spoken. But if he's the top of the ticket, who do you pair him with? That's why, at this time, I think the VEEP is a good fit for him...."

"...I love this guy and he would be a definite first choice but my concern is his lack of experience in the Washington waters. We already have that and it’s a mess, although this would still be a heckuva step up. Still, I’d prefer to see him in Congress first...."

My instinctive responses to those observations were far too detailed to graph in a Facebook box. 

Allow me to offer them in this forum.

Gentlemen.....

I understand and agree, at one level, with exactly what I'm hearing both of you essentially saying.

He's young, he's intelligent, he's got some game and any reasonable observer would nod in the affirmative that "da kid's got potential."

Conventional wisdom translation: Raw talent does time, pays dues and hones craft in the minors before being given a shot at playing in "the show."

Critically key phrase there...

Conventional wisdom.

Custom made, even comforting, in conventional times.

Strategically impractical, even flawed, in unconventional times.

Welcome to America 2019.

And the unconventional times splashed, scarred, tarred and feathered with the bigliest of American history anomalies.

Donald Trump.

Trump was elected for, essentially, two reasons.

He wasn't Hillary Clinton.

And to a significant number of people in a a certain number of states that resulted in a certain number of electoral votes, Trump represented the kind of "burn down the barn to get rid of them thar rats" mentality that allowed them the mental luxury of overlooking, even ignoring, his staggering lack of integrity, morality, ability, qualification and/or humanity.

Not to mention honesty.

Let alone intelligence.

The oft spoken, what would have once been unspoken, fact of the matter was that those voters, and those who continue to support him to this moment, simply turned a blind eye and deaf ear to character flaws that would have, as recently as the day before Trump announced he was running, derailed the candidacy of any other candidate from any other party before the primary season was a done deal. Let alone the nominating process.

Let alone, God forbid, the general election.

Turns out, God took a pass on that forbidding business in 2016.

And lest the more zealous of the zealots pounce on that with their "proves that Trump is the chosen one" moronic mumble, let me offer you what I said, on air, on my then weekly talk radio show in the aftermath of the election results.

"This had to happen", I said, then, "if only to prove to a sufficient number of people, that it can never, ever, ever be allowed to happen again."

I take credit for that insight.

I take no credit whatsoever for the implementation.

Personally, I think God is doing a little parenting. Sometimes children have to learn the hard way that something they want, or have convinced themselves they want,  is, simply, bad for them.

And that hard way sometimes takes the form of letting those children have what they want.

Be careful what you wish for and all that.

Or vote for, as the case may be.

Which brings us back to unconventional times.

And the misconception that, with the push of a voting booth button, one can turn back time.

Even Cher knows better than that.

Or, obviously, the lyric would have gone in another direction.

And "turning back time", as it applies to what we're talking about here, is returning to what our mental muscle memory tells us is the norm, the usual, the "way things are usually done" when it comes to deciding who we're going to support in what the networks are already dramatically dun dun dunning as "Decision 2020".

If you're one of those folks all about getting that decision made the way things are usually done, here's something you need to do first, for brevity sake, spoken in a very popular American dialect.

New Jersey blunt.

Fuggedaboutit.

What you knew as "the norm" is a big ol' negatory, good buddy. The "usual" now comes with a big fat UN on the front of it, like an impertinent pimple on prom night.

The way we do what we do when we do it in this country when it comes to electing a president may be a lot of things from here on out, but here's one thing it will never be....from here on out...ever again.

The way it used to be.

Because of the splashing, scarring, tarring and feathering done to that way by the aforementioned bigliest of American history anomalies.

Donald Trump.

And, bet the bank, you would get no argument from him.

Because if you think he's a world class pussy grabber, he simply has no peer on the planet when it comes to grabbing credit.

So, my fellow 'Muricans, when it comes to the tried and true, traditional path we have taken for two hundred and fifty-ish years when it comes to making that Decision......that road is closed.

Sorry, moose, along with donkey and elephant, out front shoulda told ya.

And...that...brings us to youth....and sexual identity.

And the reservations reasonable people have about Pete Buttigieg.

Youth.

Ordinarily, "youth" is a code word for "experience". It's in keeping with the traditional conventional wisdom that only with age comes experience and only with experience comes wisdom.

First of all, there's that obvious, but now obsolete, phrase "traditional, conventional wisdom". But, more importantly, that particular conventional "wisdom" has always been largely a myth. At least in terms of youth automatically disqualifying someone from respect for their skills and abilities.

History is full of names to prove the point.

Alexander the Great....conquered countries at 18.

Joan of Arc did some pretty heavy lifting at 17.

Mozart wrote his first symphony at 8.

Broadway star Alexander Hamilton acquired what was essentially the job of chief of staff to George Washington at 22.

And not a one of them had a smart phone or Twitter account to give them a leg up.

More contemporarily, Theodore Roosevelt. 

Governor of New York State at 41.

President of the United States at 43.

And, of course, John F. Kennedy.

Who, back in the days when Russia was a rightfully mistrusted adversary and not an honorary member of the Presidential cabinet, faced down the then Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, preventing what historians agree could have very easily become global thermonuclear war.

Kennedy was 45, then. Elected at 43.

The other part of the "youth" argument, when it comes to Buttigieg.....

...as expressed by one of my friends in their comment.....

"my concern is his lack of experience in the Washington waters. We already have that and it’s a mess, although this would still be a heckuva step up. Still, I’d prefer to see him in Congress first....".

Point well made and point well taken.

Here's the thing, though. The "mess" we're in is, admittedly, partly the result of Trump's lack of governing experience. But a case can be made, and allow me to make it, that the larger part of that "mess" is the result of Trump's pathology.

 He listens to no one. He accepts advice and counsel from no one. He believes himself to be superior, infallible and incapable of being wrong about anything. 

Ever.

His amusing army of loyalists continue to scream bloody murder about what they consider the "folly" of impeachment, they are, to a man and woman, just not getting it.

That "impeachment", in this case, is just a code word.

For hospice.

For if narcissism were cancer, this patient would be easily diagnosed as Stage Four.

Buttigieg, from all indications, is a thinker. But he is, clearly, also, a listener. And my Spidey Sense is telling me that this young man has a key personality trait found in all historically successful leaders.

Moving confidently forward in the areas in which he feels knowledgeable and informed. While surrounding himself with knowledgeable, educated, informed, expert opinion and expanding his own, for lack of a better term, "wisdom level" by paying attention to what they have to offer.

Old saying.

One brain, one mouth. Two ears.

Pete's got the math down cold.

And the sexual identity?

The temptation here is to address that with a combination of eye rolling,  "talk to the hand" and  "really? after three and half years of history's most notorious vagina gripper?...." 

But let's skip the potshots and cheap shots and come at this one from the point of view I offered a few moments ago.

In 1960, the fear was that electing a Catholic president would surely be the end of days.

America elected a Catholic president and it wasn't the end of days.

In 2008, the fear was that electing a black president would surely be the end of days.

America elected a black president and it wasn't the end of days.

The good old days, maybe, but only in parts of the country where obsolete anachronisms like Lindsay Graham and Mitch McConnell are still actually seen as patriots.

America 2020.

Pete Buttigeig is a decorated military officer veteran, respected and accomplished mayor of a very much American Midwest city, the youngest ever elected, and re-elected, in that city since 1898, a Phi Beta Kappa, Rhodes Scholar, Harvard graduate, experienced in city governing and politics, speaks eight languages, in addition to English, a committed Christian, a political philosophy that can rightly, and fairly, be categorized as essentially common sense centrist.....and...

...is a happily married man. To another man.

One of the remarkable qualities of what is steadily becoming a phenomenal campaign is what we'll call the "unexpected" factor.

More and more mention is being made in print, online, in broadcasts, etc about the mayor's effect on those he addresses who have come to hear and see him for the first time, predictably, even understandably, with at least a few preconceived notions about him.

Not the least of which, of course, that he is happily married. To another man.

And more and more mention is made of how so, so many of those who walked in with those preconceived notions walk out, if not newly committed supporters, then certainly impressed with what they have seen and what they have heard.

Much like what he has to say in that conversation with Fallon.

Somehow, that kind of talent...and skill.....and positive energy has a way of making something like his sexual identity less and less of, if not a non, issue.

Something remarkable and historic happened in November 2016.

And that's not the good news.

Something remarkable and historic is happening almost four years later.

And given that "mess" that we're in, it's good news that couldn't come any sooner.

Too young?

That's a stereotype America can't afford to indulge anymore.

Inexperienced?

Show me five people who have been elected members of the Federal Government, most especially those who have been in office for ten years or more,  who are the better fit for the needs and responsibilities of the office of President of the United States as it exists right now...and I'll listen to your concerns about inexperience.

I'm confident that listening won't be necessary.

In an ideal world, the path to the presidency would include, even require, that anyone asking for the honor of serving in that office spend those days, months, years in the minor leagues.

America 2020 doesn't exist in an ideal world.

The process of making "America Great Again" smashed that ideal world with a hammer three years ago.

In one of writer Aaron Sorkin's episode scripts for "The West Wing", there's a scene where Sam Seaborn and Josh Lyman are walking a city street, talking about the pressing tasks requiring immediate attention.

Seaborn is pumped. Lyman the more measured of the two.

"It's impossible to do it all at once," Lyman offers, "we have to do one thing at a time.."

Seaborn replies with both a smile and a determined look.

"We don't have time to do things one at a time."

Neither do we, Sam.

Neither do we.

 



 

 


 





 

"...There Is No Joy In Mudville....Or At An Elementary School Near You...."

Everything that is good about America has been on display in recent days.

Cheering. Celebration. The joyful outcry of supporters and the respectful acknowledgment, even best wishes, of the opposition.

The celebrating of a battle hard fought but deservedly, and graciously, won by one side. Not to mention deservedly, and graciously, accepted, even applauded, by the other.

Two foes who showed skill and commitment and passion and enthusiasm in their quest, but, even more importantly, style and sportsmanship…and class.  Heroes one and all.

But, also on display, some of America’s unspoken heroes. The supporters of both sides who unwaveringly showed commitment and loyalty and devotion and cheered and supported their side with passion and energy but, even more importantly, with style and sportsmanship…and class.

Because in America, that’s what we do. We support and endorse with commitment and loyalty and devotion and we cheer our favorites with passion and energy but, even more importantly, with style and sportsmanship…and class.

And when our side is victorious, we celebrate passionately but respectfully, boisterously but graciously. Joyfully but compassionately.

And when our side is not victorious, we commiserate but congratulate, share disappointment but don’t denigrate. Express our pride in our side but show each other, and the world, that America is a nation of style and sportsmanship and class.

In the great American pastime, there is competition and camaraderie, there is heated interaction but there is no hatred, there is astounding power at work but no abuse of power allowed.

Americans fill seats in stadiums all over the nation eight months out of every year and inspire their team by standing by them and up for them, cheering them on and building them up.

Not by putting the other team down, slandering them, reviling them, or outwardly, outrageously, even viciously hating them.

Everything that is good about America was on display in recent days….in Chicago…. and in Cleveland….not only as the competition came to a dramatic conclusion, but all through the process of reaching that conclusion, every moment of every day that two foes battled to be named champion,

And when the outcome was determined, when the victory was a done deal, the victorious lit up the night with the light of celebration and accomplishment and pride.

And the opposition paid their respects with congratulations and courtesy and an inner determination to avoid wasting time and talent on bitterness and bile and get about the business of being just a little better next time.

There were no fistfights in the parking lot. There were no T shirts with foul, reprehensible words on them. There were no threats of lawsuits. There were no late night outbursts on social media about this player’s cheating wife or that player’s fat girlfriend with blood coming out of her ears or her…whatever. There were no threats of violence or revenge or even profanity soaked promises of retribution in the form of jail sentences for the victorious, because they most certainly had to have cheated to win. They couldn’t possibly have simply been the better team. This whole lousy, stinking, effing campaign, all 162 plus 7 games was B.S.….cause, come on, wake up, everybody knows that the whole effing system is…rigged. We need to reject this outcome. Those bastards need to pay for their sins. We need to lock them up….lock them up….

Everything that is good about America has been on display in recent days.

Four days ago, in particular.

Two days from now? Not so much.

Maybe it’s time to think about moving the polling places out of the gymnasiums and the cafeterias.

And setting them up just behind home plate.