Is the Democratic Party Living in Fantasyland?

Which quote should be the new motto of the Democratic party?

A. “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!” The Wizard of Oz

B. “Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?” Duck Soup

C. “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.” 1984

D. All of the Above

I’m going with “D”. Each one of those lines is an embodiment of what the Democratic Party and President Joe Biden’s inner circle are trying to tell us.

“It was a one-time blip.” “Like everyone he has good days and bad days.” “He had a cold.” Horsefeathers!

I’ll give you one more movie quote.

“I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore.” Network

The party of my youth, my middle age, and my retirement, the party whose convention I have planned on volunteering at, the party that was going to save our nation, has gone ostrich, sticking its head in the sand. Do they really think that a few million voters in key states will forget last Thursday?

I read in today’s New York Times that “in a Zoom audio call on Monday with about 500 members of campaign’s National Finance Committee and some other contributors, some of the Biden campaign’s senior-most officials held forth for an hour on a special call, including the chair Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks and a pollster Molly Murphy.”

Am I the only one who has a problem with that Zoom call? Where was Joe? The ONLY person who can convince me and the masses that Joe Biden can successfully serve four more years in the White House is Joe Biden. If he can’t be allowed to meet with his biggest donors, what message is he sending to them, and to us?

I know that President Biden has served our country well. I understand he has pride and a combative nature. I realize some party bigwigs fear a divided convention while others fret over a Kamala Harris candidacy. There is no crystal ball predicting the future.

But I am fearful and angry when I hear the President plans to stick with this all the way to November.

And so, just as a young White Sox fan once begged Shoeless Joe Jackson over 100 years ago, I am beseeching you to say it ain’t so, Joe.

Do you agree with me? disagree? Leave a comment and let me know.

Related: Jill Help Joe.

Please Dr. Biden. Help Joe Out.

I am worried. I am concerned. I am terrified. What I witnessed last night has left me shaken and fearful.

Half a year ago. I posted a blog asking President Biden to weigh his options and announce that we would not run for re-election in 2024. Heck, I even wrote the speech for him–and a pretty damn good one, if I must say so myself.

Sadly, Good Ole Joe felt in his bones that he had another four years left. And with his State of the Union address, he came close to convincing me. But last night was a different Joe.

All the backroom talk I had heard about his decline took on new vibrancy. From his first moment walking to the podium, until his final summation, I saw that this was not a man our country would choose in November.

Sure, the spin is that he gained momentum as the evening went on. So what? It’s like a drama critic writing that I wrote a terrible play, but the epilogue was OK. By then, it’s just too late, the damage has been done.

I disagree with almost everything Donald Trump says and stands for. He is a liar, a bully, a narcissist. He has the potential to lead us into a nightmare future. But after last night, I see him as our country’s next President. And I quake.

So Dr. Jill Biden, please intervene. Talk to Joe. Tell him not to run. You don’t have to say it’s because of age or fragility. Say it for the sake of you – his wife, or Hunter – his son. Do it for me. Do it for our country. Do it now.

Does Trump Have America By The Pussy?

“Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.”

Where were you in October of 2016 when the Washington Post published the infamous Donald Trump/Hollywood Access tapes? Did you, like me, assume that this was it, that this was the moment the wheels would come flying off and the Trump train would derail for good?

How wrong we were. That comment and the rest of his “locker room” chatter with Billy Bush proved to be barely a speed bump in the theretofore unimaginable presidential campaign of 2016. And that was just the beginning of the Trump Express. Trump won in 2016, claimed he won in 2020, and has an excellent chance of winning in 2024.

Trump has grabbed us right in the privates. How have we let this happen? How has the American electorate elevated a demagogue with no discernable skills other than to shine a light on our fears and stoke our hatred to once again be within baby steps of the highest office of the land?

He has informed us of his plans to be a dictator. As he told Mr. Bush on that long-ago recording “…when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.” For millions of Americans, he is more than a star. He is a prince, a king, a god waiting to ascend to Mt. Olympus. After all, he has let us know God (Judeo-Christian variety to be precise) has anointed him. Just ask an evangelical.

America, I think we are in trouble. The world is a powder keg, a tinder box. An irrational, unprincipled US President will not bring to the world peace or an end to all wars. He will create a vacuum. The race by aggressive world leaders to fill that void will have the explosive force of hydrogen atoms crunching together in a fusion reactor. None of us will escape the fallout.

I will concede things are not perfect in the present administration. Yes, we need to figure out and pass a humanitarian border/dreamer policy. Yes, we may need to take a more nuanced stand on events on the world stage. The far left is as outrageous as the far right (though I would argue less dangerous.)

But America, please don’t reelect the guy who wants to grab us by the pussy. Let’s grow some balls and welcome Joe Biden for another four years. Not all nice guys have to finish last!

Some Limericks for Our Times

A little look ahead toward the season to come. No, not the Holiday Season, the Republican Primary Season. With apologies to all!

Ms. Haley is from Carolina
She can give you a lecture on China
With her thoughts she can grab you
While with her heels she will stab you
I fear her plans might give you angina

In the South is a bloke named DeSantis
Not much height he is short as a mantis.
In all the polls he is dropping
His run seems to be flopping
I think he will sink like Atlantis

Young Vivek Ramaswamy's a newbie
Who glistens and shines like a ruby
In manners he's lacking
Other pols he's attacking
Chill out dude, have a puff, here's a doobie.

The ex-guv'nor of New Jersey is running
But I'd prefer Chris Christie off somewhere sunning
He'll shoot from the rump
To head off the Trump
A victory by him would be stunning

Don Trump's still the leading contender
He's beloved by the masculine gender
Is there still time at this juncture
His great ego to puncture
Or will he just bask in his splendor?

The My Fair Lady Project, Part 4: I’m An Ordinary Man

The project continues. In the original Ordinary Man, Henry Higgins lets us know just the type of man he really is. If only Donald Trump would do the same!

(For a look at the original wonderful Lerner and Loew lyrics, click here.)

I'm an unassuming  man
Who desires nothing more in life than to take a forceful stance
To do exactly as I like to as the country I advance
A striking man am I, I'm crazy to a tee.
I want to just preside
'Tis Cut and dried
Doing whatever I think is best for me
Well, just an unassuming man

But -- let McConnell in my life 
And my majority is through
He will let Joe Biden roam
Until to the door I'm shown
And then I'm off to plan my newest coup

Let DeSantis in my life
And perhaps I'm heading to a fall
Just the blind leading the blind
He's like me but more refined
And so the MAGA camp is split up, I just want to spit up, he's got gall!

I want to lead a Red Cap rally
The FIBS are searching through my desk
I want to change the election tally
My life is nothing but burlesque!

Let Giuliani take my side
It's rowing against the tide
He will act just like a fool
A loser in the white gene pool
I'd be better of denying
That to win it I was trying
Than to ever let Giuliani take my side

I'm a very harmless man
Calm collected self-directed I would never make a fuss 
I never bother any person as long as they say they love us
A glorious man am I, one with so many charms
You know I've always spun, for Number One
Never the man to set off bloke alarms
A very harmless man

But, let Bill Barr into my life
And vote steals are hard to prove
He will say it's all bull-shit, 
That its time for me to quit
He'll prove that he's a RINO 
And give himself a fine glow
For his next move!

I am a man sophisticated
Who knows his white wines from his red
It's those nuts to whom I'm related
That make me wish that I were dead. 

Oh!

I let Pence into my life
He is worse than any wife.
I gave the man a chance
To prove some balls were in his pants
But he failed in his position as the leader of sedition
Should've never let Mike Pence into my life.

I'm a most amazing man
My mind is sharper than a genius, I know more than Albert E
I learn all the facts I need to just by watching Fox TV
A brilliant man am I who plays by all the rules
Like those of bankruptcy, and you see
I know just how to use financial tools
Just a most amazing man

But, let the Times into my life
And they will go right after me.
In headlines and in Op-eds
They will rip my words to shreds
They'll fake news me and confuse me
And never say excuse me, yes it's true!

The Dems are painting me a bully
They think I am so crass
They plan to win the mid-term voting
But I am going to kick their f'ing ass

Oh!

Don't let McCarthy in your life

Don't let Pelosi in your life

I shall never let a loser in my life

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This is episode 4 of our My Fair Lady project, using a title or lyric from each song in the original Broadway cast album to inform or inspire a blog post.

Previous Posts in the series:

My Fair Lady Project Part 1: Overture

My Fair Lady Project Part 2: Why Can’t the English

My Fair Lady Project Part 3: Wouldn’t It be Loverly

I Won’t Let Them Get Me Down! Observations on a bright spring day.

A little verse for when things look worse.

I’ve written much the last few days
Of courts and cults and horrors.
I’ve slung the mud,
Not toed the line,
I chose to take no quarters.

“You’re far too mean,” was said to me
By Barb, my sharpest critic.
“The things you say
Are very harsh.
Your tongue is too acidic.”

And so it’s time to calibrate,
To find some sweeter words.
To find the good
In what I see,
The moon, the grass, the birds.

We took a walk around the loop,
That’s the border of our ‘hood.
Our dog was prancing
At our side.
His temperament was good.

A gorgeous day, the sky was blue.
Not a drop was raining.
80 degrees
With a freshening breeze.
It was time to stop complaining.

So I thought about the many things,
That make my life completer.
Our family blessed
With all its health.
There’s nothing could be sweeter.

The friends we’ve had for a thousand years,
At least that’s how it seems.
And the new ones in
Our neighborhood.
With whom we share Canasta schemes.

The trips we take, and those we plan
For someday around the corner.
We’ll see the Arctic
When I retire
Or visit someplace warmer.

The films we watch, the books we read,
Shows on Hulu, Max, and cable.
Give our minds an escape
And open our lives
When Closed Captioning we enable.

We volunteer and donate blood and stuff
To help those who need a hand.
Those things bring good
Into our lives
And allow our horizons to expand.

Best, there’s this blog, this thing I do
Because for me, to write’s a pleasure.
And to hear your responses
And your points of view
Provides my thoughts with a refresher.

So I’ll be kind, no venom breathe
I’ll be no rabble rouser.
Until the next piece
Of vile Fox news,
Appears on my M’soft browser.

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Supreme Court Reinstates Slavery; Follows Up Roe V Wade by Declaring 13th Amendment Null and Void

(Washington, DC, Special to More about Les) In a surprise but unsurprising move, the Supreme Court today invalidated the 13th Amendment, returning to each state the right to declare slavery legal within its own borders. The Court also declared the Fugitive Slave Act, an 1850 law requiring all states to return runaway slaves to their owners, as the “law of the land.”

Although no legal case involving slavery was before the court, Associate Justice Sam Alioto told reporters “we are merely reestablishing this great nation, the nation that the Founding Fathers created. We feel this Court has that right, and that responsibility.”

The majority opinion, written by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, stated that since nowhere in the original Constitution was slavery banned, Congress did not have the right to do so.

In a supplement, the Court stated they would be reviewing and potentially discarding all Constitutional amendments, except for the short portion of the 2nd amendment dealing with the right to bear arms, which the supplement states is a “God-given right inadvertently left out of the original Constitution by an inebriated James Madison.”

The majority opinion and supplement were signed by Associate Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett. The minority opinion, written by Associate Justice Sotomayor, and signed by Sotomayor and her fellow liberal appointees Associate Justices Kagan and Breyer read in its entirety “These guys are f-ing crazy.” Chief Justice Roberts signed neither opinion and was seen wandering the halls of the Supreme Court Building babbling incoherently.

Justices Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, and Coney Barrett stated that though their confirmation hearings were contentious, no one had asked them their views on slavery, so no one could complain about their opinion on this ruling.

Former President Donald Trump speaking at an NRA convention in rural Mississippi praised the move, stating “It was Giuliani’s idea, but I made this possible, I get all the credit. Hang Pence.” NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre announced the organization would consider changing its name to NRSA, the Nation Rifle and Slavery Association.

In an immediate response to the ruling, Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbott of Texas announced they will offer tax incentives to any company within their states operating with slave labor. Other state governors and legislatures will likely follow suit.

In a possibly related event, a giant tear was seen on the cheek of the Abraham Lincoln statue at the Lincoln Memorial.

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Public Service Ads Through The Years. Keep Going Until The End.

…and the state of things today

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A Loud Lady Tells The World How To Beat Trump

Hi, it’s Anne. Remember me?

I couldn’t watch either of the big events. No, I couldn’t watch him preen at his State of the Union address, though I did see the SloMo replay of Nancy shredding paper a few dozen times. And I couldn’t watch the impeachment farce vote. All that hypocrisy.

But what comes next? Along with the Iowa Caucus fiasco, the whole march to a never-going-to-convict impeachment reminded me of how clueless the Democratic party can be. Need more examples? Remember the Affordable Care Act rollout? Remember Hillary’s campaign?

My problem is that I agree with most of the ideals that the various parts of the Democratic Party support. Things like religious and sexual freedom from government interference. Things like available, affordable, health care. Things like a patched-up safety net, preferably one with some “bounce-back ” springs built in. Things like a belief in science. But how do we get there?

Here are this crazy lady’s suggestions to get Trump out of the White House before it is too late and we solidify the Age of Trump and his minions. You know who they are-President Ivanka, President Don Jr., President Barron.

HOW TO BEAT TRUMP

Screw the long, drawn-out primary system this year. Iowa has already shown us what can go wrong. Get all the potential candidates in a back room and come up with ONE candidate who can win the key swing states. To me, it’s someone from the center, because this is the year to WIN, not the year to push a particular agenda.
Let everyone else withdraw from the primaries. Think of the money you can all save.
Inspire those looking toward a more revolutionary approach with a Vice-Presidential candidate that will be ready to lead in 4 or 8 years. Surely any drastic overhaul in our way of life can wait that long if it accomplishes deTrumpification in November.
Every Democratic leader, from the most northern Aleutian Island to the southern-most Florida Key, needs to offer strong support to the chosen candidate. No back-biting. No “It should have been me’s.” UNITE, UNITE, UNITE.
Mike Bloomberg, keep spending your millions. But spend them in support of the candidate of a united Democratic party, not yourself.
Mitt Romney, your “profile in courage” impeachment vote was a nice start, but you have so much more to do. Run for President on a third party. Any third party! It was rumored that you would do it in 2016. Now is the time. You have no chance to win, but you can be a spoiler, siphoning off the votes of any Republicans who haven’t lost their mind to Trump Nation. Be the Ralph Nader we need.
Get out the vote!

This may be my fantasy. But we can do this! Share the word!

Anne U Phylaxis borrows this blog from Les every once in a while. Write to her at anne.u.phylaxis@columnist.com

photo credit: cszar Say Aah via photopin (license)_

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Trump for Veep? Why Not?

In a New York Times opinion piece, Matt Latimer, a former speech writer for President Bushes I and II suggests that Mike Pence, Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee, should convince Donald Trump to resign his candidacy making Pence the new presidential candidate. Latimer gives all the usual reasons why we don’t want a Trump Presidency including a lack of “negotiation, diplomacy, discipline, finesse and some semblance of intellectual curiosity.” What the piece doesn’t do is tell Mr. Pence what to do with Trump after he steps down. As a dedicated viewer of the antics of Selena Meyer and Tom James on the HBO series Veep, I think the answer is obvious. Just as Tom and Selena more or less changed places on the ticket, why can’t Pence and Trump do the same?

Think of the opportunity! Pence, the conservative governor that the Republican establishment can get behind. Trump, the mad attack dog on the loose. No one takes a VP candidate seriously, the candidate can say whatever escapes his or her lips without critics warning about nuclear warfare and end of the world catastrophe. And unlike Sarah Palin, a previous wild card VP candidate, Trump has a national following. His fan club should stick with him through a humiliating demotion, as long as Trump gives it the right spin. He can declare that he is easily the greatest person ever to run for Vice President. I can see the polls soaring already.

Now just suppose this strategy works and we wind up with Pence/Trump taking office next January. Trump as Vice President is perfect to follow in the footsteps, and missteps, of Selena Meyer. Snub foreign officials, make embarrassing proclamations, hire a staff of fools, nincompoops and losers. Who cares? He is only the Veep. In the words of Johnny Carson “Democracy means that anyone can grow up to be President, and anyone who doesn’t grow up can be Vice President.” Johnny was foreseeing my scenario without even getting into his Carnac the Magnificent garb.

What’s that you say? Trump would still be only one bullet, one Booth or Oswald, from the Presidency? We can solve that too. Before making the deal, Pence can require Trump to provide a signed, notarized letter, securely held in a mayonnaise jar on John Robert’s porch, abdicating any claim to the Presidency. The Chief Justice can produce this immediately upon a Pence fatality and following the Order of Presidential Succession, swear in House Speaker Ryan as the next President. Sounds like a plan to me!

One last thing. If you watched the last episode of Veep you know that when Meyer/James pulled the President/Vice President flip flop, they lost anyway. Do you think I would I be so sneaky as to suggest a losing strategy to the GOP?
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