October 13--half past October already!!

Saw two comments from a Repthuglican Senator to which I take exception. First that #45's "default position" is individual responsibility and outcomes, and that such a position was a sign of respect. That is a ton of BS. Number 45's default position is to take no responsibility and then snipe when things go wrong. He pushed everything off on governors and then criticized (usually) Democrat governors for less than optimum response. Oh, and let us not forget that FEMA and other Federal agencies stole PPE and other supplies from states whose governors tried to acquire it on their own to redistribute in ways that would, they hoped, support #45. His behavior throughout is a clear sign of his lack of respect. Second, that a mask mandate wouldn't have worked because he (the senator) knows several people who told him they wouldn't have cooperated. Perhaps--but then, perhaps not. We don't know. What we do know is that #45 refused to wear masks unless he could garner some political credit for doing so, refused to back common sense rules, insisted on state economies reopening before the infection rates went down. He has done everything he can to undermine the scientists and doctors. We are left to wonder what would have happened if we had a real President (instead of a showboat playing one for his version of reality TV) with some sense of responsibility, respect for science and data, and a modicum of empathy.

October 14

For some time now I have been trying to remember where a quotation that has been rattling around in my head with the various pundits laying out scenarios on how the election and the aftermath (and I am sure there will be a confused time until inauguration day). To paraphrase the quote: our country has been a democracy, an oligarchy, a republic, a dictatorship and (according to the speaker) a de facto anarchy without changing its basic constitution. I finally found it in Robert Heinlein's I Will Fear No Evil and the speaker was Jake Solomon (one of many older curmudgeonly and cynical male characters Heinlein created). The so-hearing for Amy Coney Barrett brought the quote back especially her responses to the question about #45's urging his supporters to be "poll watchers" and his threat to not accept the election results. A commenter over the last few days made an interesting point: our system relies on losers accepting their loss. Number 45 isn't likely to do that. He hasn't been a graceful winner so why expect him to be a graceful loser. More than that the so-called conservatives and the religious right have not been graceful losers for the last three decades at least. No matter is ever settled if the vote doesn't go their way. I saw that when riverboat gambling came up on the ballot in Missouri. The first year the vote approved the boats but the religious interests brought it back and marshaled their forces to defeat the proposition. The battle went back and forth for about two more years before the boats were finally approved and allowed to operate.

October 15

OH, CRAP (euphemism for what I really said). I lived in Ft. Collins for almost 15 years and remember the area fondly. It has been a hellish fire season and #45's suggestion that we "rake the forest" is asinine.

October 16

I commented last week that I hadn't seen many yard signs for the presidential candidates so far. Today was only slightly different. Three houses had signs for #45 and his shadow. Four were clearly Biden/Harris. Two houses really wanted you to know their preference because they put about a dozen signs all along the road parallel to their houses. I mentioned a sign I caught a glimpse of but thought it might not be a positive for #45. Well we got a better look and it said "Tuck Frump". I think that goes into the 'hell NO!!' category.

I caught this by way of Axios this morning. Phoenix set a record with its 144th day over 100* with another such day forecast for today. Glad I don't live out that way.

October 18--Election Day only 16 days away!

And I am so ready to bid our 4-year election season goodbye. Don't forget that #45 filed his candidacy for 2020 just after taking (with crossed fingers and tongue in cheek I am sure) his oath of office in 2016. The news last night had a sound bite from him saying he just might leave the country if he loses. I can only hope. Anyone up for a Go Fund Me page to pay for his ticket? Hmmm! He is supposed to be a billionaire so he should be able to fund his own relocation hopefully taking his whole grifting family with him. I have speculated for the last year that he might relocate to Moscow or Riyadh. Given his declared love for Kim Jung Un might North Korea be on the list of possibilities?

David Kaiser has an interesting piece on politics and the Supreme Court. He points out a fact I have mentioned several times in our discussion here at home: both sides of the political spectrum have used the courts, including the Supreme Court, to get policies they couldn't get a political majority for. Some of Kaiser's comments reflect a conclusion I have articulated both on this blog and here at home: the U.S. is at a cross-roads. Since our founding two trends have been fighting: one is for a more coherent and....homogenized, might be a good word, country dominated by the Federal Government while the other is for a more decentralized union with the individual states dominating much of our economic and social life. The decentralized ideal was good when most people didn't travel frequently, when travel times were longer and when communications took an extended time. We aren't that country any more. I can get in my car any day of the week and spend the day in a different state. We are an hour away from Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, and about three hours away from Iowa, Ohio, Missouri and Kentucky. If I had a business I could easily operate in all of those states. The internet, cell phones, cable and broadcast TV all put us into a web of communications that transcends our local town, or state, or even our country. I routinely check blogs and news sources from other countries. We are no longer the country our founders created. Which is why I think the so-called strict constructionist and textualist stance of so many conservative judges and justices is utterly rediculous.