I know among the few who read this blog on a regular basis it is an article of faith that Bernie Sanders candidacy was torpedoed in 2016 by the "democratic establishment" and to most of them will say the same thing happened in 2020. Sorry folks, but that's not how it was or is.
First, I want to praise Bernie for pulling the plug on his 2020 campaign. Regardless of the fact he would have limped into the convention with far fewer delegates than Biden, he could have done the same destructive thing as 2016 and denied the eventual nominee the full throated support necessary to win the presidency in these partisan times. Joe Biden is not my first, second or even third choice for president, but it seems he will be the nominee and with the looming specter of Cheetolini, we need to mobilize all the support we can for a Biden candidacy.
The problem with Sanders' candidacy has always been its lack of broad based support among the democratic party's core constituency, namely black voters and in particular black women voters. For whatever reason, Bernie was unable to connect with these supporters and instead of redoubling his outreach he relied on a base of college educated and young male working class voters to power his campaign. With up to 25 candidates competing at one time and at least 5 mainstream candidates fighting for the nomination as Super Tuesday approached, Sanders 30% strategy looked good, even as black voters in South Carolina rallied behind Biden. When Buttigieg and Klobuchar, neither of whom had any path to the nomination dropped out, the rest of the party united behind Biden and that was the end for Bernie. No, there was no machinations behind the scenes, although both Pete and Amy are in line for jobs in a Biden administration. It was politics.
Now, it is up to Bernie to bring along his supporters to at least hold their noses and vote for Biden. If progressives want 4 more years of tRump, then by all means, vote for Jill Stein or Gary Johnson. If, however, liberals want a chance to influence the next democratic administration, the choice is clear.
Thursday, April 9, 2020
Wednesday, April 8, 2020
Ain't no sunshine
We lost two of the greatest American songwriters this past week to covid 19; Bill Withers and now, John Prine. While they had little in common except the ability to touch our hearts and souls, their debut albums both came out in 1971.
While I was still firmly embedded in what we now refer to as "classic rock", Withers inimitable voice and evocative lyrics were able to make me pay attention and hum along. He continued to write through the mid 80s, but quit touring and writing at that time.
John Prine on the other hand was a roadie for life, touring relentlessly and releasing a respectable catalog over the years. For some reason, probably the fact he never got into the Top 40 and/or didn't have Withers' silky voice, I came to appreciate him later in life. I was weeding my garden in the spring of 1995 and listening to Scott Simon interview Prine on his Saturday morning show on NPR as John was plugging a new album, "Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings". I was hooked by the lyrics and soon was serenading the family with "lake Marie" among other tunes. "They was sizzling" has become a touchstone for me and the Divine Mrs. M.
Prine never had much of a voice and most of his songs are done in a sometimes lilting monotone, but his sharp observations of his fellow citizens made me by turns proud and exasperated to be an American in this time. We were lucky enough to see him play in Burlington, Vt. at the venerable Flynn Theater. He was accompanied by Iris Dement and it was a great show, despite the fact he was recovering from surgery which damaged his vocal chords.
From "Sam Stone" to "Some Humans ain't Human" and "Your Flag Decal won't get You into Heaven Anymore", Prine's commentary on life in our country was almost always spot on. He was 73 years old. RIP John and Bill. Somewhere there's duet being played....
While I was still firmly embedded in what we now refer to as "classic rock", Withers inimitable voice and evocative lyrics were able to make me pay attention and hum along. He continued to write through the mid 80s, but quit touring and writing at that time.
John Prine on the other hand was a roadie for life, touring relentlessly and releasing a respectable catalog over the years. For some reason, probably the fact he never got into the Top 40 and/or didn't have Withers' silky voice, I came to appreciate him later in life. I was weeding my garden in the spring of 1995 and listening to Scott Simon interview Prine on his Saturday morning show on NPR as John was plugging a new album, "Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings". I was hooked by the lyrics and soon was serenading the family with "lake Marie" among other tunes. "They was sizzling" has become a touchstone for me and the Divine Mrs. M.
Prine never had much of a voice and most of his songs are done in a sometimes lilting monotone, but his sharp observations of his fellow citizens made me by turns proud and exasperated to be an American in this time. We were lucky enough to see him play in Burlington, Vt. at the venerable Flynn Theater. He was accompanied by Iris Dement and it was a great show, despite the fact he was recovering from surgery which damaged his vocal chords.
From "Sam Stone" to "Some Humans ain't Human" and "Your Flag Decal won't get You into Heaven Anymore", Prine's commentary on life in our country was almost always spot on. He was 73 years old. RIP John and Bill. Somewhere there's duet being played....
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Unreality TV
As has become a daily ritual, the president* convened his unreality show last night. Complete with a captive press corps which actually asked concise and timely questions only to be verbally bludgeoned by Cheetolini, who obviously thinks refusing responsibility and blaming governors and the news media for the nation's problems is a dandy tactic.
I didn't watch the marathon bloviation, but the capsule summaries and occasional direct quotes played by various shows after the fact were illustrative of how far our political culture has fallen. If Obama had treated the media the same way, a blizzard of editorials would be calling for his censure or impeachment. Instead, we are left with slack jawed commentators who vainly search for anything '"presidential" in tRump's demeanor. Instead we are left with the impression our government is being led by a 10 year old who is being held responsible for failing his latest test and is instead blaming his parents for not waking him up in time so he could buy the cheat sheet for said test.
I didn't watch the marathon bloviation, but the capsule summaries and occasional direct quotes played by various shows after the fact were illustrative of how far our political culture has fallen. If Obama had treated the media the same way, a blizzard of editorials would be calling for his censure or impeachment. Instead, we are left with slack jawed commentators who vainly search for anything '"presidential" in tRump's demeanor. Instead we are left with the impression our government is being led by a 10 year old who is being held responsible for failing his latest test and is instead blaming his parents for not waking him up in time so he could buy the cheat sheet for said test.
Monday, April 6, 2020
A weird spring
Thanks to one of my daughters and her husband, I was finally able to get my asparagus beds cleaned off and get some planting done on a beautiful Saturday during what my youngest describes as "Covid shutdown hell". We all practices social distancing and it felt good to exercise, although I had to be very careful with my surgically repaired shoulder. Judging by the after effects on Sunday morning, the shoulder held up better than other parts of my anatomy.
With the asparagus beds ready to go, I planted some lettuce and kale seed in a cold frame and put in a bed each of carrots and beets. I have four beds of overwintered spinach which looks like survived the winter and will hopefully be producing a bumper crop this spring. At least gardening will get me outside during these lengthening spring days and help keep my mind off the developing crisis our nation faces. There is little most of us can do except avoid human interaction and hope against hope the ignorant narcissistic idiot entrusted with our ship of state somehow navigates the pandemic now gripping our country without killing too many of us.
With the asparagus beds ready to go, I planted some lettuce and kale seed in a cold frame and put in a bed each of carrots and beets. I have four beds of overwintered spinach which looks like survived the winter and will hopefully be producing a bumper crop this spring. At least gardening will get me outside during these lengthening spring days and help keep my mind off the developing crisis our nation faces. There is little most of us can do except avoid human interaction and hope against hope the ignorant narcissistic idiot entrusted with our ship of state somehow navigates the pandemic now gripping our country without killing too many of us.
Friday, April 3, 2020
The coming chaos
The president's* son-in-law made his debut at the White House coronavirus briefing yesterday, I am told. Another legacy son of a NY real estate magnate,Jared Kushner seems to have done 3 things well in his life, according to NYT columnist Michelle Goldberg. He was born to rich parents, married well and learned how to influence his father in law. Besides that he has done precious little in a life lived in a luxury bubble.
Kushner told tRump early on in the crisis that NY didn't need all the ventilators and hospital beds governor Cuomo had requested. Now, we are about 6 days from testing that theory and if he is wrong, patients will be dying by the hundreds in hospital hallways throughout the city as doctors make life and death triage decisions.
This is what happens when an ignorant failure who's greatest triumph is a reality tv show is elected to the presidency on a platform of anti-science, immigrant bashing, racism and misogyny. Most of us knew there would be a stern test of this administration at some point. Now we are here and I for one am terrified at the prospect. The human and financial wreckage will take decades to clear away.
Kushner told tRump early on in the crisis that NY didn't need all the ventilators and hospital beds governor Cuomo had requested. Now, we are about 6 days from testing that theory and if he is wrong, patients will be dying by the hundreds in hospital hallways throughout the city as doctors make life and death triage decisions.
This is what happens when an ignorant failure who's greatest triumph is a reality tv show is elected to the presidency on a platform of anti-science, immigrant bashing, racism and misogyny. Most of us knew there would be a stern test of this administration at some point. Now we are here and I for one am terrified at the prospect. The human and financial wreckage will take decades to clear away.
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Incompetence squared
I have turned the television off between the hours of 5-7 p.m. each day so as to miss the "press briefing" at the White House. I can't bear to watch the firehose of lies washing over the coronavirus crisis. Even less can I bear the relentlessly stupid questions being posed to Cheetolini by a press corps which has lost its collective mind.
The national press has done some yeoman work reporting on the shortages of personal protective equipment and ventilators plaguing hospitals at the epicenter of the outbreak. Yesterday we learned that hundreds of millions of facemasks in inventory around the US have been purchased by foreign buyers and are poised to be shipped to other countries! Did anyone ask tRump about why he has not centralized the supply chain through FEMA and directed the needed supplies to where they will do the most good?
Our so called "elite" press is far more interested in preserving access to White House sources than pursuing substantive reporting. I believe most of them with a few notable exceptions are afraid of a tRump tweet naming them anathema, thereby focusing his base's rabid hate on them. We are so screwed...
The national press has done some yeoman work reporting on the shortages of personal protective equipment and ventilators plaguing hospitals at the epicenter of the outbreak. Yesterday we learned that hundreds of millions of facemasks in inventory around the US have been purchased by foreign buyers and are poised to be shipped to other countries! Did anyone ask tRump about why he has not centralized the supply chain through FEMA and directed the needed supplies to where they will do the most good?
Our so called "elite" press is far more interested in preserving access to White House sources than pursuing substantive reporting. I believe most of them with a few notable exceptions are afraid of a tRump tweet naming them anathema, thereby focusing his base's rabid hate on them. We are so screwed...
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
Media meltdown
The president* appeared on his dog and pony show yesterday and announced if we as a nation are both good and lucky we might hold the coronavirus death toll to 150-240,000 citizens. Some in the news media were ready to applaud this bit of revisionist history because tRump managed to look somber for a few minutes before attacking the media for being so unfair as to report actual facts.
i don't know about anyone else, but this Charlie Brown and Lucy football act is starting to wear thin. Cheetolini should be held to account every minute of every "press briefing" by reporters dedicated to the truth. Instead we get crap from the NYT's Maggie Haberman telling us tRump disagrees with governors who tell him we still have a testing shortage. Nobody seems to know where the millions of tests Pence promised 2 weeks ago went. Inquiring minds want to know why the only people getting tested in most places are those exhibiting late stage symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath. Where is the baseline testing every epidemiologist is saying is necessary to get hold of this disease?
When Covid 19 is finally brought under control, probably by a vaccine now being developed, we need to hold this administration to account, even if Cheetolini is no longer in office. He will be responsible for a large proportion of the carnage yet to come.
i don't know about anyone else, but this Charlie Brown and Lucy football act is starting to wear thin. Cheetolini should be held to account every minute of every "press briefing" by reporters dedicated to the truth. Instead we get crap from the NYT's Maggie Haberman telling us tRump disagrees with governors who tell him we still have a testing shortage. Nobody seems to know where the millions of tests Pence promised 2 weeks ago went. Inquiring minds want to know why the only people getting tested in most places are those exhibiting late stage symptoms such as fever and shortness of breath. Where is the baseline testing every epidemiologist is saying is necessary to get hold of this disease?
When Covid 19 is finally brought under control, probably by a vaccine now being developed, we need to hold this administration to account, even if Cheetolini is no longer in office. He will be responsible for a large proportion of the carnage yet to come.
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