Endless Debates...

There must be a difference between political debates and a cock fight, but I'll be darned if I can find it. Feathers and talons flying everywhere, the Democrats, with a cast of characters bigger than "Hair," have taken to the airwaves. Like everything else from peanut butter to proctologists, these things are over-analyzed by the media and "Moe" down at the bar. I'm absolutely shocked that Vegas hasn't figured out a way to bet on the candidates and how they perform in each debate, or that the giant banks haven't figured out how to make a "derivative" out of them to sell. They are ripe for it.

The latest debate had a new guy, Bullock, pulling in like a line-jumper on the Interstate. He certainly made some good points, but there was an obnoxiousness about him that I can't explain. Elizabeth Warren still sounds "whiney," Bernie gets so passionate, I fear he's going to give himself a stroke, and that author, Williamson? She sounds too much like she is reading from one of her books. I still like Buttigieg, but his demeanor and politeness will probably get him killed, at least politically. Haven't I seen that Delaney guy in a movie? He looks like a "red shirt" from Star Trek or a second-rate bad guy in a "B" movie. He, Bullock, and Amy Klobuchar tried to carve out a moderate position compared to Bernie and his Magic Kingdom, but Ms. Amy has some nasty skeletons in her staff closet, so I'm a little leery of her.

Unfortunately, the debate format, with so many candidates, is way too restrictive. A minute to answer a question about how you will fix healthcare? Or what you will do about the environment? Why, the Miss Universe pageant contestants get more time than that to tell us how they will use their cat to bring about world peace. And the commentators--good, responsible journalists and broadcasters in their own right--must serve as referees and schoolmarms, trying to silence a candidate whose rhetoric has just gone nuclear and "damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" on them. You get Bernie Sanders cranking, and it takes an aircraft carrier snag line to slow him down. And what's with the little audio cutouts that keep happening? And this is even on a different network? How hard is it, in a spoken debate, to keep the sound on? It surely seems like they have enough microphones around--that honor guard sounded like Third Army heading for Palermo as they marched out.

The second night of round two is yet upcoming (I'm writing this on 7/31). Tonight is the night to see if "Sleepy Joe" is awake enough--and not too old--to be the one to spar with The Donald. Kamala Harris will be back on stage tonight, and while I must say that I think she has been the over all most impressive candidate for the Dems, thus far, it will be interesting to see if she goes after "Smokin' Joe" again. Last time out, she sucker-punched him and made him her b*tch. I didn't like that. And I don't believe for a moment that Joe Biden is intentionally a racist. (Note: I say "intentionally," as we white people, as much as we continue to benefit from and deny white privilege, we ALL participate in institutional racism and white bias.) The last time out, I was impressed with Julian Castro and a bit with Tulsi Gabbard, but possibly because she had that kind of "mysterious woman" thing going. She's National Guard, though, and has deployed, so I have much respect for her. Let's see if she breaks out a bit tonight. Last time, one of my media "heroes," Chris Matthews really thought New York Mayor Bill de Blasio was super. I thought he was a loudmouth. Lost a little respect for Chris there, but maybe it's that "Tip O'Neill" thing.

I'd look forward to commenting on the Republican debates, but there won't be any, since they have the incumbent president. Yeah, I know there are those who are supposedly challenging him, but I doubt it will ever get to the debate level. Has there been anything that Trump hasn't bullied his way through? Who in the GOP has told him "No"? He will clearly be their candidate, and whomever the Dems choose will have to go one-on-one with him. He debates like a neighborhood thug, and uses arguments that sound a lot like "I know you are but what am I?" Or  "Yeah, your mother!" I do think, though, if it's Kamala Harris or Tulsi Gabbard on stage with him and he does that "lurking" thing like he did behind Hillary, either of them will cold-cock him one and will win the presidency.

I just keep thinking about how great it would be to have a leader in the White House again. The last leaders we had were Dwight Eisenhower, Jack Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson--Eisenhower built the infrastructure of the U.S. after the wars; Kennedy gave us a national vision and was a true "profile in courage," and Lyndon Johnson led us through the emerging fight for civil rights for African Americans, a fight which continues to this day. I could add Ronald Reagan, for what he did to bring down the Iron Curtain, but then he exploded the federal deficit, and we've not dug out since. Nixon opened relations with China, but there was that other thing. Clinton crossed the aisle better than almost any other president, but there was that other thing. And, while I really liked Barack Obama, I did not see him as a leader. He was a bit more of a technocrat like Jimmy Carter.

Well, if you can't tell already, politics is sort of my hobby (other than reading news and fussing with Miatas). I'm a democrat, and stand with them on many of their social justice platforms, but if truth be told, I'm really pretty much of a moderate when it comes to things like wanting a space program and understanding the need for an efficient, well-trained military (not the over-funded largess mess we have now). For example, I think submarines are a better investment than giant aircraft carriers, and f-16 Falcons were an effective bargain over the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. I am a Democrat mostly, though, because my faith and my ministerial calling have led me to push against the small-town racism I learned as a boy, and to work for equality and justice for ethnic minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community. I do not see these as priorities for the GOP, the party of my upbringing and most of my family. (I will not go into my views on abortion, as that would tick too many of you off. I do affirm the position of my current denomination, the United Methodist Church, and I say current, because unless it fixes itself and puts on its "big boy" pants to include all persons, I'll be church shopping.)

If you are repulsed by politics and the circus just beginning we call the presidential elections, then never mind. Watch for my next blog. Until then, may the Force be with you. Shalom, Yinz.