Our Future

Granted, my future isn’t all that long term, but there are loads of people I love who are looking decades ahead.  I’ve always been a political junkie starting when I was a child and watching the party conventions on our grainy black and white console television.  Oh, the anxiety!  Who was going to garner enough votes to be the party’s nominee?   Maybe, they already knew who would win, but I was clueless and glued to it until the end.

And, since this president was elected, I cannot watch the national news or cable shows on any kind of regular basis, because if HE comes on, I just want to destroy the television.  Every day, he is more disgusting than the last.  His chumminess with Putin and the Saudi prince is outrageous.  It’s worse than that.  He is downright dangerous.

So, of course, I tuned in to the debates on Wednesday and Thursday to see twenty candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination.  20?!  And, that’s not all of them.  Several I was hearing for the first time.  And, truth be known, I was positively impressed.  However, how impressive are they if they have one minute to speak?  A debate stage with 20 people does not make for a true debate.

The first night erred on the side of civility with few exceptions.  Julian went after Beto, but, then, everyone goes after Beto.  I’m not sure breaking out in Spanish was the best idea when you only have a minute to get your policies across.  But, once Beto opened that door, Julian and Cory were quick to follow.  Really?  There’s another reason I’m not one of the 20.  My Spanish is limited to “hola.”

Elizabeth was great.  At least, she didn’t start speaking in Cherokee.  Her knowledge is exceptional.  She has taken up the Bernie mantle, but sounds more intelligent and a helluva less strident than him.  Cory was excellent.  Julian was pretty commanding also.  I always thought Hilary really missed the boat when she didn’t pick him or Joaquin for her running mate.

Amy just couldn’t get it done.  Yes, she is pragmatic and knows what being progressive truly is.  It is a progression.  It’s a movement, not a revolution.  God knows, we’re being subjected to a regression that is hurting our country and our standing in the world.  But, sad to say, Amy has no charisma.  Nor did Hilary.  I hate that it comes down to that, but it does.  That is reality.  We have to have a ticket that people will get off their butts and campaign and vote for.  I don’t think it’s Amy.

That’s pretty much my impression of Wednesday’s candidates and then there was Thursday.  The night of the big dogs.  The night where civility took a back seat, sad to say.  Kamala took off the gloves and went straight for Joe’s jugular.  And, now we know why she was an effective prosecutor and attorney general.  Obviously, she had, with her staff, practiced that attack for weeks, waiting for the opening.  She took it and he was completely blindsided.  She pretty much emasculated him.  Poor Joe showed his age that night.  Where was his staff?  How could he or they not have anticipated this?

I’m not sure how this will all play out in the polls.  But, I felt for Joe, especially, after his active and unwavering support for her for years.  I will say this, however, when it comes to duking it out with Big Baby, I want Kamala in the ring.  Not sure good ole Joe is up to this.

The guy I loved the most was Mayor Pete.  Just an all around good guy with heart and a command of the issues who was honest enough to know he hadn’t got it all done as Mayor.  How refreshing to hear that instead or a candidate ignoring the question or going on the defensive or citing anecdotes that have absolutely nothing to do with the subject at hand.

As I’m writing this, I just got a text asking me how likely I am to vote for Kamala.  That’s a no brainer.

I’m so done with Bernie.  He needs new writers.  It’s the same old script from 2016.  Now, it’s like he’s doing a caricature of himself.  I will say he appeared to have a whole lot more energy than Joe but he needs to pass the baton.  Plus, he’s not even a Democrat.  Done, done, done.

Marianne.  Where to start.  My fellow aging hippie and spiritual practitioner.  I have no problem marrying spiritualism and politics, but when they ask you what’s the first thing you would do on day one of your administration, don’t say you’d call the prime minister of New Zealand to tell her the USA is the best place for a child to grow up, not New Zealand.  Harnessing love for political purposes is a noble goal, I grant you that.  Yet, you were so out of our element up there, you became the darling of the Republican Party, who has called on the troops to contribute ‘bigly’ to your campaign.  They want you to stay up there on that stage.

Of course, there’s so much more to write about on this subject, which will keep us glued to our 52” flat screens for months on end.  All I can say is that the Democratic Party cannot afford to be fighting between moderates and progressives.  This is so much bigger than that.  Make your peace, stay unified and take back our democracy!