That there's a chance the Presidential primaries will result in a general elections with an "Eat the rich" populist on one side and a rich guy out to eat the world on the other?
No, that's not the joke -- the joke is on us: no matter who runs or which side eventually wins, the IRS will be at your door with their hand out on April 15th, and by hook or by crook, they'll come get it eventually if you don't pay up. And that's not going to change. We could vote flat-taxers into the White House for the next four Olympiads and it wouldn't change. That's not one of the President's powers! And neither is most of the crap the current crop of Presidential candidates are promising.
I can't decide if I should ask Santa Claus for better candidates or better Civics education. Both seem equally unlikely to happen.
I'd sure like to hear a candidate say "I will work with Congress to make x, y, and z happen, and do my darnedest to keep them from doing alpha, bet, or gamma."
ReplyDeleteCan't say that my opinion of the current resident of 1600 got any lower when he started complaining about how "it turns out" he can't just make things happen by wishing they were so, because my opinion of him was about as low as it could go anyway, but I sure was disgusted by the fact that the press gives him a pass on such nitwittery.
You'll note that Queen Liz, on the other hand, quietly plays her appointed role and reigns with aplomb.
ReplyDeleteI suspect Mencken's dictum about raising the black flag and slitting throats has occurred to her any number of times, though. Good for her for not succumbing.
I'm all for a draft:
ReplyDeleteD.W., it's your turn to be State Senator from your district for one term.
F.C., you go to Washington to represent your district for one term.
Roberta, you win big; you're President for the next 4 years.
One of my buddies objected, "You can't do that, there's some really stupid people out there!" I took him to my computer, brought up this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-HCYgZo_og and asked him if the average citizen is any more stupid than that. If the URL doesn't come through properly, just do a search for "Hank Johnson, Guam tipping over"
Mencken has lots of good quotes, do a search if you have time to kill.
"Roberta, you win big; you're President for the next 4 years."
ReplyDeletePresident X...
Who would she choose for Secretary of State?
John Bolton, I would hope...
(Concerning the current crop of candidates, Cruz would most likely be best for constitutional rights.)
I've long felt that the desire to be POTUS means you are neither morally or psychologically qualified to hold the office. The fact that no person I know and consider "sane" (for certain values of sanity) would want that job tends to confirm this in my mind.
ReplyDeleteRandy,
ReplyDeleteI don't disagree, all the more reason for a "draft" of sorts.
While poking around a bit, I discovered that someone suggested a lottery sort of deal to choose our legislators/leaders. So, I wasn't the first to think of this.
"I can't decide if I should ask Santa Claus for better candidates or better Civics education."
ReplyDeleteI'd go for the Civics education. That should eventually also take care of the issues with the candidates.
"Roberta, you win big; you're President for the next 4 years."
You and I have very different ideas of "winning".
Indeed he do. It's a lousy job -- you live over the store, you're on 24-hour call, and you can't even go out and get a burger. Bet I couldn't have a ham rig in the White House, either. Sucky.
ReplyDelete" Bet I couldn't have a ham rig in the White House, either. Sucky."
ReplyDeleteThere already is one installed, since from the 1950's.
It includes nice toys like retractable HF verticals (for after 'The Bomb', air filtration, electricity generation, food, a true Prepper's delight...
Oh, the station.
Head to the White House sub-basement, then keep going down. Proper ID is required for entry.
In all seriousness, if an 'R' gets to be president, a full ham station (radio gear by US manufactures *only*) would be a nice addition to the White House for licensed guests.