Category Archives: Uncategorized

In the greatest movie ever made, “The Godfather, Part 1,” the Five Families refers to the five major crime families in New York in the mid twentieth century. Similarly, it seems to me that, in very rough terms, we can break down the current American electorate into five groups. Here’s the way I’d line themContinue reading “The Five Families”

The more I think about Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech last week the more I come to believe that what she didn’t say is every bit as significant as what she did say. Notably absent from her speech was any reference to climate change and to diversity, equity and inclusion, two important causes on the left.Continue reading “What She Didn’t Say”

Both parties had successful conventions. Only 80 miles apart on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee and Chicago, both even enjoyed the cool breezes and clear, blue skies of a Great Lakes summer. The Republicans looked united, confident and less angry than they’ve been. The Democrats also were united, but energetic and excited asContinue reading “How the Dems Did”

Tim Walz’s speech last night was fine. But as I watched I noticed that the crowd inside the United Center was reacting much more strongly to what the Coach had to say than I was sitting at home. For me there was something missing. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it until I readContinue reading “Tim Walz’s Incomplete Pass”

The emerging theme of the Harris campaign is that We’re Not Going Back. But last night the Democrats did go back and in a spectacularly successful way. Michelle and Barack Obama reignited the hope and sense of optimism about America that fueled their historic 2008 campaign. Since 2016 Democrats (and everybody else) had abandoned thatContinue reading “We Can Go Back After All”

Joe Biden got, as expected, sustained applause and chants of “Thank you, Joe!” at last night’s Democratic convention in Chicago. The subtext was that most of the delegates were thanking him for leaving the ticket. For me, his speech underscored why it was so important that Nancy Pelosi engineered Biden’s exit. His performance was justContinue reading “Biden Exits to Applause”

This week it’s the Democrats’ turn in the spotlight. They’ve got a chance to get the traditional bump that the Republicans didn’t get from their confab in Milwaukee last month. Now to be sure, no matter how well they do I don’t think it will be a big jump in the polls simply because there’sContinue reading “The Dems’ Convention To Do List”

This week’s quote comes to us from none other than Gen Z cultural icon Charli XCX, who said: “kamala IS brat.” (Improper capitalization is her own.) She went on to explain “brat”, thusly: “You’re just like that girl who is a little messy and likes to party and like maybe says some like dumb thingsContinue reading “The Q&Q For 8/17/24”

Democrats are over-stating the importance of their defeat of two Republican backed constitutional amendments in this week’s primary. It doesn’t mean everything they want to think it does, but it doesn’t mean nothing. I honestly had no idea how that was going to turn out and I didn’t care much. I voted against the amendments,Continue reading “Trouble Ahead for GOP”

Both Donald Trump and Kamala Harris had a chance to reintroduce themselves to voters over the last few weeks. Harris knocked it out of the park while Trump struck out.  But baseball is not the analogy that gets it quite right. We’ll turn to music instead.  After the attempt on his life, which came literallyContinue reading “Trump in the Key of Bitterness”