And Now, The DNC

The Democratic Party will meet this week in Chicago to perform the final muscle movements of a Zombie nomination process, one that could have been something had the party decided on an open primary after defenestrating the President. But it did not. Instead, the party closed ranks around a very flawed candidate, whose first decision as presumptive nominee—choosing someone at least as left of center as she—was a bad one. Several things are on my mind as the week approaches.

The Vice President and the would-be Vice President

This is the third straight Presidential election this country has had that features two bad candidates. The Republican candidate in all three of those elections needs no introduction, and his shortcomings need not be repeated. His first opponent, Hillary Clinton, may have been the only Democrat of stature who could possibly have lost to him. His second opponent—was already on holes 17 and 18 of life and provided for another classic “lesser of two evils” election. In this election, he faces a profoundly flawed candidate who dropped out of the 2020 Democratic Primary before it began, and who was then picked as Vice President due in no small part to certain immutable characteristics. That she has energized what appeared to be a dead Democratic Party is less a reflection of any virtue she has as a potential President, and more a reflection of just how unpopular her opponent is and how tired at least half of America is of seeing him.

My record of political prognostication is lamentably bad. My dear Catherine has banned me from saying anything positive about VP Harris’ chances, as she believes this would be the kiss of death and guarantee another Trump presidency. Because she rarely reads this little slice of electronic heaven, I will venture a my current views on the matter. I was UTTERLY unprepared for how energizing VP Harris’ ascension to the top of the ticket would be for D’s, and although I’ve had a lifetime of watching it happen before my very eyes, I was not prepared for just how enthusiastic the press would be for her candidacy. The press is solidly in the tank for her, giving her a pass on her 180 degree, Road to Damascus conversions and doing their best to cover up her well-documented history of left of center — even left of the Democratic Party center—views. Her far more left wing running mate is sopping up the gravy of a press corps who considers him grandfatherly and neighborly, that is if your grandfather and neighbor set up a COVID Tattle Line to report on mask and other infractions.

Kamala Harris is further (farther?) left of center than Joe Biden ever was. Tim Walz is far more left of center than Joe Biden ever was. And you know what? It just doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because the MAGA-Dominated GOP nominated an addled criminal of its own and his Renfield-like understudy. Close your eyes and imagine a race where Nicky Haley was the nominee and Glenn Youngkin was her running mate.

It appears that as long as Kamala Harris stays away from microphones she hasn’t rented, and as long as the press gives her a big wet kiss for doing so, and as long as Donald Trump passes over the smorgasbord of policy problems to attack her on in favor of mispronouncing her name and questioning her race, Kamala Harris will win this race.

As I’ve said before, I will not vote for her and I will not vote for Trump. But all things considered, I would prefer she wins, and that preference rides on my confidence in the legislative and judicial branches being able to counteract many of her poor policy choices (as we’ve seen during the Biden Administration). The PROBLEM that is developing—and it is a very, very big problem—is that she might win MUCH BIGGER than anyone is currently thinking, and that might hurt things for the GOP down-ballot. Kamala Harris with both chambers of Congress in her pocket is a scary thing in and of itself, so I’m hoping that as time goes on and Trump potentially becomes a sea-anchor on the prospects of House and Senate candidates, they break with him and sail toward normal.

One more thing. I don’t trust the Hamas Wing of the Democratic Party, otherwise known as party “progressives”. We’re a long way from 1968 and Viet Nam era protest—but if the kufiyah-wearing loonie-tunes who took over American campuses last Spring get in the way of the Kamala and Tim Joy Extravaganza this week in Chicago (history rhymes) and take on law enforcement in a big way, the Joy Balloon will deflate and the Orange Duce will be right back in this thing.

Jury Duty

I am jumping the gun on this one, but the powers that be here in Talbot County, People’s State of Maryland, have selected me for Circuit Court jury duty in the month of September. I don’t mind telling you that I’m pretty excited about fulfilling my civic duty. That I’ve spent 41 years of my life eligible for such an honor and that only now have I been asked to serve has admittedly sorta bothered me. I mean, c’mon folks—who would you rather have serve on a jury than ME?

Talbot County Courthouse

My first day is the day after Labor Day, and from the letter I was sent, it seems the process is that each night after 5PM, I am to call a special number in order to find out if my services are required the next day. If there is no reason to show, I don’t show. This uncertainty does not play well with my foundational rigidity, but I will have to roll with the punches. One slightly annoying result is that I have canceled business travel in September, and I have had to tell clients that I may have to cancel meetings the night before if duty calls.

I honestly don’t have a clue what to expect. Talbot County isn’t a hotbed of crime that I know of, and from the website, it looks like there haven’t been a heck of a lot of jury trials this summer.