How much do you know about our three geriatric contenders for the presidency? Test yourself in today's quiz:
1. Who is the oldest current contender?
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
2. Who plays the most golf?
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
3. Who has the most stents (that we know of)?
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
4. Who has the most grandchildren?
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
5. Based on average life expectancy for men in the U.S., which candidate will be alive for the next presidential election in 2024?
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
6. Who hasn't altered his hair?
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
7. Taking the average age of our three contenders, how old must the next vice presidential candidate be to present a ticket with an average age of less than 50? (Hint: Mike Pence is too old)
A. 35
B. 28
C. 23
8. Which movie topped the decade of the 1940s (when our trio was born)?
A. Gone With the Wind
B. Citizen Kane
C. The Wizard of Oz
9. Which baseball team won the most World Series games in the 1940s?
A. Los Angeles Dodgers
B. St. Louis Cardinals
C. New York Yankees
10. Who said, as he reflected on his life, "I try to learn from the past, but I plan for the future by focusing exclusively on the present. That's where the fun is." (Hint: Perhaps this is why anxiety is so pervasive these days.)
A. Joe Biden
B. Bernie Sanders
C. Donald Trump
Answer key:
1B, 2C, 3B, 4B, 5C, 6B, 7C, 8B, 9C, 10C
Count yourself a Geri-meister if you scored 9 - 10 points. Anything less means you must be a young'un!
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Three Old Men Walk Into a Bar
It's time for me to decide. I have to vote on Tuesday, and I'm back where I started when this campaign began: supporting Joe Biden. I didn't expect this, having preferred both Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar in recent months. But it looks like we're left with three septuagenerian white men.
Voting for Michael Bloomberg is not an option for me. He had two opportunities in the debates to prove that he understood and regretted his racist, sexist past, and he didn't do so. His ads are terrific, true, but he doesn't come across as well in person. He's like the Wizard of Oz when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal the truth: the man behind the splashy ads is not the man to govern this country. Bloomberg's money is better spent on his main concerns, gun violence and climate change, and on Democratic candidates in November.
Bernie Sanders is more difficult for me to reject. The America he imagines is one I'd love to see. Health care is a human right, as he says whenever he gets the chance. Our economy should work for all of us, and not just for the wealthy. He's consistent in his views; who we see is who we get. But he's also said, "I think there are a lot of people who, when they hear the word 'socialist,' get very, very nervous." He's correct, and this is a big part of the problem. He scares people. His views require explanation and subtlety, which don't fit well in the American political landscape. Moreover, Bernie's rigid, angry demeanor are not what we need following the turbulence of these last four years. We need someone calm.
Which brings me to Joe Biden, who's also flawed. As I've written before, he's often seemed confused in debates and presents a backward-thinking agenda. He wraps Barack Obama around himself too much. The world has changed since the two of them governed, and we need fresh thinkers and new ideas. Still, Joe knows how the federal government works. He knows the people who can sort out the mess that Donald Trump created. He knows world leaders and understands the dynamics of international relationships. He's the most qualified of the three to start governing on January 20, 2021.
Three old men walk into a bar. . . It's almost a joke that we've ended up here. But it's not funny, and it's not ideal. Still, any one of the three would do much better than the yellow-haired guy currently serving the drinks, and I think Joe Biden is the one most likely to succeed at taking his place and taking back our country.
Voting for Michael Bloomberg is not an option for me. He had two opportunities in the debates to prove that he understood and regretted his racist, sexist past, and he didn't do so. His ads are terrific, true, but he doesn't come across as well in person. He's like the Wizard of Oz when Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal the truth: the man behind the splashy ads is not the man to govern this country. Bloomberg's money is better spent on his main concerns, gun violence and climate change, and on Democratic candidates in November.
Bernie Sanders is more difficult for me to reject. The America he imagines is one I'd love to see. Health care is a human right, as he says whenever he gets the chance. Our economy should work for all of us, and not just for the wealthy. He's consistent in his views; who we see is who we get. But he's also said, "I think there are a lot of people who, when they hear the word 'socialist,' get very, very nervous." He's correct, and this is a big part of the problem. He scares people. His views require explanation and subtlety, which don't fit well in the American political landscape. Moreover, Bernie's rigid, angry demeanor are not what we need following the turbulence of these last four years. We need someone calm.
Which brings me to Joe Biden, who's also flawed. As I've written before, he's often seemed confused in debates and presents a backward-thinking agenda. He wraps Barack Obama around himself too much. The world has changed since the two of them governed, and we need fresh thinkers and new ideas. Still, Joe knows how the federal government works. He knows the people who can sort out the mess that Donald Trump created. He knows world leaders and understands the dynamics of international relationships. He's the most qualified of the three to start governing on January 20, 2021.
Three old men walk into a bar. . . It's almost a joke that we've ended up here. But it's not funny, and it's not ideal. Still, any one of the three would do much better than the yellow-haired guy currently serving the drinks, and I think Joe Biden is the one most likely to succeed at taking his place and taking back our country.
Sunday, February 23, 2020
What Next?
No doubt about it: Bernie Sanders is the undeniable front runner. My choice, Amy Klobuchar, got trounced in Nevada and has no realistic path to victory. Now what?
Despite the fact that Klobuchar still projects the qualities and strength that I think are needed for the presidency, I must acknowledge that an overwhelming number of Democrats disagree. Sanders successfully forged in Nevada a coalition of young adults, Latino citizens, and liberal voters, and he also made inroads with many demographic groups including white, moderate Democrats like me. No one can ignore the power of his passionate energy.
I have lots of concerns about Sanders heading the ticket, most of all my fear that he won't beat Donald Trump and that he won't encourage the turnout needed to flip the Senate and to keep the House. I've also been hoping for a winning candidate with a calm, reassuring manner who can restore order in Washington, not exactly a description of Bernie. If elected, his chronic anger will continue to churn and disquiet our nation. But perhaps the Sanders voters are telling me something: many Americans are tired of pervasive inequity and don't have time to wait. They need change now.
Two of my favorite columnists offer opposing views of Bernie's victory. Jennifer Rubin of The Washington Post details seven steps that must happen immediately to stop Sanders. Paul Krugman of The New York Times, who also opposes Sanders, offers something different: the case to support Bernie if he's our candidate.
For me, I'll watch Tuesday night's debate and see what happens. With South Carolina voting on Saturday, we'll get even more information about the coalitions our candidates are and aren't forming. In the end, all of our Democratic candidates will restore to America the rule of law, the respect for civil servants, the esteem for allies around the world, and the value of the principles enshrined in our Constitution.
Even Bernie.
Sunday, February 16, 2020
The Case for Amy
The Democratic primary keeps shifting ground, and so do I. Buffeted about as candidates rise and fall, I change my mind sometimes from one week to the next. Here’s where I stand now.
Though I will actively support him or whoever wins the Democratic primary, Bernie Sanders is too far left for me. His non-negotiable policies make him an easy target for Donald Trump, and I don’t think he’ll attract disaffected voters in the middle. Elizabeth Warren, who became my choice early on as the candidate to forge a left and centrist coalition, stumbled as she struggled to defend Medicare for All and never recovered her footing. Joe Biden, another one of my early preferences, doesn’t inspire confidence; he lacks fresh, quick thinking, and he’s rooted in the past. Meanwhile, looming larger each day is a billionaire whose racist, sexist past repels me.
Michael Bloomberg made three stops in North Carolina on Thursday, when early voting began. His sleek, posted signs at our nearby library are the only indications of the presidential race. With ads that inspire viewers to reflect on the possibility of a renewed America, one not governed by a divisive and vengeful demagogue, he's hard to resist. I’ve had several friends tell me this week that he’s the only candidate who can defeat Donald Trump.
Yet I resist.
Bloomberg’s rivals at the moment, those with centrist views similar to his own, are Pete Buttigieg, Tom Steyer, and Amy Klobuchar. Regarding Mayor Pete, I didn’t have a good sense of the size of South Bend, Indiana, until I saw its population rank (according to NerdWallet). It turns out that South Bend is smaller than High Point, Wilmington, Cary, Fayetteville, Winston-Salem, Durham, Greensboro, Raleigh, and Charlotte, NC. This ranking made it clear to me: despite Buttigieg’s military service and wide-ranging intellect, he doesn’t have the experience to run this vast, unruly country.
Tom Steyer makes a lot of sense, and I agree with much of what he says. I liked that he came to Durham and visited with residents of McDougald Terrace, unafraid to tackle the thorny issues of race, housing, health, and safety. He lacks government experience, though, and I’d prefer someone who can take charge of Washington immediately.
Which brings me to Amy Klobuchar, my current choice. Representing Minnesota in the Senate since 2006, she leads her fellow senators in enacting legislation as a sponsor or co-sponsor. Her policies are practical and focused on the needs of ordinary Americans. She recognizes the crisis of aging in America, which I don’t hear other candidates discuss. She has a strong history of tackling gun violence, and she’s identified numerous steps she’ll take to address climate change. She’s been a leader in legislation to protect LGBTQ rights, and she understands the challenges of substance use and mental health.
Klobuchar is certainly as qualified for the job as Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders and more so than everyone else. Yet nervous Democrats are looking to Michael Bloomberg. It’s hard not to conclude that once again, we’re not ready to trust and elect a woman for our highest office. When I first watched Senator Klobuchar at the debates, I admit that I didn’t think she had the gravitas for the job. I now think she’s grown into it, into a definition of Commander in Chief as a woman. She’s smart, she’s reasoned, she’s experienced, and she’s passionate.
I say give her a chance.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
To My Readers. . .
I've decided to suspend my blog for awhile. I've come to realize that the loss of my beloved dog Cassidy has caused me to reassess who I am and what I'm doing. He was, above all, a joyful creature who worked his way into the deepest part of my being. His passing not only breaks my heart but also raises new challenges for me.
I'll be back in some form. I may focus on the political parodies that I like to compose or I may find that a new presidential election--coming sooner than we think--will revive my interest in the Washington circus, which has become petty and uninspired.
In the meantime I thank you for your support these last three years, and I'll look forward to resuming my work soon.
I'll be back in some form. I may focus on the political parodies that I like to compose or I may find that a new presidential election--coming sooner than we think--will revive my interest in the Washington circus, which has become petty and uninspired.
In the meantime I thank you for your support these last three years, and I'll look forward to resuming my work soon.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Monday, July 1, 2013
From Nelson Mandela
"A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones."
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