Speaking with more than a slight degree of immodesty, you might have noticed I have been surprisingly silent of late, what with the election just days away, the New York Yankees in pursuit of their 28th World Series title, the New York Football Giants demonstrating annual futility, and Israel seemingly taking on the entire Mideast.
Did you really need me to tell you the presidential race is a cliffhanger? That every vote counts? That control of the House and Senate are up for grabs, as well? That if a certain elephant in the room sweeps into power this great country will be diminished by the resulting extremism?
If you did, then you obviously are the reality incarnation of Rip Van Winkle.
I admit to being disillusioned about the American people. How easy it appears to be able to con them. That half of the country believes Donald Grump (that’s not a typo, though when I wrote it I too thought it was a typo until I liked how it looked and sounded) cares about them—and not just about himself—is mind boggling.
I don’t spend my days or evenings riveted to the screen watching CNN, MSNBC, Fox, or reading news, analysis and opinion pieces parsing who and why is ahead or behind in the race to be the most powerful
person in the world.
I do watch Bill Maher on HBO and last Friday Van Jones, a CNN commentator, chided black men for allowing themselves to be conned by Trump.
While others try to link Trump to Project 2025, which Trump claims (falsely, in my opinion) he knows nothing about, Jones cited Agenda 47 which is part of Trump’s web site.
According to Jones, Agenda 47 would require local law enforcement to do “stop and frisk,” which targets 80% black people, he said; instruct the Department of Justice to dismantle street gangs which Jones said means the Feds would be in black neighborhoods to figure out which one of their kids should go to federal prison; and Trump would indemnify all cops, so you can’t sue cops.
Jones asserted, “Basically, black men are about to be conned, those who support Trump, by someone who says he will lift you up but really will lock you up. He’s going to lock you up for the stuff Kamala Harris is trying to decriminalize, he is trying to recriminalize.”
If, like me, you donated to any candidate, your email mailbox has become prime destination for any and all politicians and their fundraisers. Clicking the Unsubscribe link does no good. At least one can hope that after November 5 there will be a respite.
Except, with challenges to the results expected from both sides, requests to fund or defend these challenges will clutter your inbox.
And, on the subject of vote challenges, if Trump is ahead at any time next Tuesday night, expect him to declare victory as he did four years ago. Only this time if he cries victory his minions will be ready to confront election officials and interfere with the full counting of all ballots, particularly absentee ballots. Mayhem will ensue, all in the name of discrediting votes for Kamala Harris.
Okay, enough politics. Time to watch the Yankees try to make a series out of this battle with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Yes, the Yanks lost the first two games in Los Angeles, but I am reminded of the 1996 World Series against the Atlanta Braves. The Bronx Bombers lost the first two games in Atlanta but came back to win the next four (three at Yankee Stadium, then the clincher back in Atlanta) for their first championship in 16 years. Stealing a line from the NY Mets of yore, “Ya Gotta Believe.”
