Make It So

Don't about you,

But I could sure use

Another email or text

Telling me what’s happening next:

If I don’t send gobs of cash

Immediately to John Doe

Or is it Don Jo?

“Yo ho ho,”

Said the limb to the stump.

Bet you a buck

That MAGA hatter

Forgot his mask.
It’s too much to ask.

People tearing down yard signs,

Throwing rocks, yelling,

Making threats in all sorts of guises.

Got to say I’m beyond fed up

With all these October surprises.

And I don't need more analysis 

Of the polls — just about anyone

With a computer is doing a poll.

Joe is up in Texas; Trump still

Has supporters in New York.

The Titanic will hit the reef.

My mind and heart needs relief.

I tried baseball,

And LA brought it home.
But now what?
What can get me to Nov. 3?

I’m so bothered

By what might be.

Can’t focus,

Can barely breathe.

Then I remembered

A soothing balm

That helped me get

Past Haliburton,

Water boarding and Katrina.

Just about that time

When all was going wrong

I could tune into fiction

That I needed to be true.

Have to say this afternoon spawned

One of those Trump funks

That a visit with Jed, Leo,

Toby, Sam, Josh and Donna

Provided the only sane path.

What’s more, when

I saw them again

I realized I could hope

And I could still laugh.

Yes, it’s just a show on TV

That serves an ideal.

But does that make

Its humanity less real?

It’s cathartic

To see functioning

Adults in that building

Keenly doing things for

Rather than to.

So if you’re aching,

Agitated, nervous

And much more than subdued:

This might be a day

When only The West Wing will do.

A Slow Rinse

 One of the saddest aspects of the Trump era is that his behavior is gauged against himself, rather than an agreed "normal." If Trump were to be judged by an actual normal, the meter would never budge off zero.

Last night he was not as unhinged as the first debate, and looking back, I think one of the factors that led to that shit storm is that Trump had tested positive, and the first wave of his symptoms weakened his minuscule self-restraint. And he went nuts.

So, last night Trump began "relatively" conventional ... but his COVID denial on the very first question was totally in character, and maybe it was just my eye, but i saw his arrogance and petulance thermometer rise sharply from the midway point on. Instead of actually answering a question, Trump attacked Biden.

I hope the undecideds noted that when the question was asked to talk directly to  minority communities, Joe did exactly that first. Trump, however, continued to attack Biden.

At times, Biden seemed flustered, almost tired, and emotionally charged and drained at the same time. Who can blame him? 

I think he hurried himself a bit, and at times fell short of the lightning bolt clarity that I hoped to see. But that's Joe. Thought he did have enough strong moments overall.

Thought the moderator was all right, though she did allow Trump more time in the first 45 minutes or so. Perhaps "all right" with a Trump involved is actually damn good.

More and more the most salient aspect of the debates is how pointless they are. GOP candidates routinely avoid answering the actual question, while DEM candidates try to please everybody. The debate has devolved into talking points of choice, and by this time in the race, an enormous waste of time. 

If you are a Biden fan, he won last night. If you are a Trumpie, your goon won.  That makes it a wash, and yet no one is clean.