politics

Trump is a Scab

On the second

night

what could

excite

the DNC

Convention

more than

two Obamas?

Our dream

team

seems

still

in its

prime,

able 

to outshine

everyone.

Michelle

didn’t

utter

the name

of 

the utterly

despicable,

predictable

opponent

who has been

dominant

in our politics

for the equivalent

of two terms.

With pointed

reference

she gave

preference

to not

dignifying

him 

by name.

She led

with mothers

instilling

in us

character

and integrity,

honesty

and community,

and yes,

family,

finally

reclaiming

MAGA’s

reframing

as American

values.

Mothers

are the central

issue

and the connective

tissue

as Mrs. Obama

reminded us.

Who gets

to be 

a mother

or not

and how

is now

based

on how

you vote.

And the GOAT,

Barak,

never stooped

to mock,

but certainly

took stock

of Trump’s 

schlock

and very dangerous

efforts.

Obama, the POTUS,

showed us

again

that 

Yes We Can,

but with clear

eyes—

not to fantasize.

This long 

division

requires

a decision

to DO

something.

And that means

everything

that could

possibly bring

Harris and Walz

to the West Wing.

After reading

the recap

of the rest

of the night

the best

line just might

be:

“Trump 

is a scab.”

United Auto

Workers President

Shawn Fain

may now reign

up there with Walz

as the stellar,

clever

truth teller

who nails it.

Trump feigns

blue collar

sympathy,

when,

in actuality

his classless

act

gets blue collars

to react

and send money

to him.

Biden 

stood with 

union

strikers,

literally

on the line.

Trump’s

online

conversation

with the gross

Musk,

was full 

of adoration

and adulation

for Elon’s

lack of elan

cutting costs

by using

nonunion

labor.

“You’re 

the greatest

cutter,”

Trump praised

Musk,

for firing

as many

as he could.

The ever-cross

Trump

would cross

a picket line

just because

he could.

But the scab

jab

was just so

perfect

because he’s 

not only

a sore 

loser,

but a sore

that we can’t

ignore;

infectious

and perpetually

inflamed.

They’re weird.

Trump is a 

scab.

Yes we can

deny Trump

that Black

job 

he so desperately

needs.

The Political is Personal

“The personal

is political”

was the critical

theory

of my youth

that guided me

as the truth

and a mandate

to activate

as a feminist,

humanist

first.

Identity

as strategy,

not tragedy,

suggests

and tests

structures

of power

and relations

often leading

to realizations

that individuals

are not alone.

The slogan

became

a way

to frame

individual

presentation

as illustration

of political

situation;

each person

a politcal

representation.

Fast forward

toward

this 2024

election,

and the selection

of speakers

at the DNC

convention

last night,

was notable

for the historical.

Two political

icons,

symbols

of aspiration,

determination,

competency,

and champions

of democracy-

particularly

around the world

and in opposition

to Trump-

gave a last

blast

before

the torch

is passed

forward

to the next

generation.

Hilary

and Joe

similarly

know

success

and political

heartbreak.

Their individual

stories,

different

trajectories,

still

filled

eyes 

with tears

for their

years and years

and years

of service,

and what 

could be lost

or gained.

So ingrained

with democratic

norms

their forms

of politics

seemed

typical.

But their

individual

contests

against

Trump

suggests

that the best

of humans

is an incredible

test

not as easy

or normal

as we assumed.

I can’t imagine

how hard

last night

must have

been

for Biden

and Hilary.

Their personal

emotional

lives

set aside

to raise

the tide

for Walz

and Harris

to defeat

the nefarious

and carry

us 

forward.

Last night,

the political

was personal

as was

also clear

from the victims

of Dobbs—

the decision

that robs

American

women.

The political

is personal,

whether

you are 

a victim

this time

or next.

Has Been

It has been 

a while

since 

a smile

was so 

contagious

it countered

the outrageous

ones

hell bent

on enraging

us.

Meeting 

the moment

to counter

the foment

has taken

nearly

a decade.

We’re not

done yet,

but there’s

a reset

that feels

like a

Hallelujah!

At first,

her laugh

felt 

like

a gaffe—

somehow 

wrong,

like

it didn’t

belong.

Some thought

she was

not ready

for prime

time.

And then

just when

all seemed

so bleak,

and fear

mixed

with grief,

she provided

relief

and a new 

belief

that she’s

grown

and shown

she could 

own him.

She 

has been

building

enthusiasm

while he

has been

in

emotional

spasm,

watching

the momentum

shift.

His grift

is his

gift

that keeps

on giving

him

desperation.

He needs

the election

stolen

for him,

in order

to win

freedom 

from the 

prospect

of prison.

She has

been

a prosecutor,

a state

AG,

a US senator,

and VP.

And somehow

he

has been 

a POTUS.

As she 

brings

intelligence

and joy,

he brings

belligerence

and loves

to annoy

and destroy—

a ploy

which 

has been

effective

with invective

and the incentive

of promises

from grievances.

Abuse

is his muse.

Denying/

lying

has been

his

chorus.

It’s beginning

to bore

us.

His playbook

to win

is rather

thin.

He’s a

has been

who belongs

in prison.

But 

has beens

remain

until forced

to go,

so

be unrelenting

in preventing

The Has Been

a future

free

of accountability.

Do more

than ever

to sever

what

has been

a forever

threat

that must 

be met

now and

in the

coming weeks

as 

The Has Been

seeks

a zombie

presidency,

keeping

him free

while ending

democracy.

Freedom

Release

from prison

and poison

and isolation

in a nation

ruled

by fear,

the negotiations,

based on relations

with allies

with spies

and assassins

for Putin

willing to help

the US 

free

the innocent—

dissident

and reporter—

is nothing

short

of incredible.

Germany

Slovenia

Poland

and Norway

gave away

some bad guys

to help us

swap 

the ones

who stop

at nothing

to speak

truth 

to power.

Allies

or lies—

that’s the stark

choice.

We each

have a voice

to resist

the dark,

and insist

on the light

of freedom.

And in

the Mideast,

as fighting

increased,

how many 

hostages

will be

released?

Our friendships

in that difficult

region

once legion,

now so 

complicated,

make being

dedicated

to an ally

predicated

on peace

and security

an almost 

impossibility

but for the 

possibility

of swapping

hostages

for freedom

and security.

Peace,

like freedom,

is an unending

task

that asks

us 

to cultivate

allies

to fight

the lies

and terror

that imprison.

Rebirtherism

With the resurrection

this election

season

from the debate 

debacle,

and the reason

for hope

for freedom

and our future,

comes the Weird-

Zombie -Former

Guy

who still

manages

to try

to outrage

us.

He is

outrageous

and his

comments

contagious,

which is

exactly 

what he wants.

His racism

haunts

us from 

the past

toward

an untoward

time 

of unknown

fear and chaos.

Pathetically,

yet effectively,

he brings 

back

the ugly

with a smile.

Anything

to avoid

a trial.

So now 

it’s her

blackness

and ethnic

origin

that he pretends

he needs

to question.

And raising

issues

academic

as 

being problematic?

The failure

liar

seeks to deny

her

any legitimacy.

His lunacy

is his 

opportunity

to change

the conversation.

Needing

to recapture

the rapture

of attention,

he tries to mention

while creating

tension

the same 

sort of drama

he did to Obama.

He gained

a following

and fandom.

And he lost

then.

The Definition of Weird

I wouldn’t say

quirky,

but definitely 

jerky.

I don’t think

“eccentric”

so much as

egocentric.

Not normal?

Certainly.

Absurd?

Undoubtedly.

Not what

I’d call

uncanny;

but absolutely 

odd.

And lazy.

Not exactly

freaky,

but crazy 

like a 

Fox.

Unorthodox,

grotesque,

strange,

and creepy.

Not very humorous;

extremely dangerous.

And

just 

plain

weird.

Cat Fight

Bring it,

JD!

More 

Cat Lady

snark!

As if

your riff

had any

bark

or bite.

He might

not want

to double

down

and clown

around

when his

delivery-

so cringe

worthy-

brings 

new found

hope

for change.

This strange

yet now

exciting

race

has race

and gender

front

and center;

diversions

from 

the other

perversions

of the MAGA

agenda.

But Harris

I think 

is ready

with a steady

and smart

demeanor.

Meaner

and rough,

Vance

and Trump

will stump

with hate

to excite.

The fight

from the right

is joyless

and sour,

about boy-ness

and girl-ness

and executive

power.

As we await

Harris’

running mate

choice,

her voice

is strong

and up lifting.

She’s got

quite 

a selection

for this

election,

eager

to reach

as many

American

citizens

beyond 

the base

of this

existential

race.

MAGA
has cat

fights

while

withdrawing

rights

of voters

and women

and immigrants

and LGBTQ+

all for a POTUS

who cares

nothing

for us,

or the climate

crisis

or anything

else 

except

avoiding prison.

Listen,

the next

100 days

we need

to raise

money

and momentum.

In this 

brat summer

moment,

the intelligent

and confident

Kamala

for a new

era,

hardly

a sad,

childless

cat lady,

makes

the Trump

Vance

team

seem

even 

more 

unacceptable

and bizarre

and far

from where

we want

to be

as a 

democracy.

Let’s make

history

for our freedom

and future,

more secure.

I’m sure 

we can win it

if you’re all

in it.

The catastrophe

could be

behind us

if you’re

behind Harris.

That would

be

so much

winning. 

Risky Business

America’s not ready?

Was America ready

For Trump?

For the Pandemic?

For an assassination attempt?

For Biden’s exit?

For Harris’ ascendance?

The Veepstakes

are on

and everyone 

is buzzing.

I hear

the fear

that America

isn’t ready

for two women

at

the top.

Too risky?

Seriously?

Democracy

could lose

if Harris

would choose

a woman?

I suspect

that those

who reject

a two- woman

team

would 

not seem

to lean

D.

I know

it’s the 

indies

and uncommitted

that have 

everyone

twisted

in nots.

Firsts

are tricky,

and then

prove

not risky

quickly

after 

we see

them.

Bill Clinton

defied

what many

decried

to be 

the “rules”

that always

should be

applied.

He selected

another

similar

young,

Southern,

white guy,

and they got

elected

to two 

terms.

The first

(real) Black

president

also spent

8 years

serving,

preserving

and 

advancing

the best

that could

be.

The disruption 

age

in which

we live

creates

such rage 

and fear

that what’s 

so dear

can be lost

overnight.

So the plight

of two women,

or a gay man

or a Jewish man

along with

a mixed race

woman,

creates 

a sense

of insecurity.

With maturity

and sobriety

we’ve had

to face

changes

unexpectedly.

Were we

ready

then?

And if not,

when?

No one

predicted

the last 

few weeks,

much less

the last few

days,

And yet

we are rising-

not flailing 

or failing-

as the right

thing to do

was the best

thing to do

and feels

as exciting

and good

as it is

new.

We weren’t

ready

for Trump,

or Dobbs,

or mobs

storming

the Capital.

Mass deportation,

no abortion,

diminished

education,

and the rest

of the Heritage

Foundation

stuff

is exactly

why

two tough

women

could be

possibly

the key

and what

America

is ready for.

Marvel Us

As Comic Con 

descends upon

the city

I call home,

super heroes

will be 

in line

for days 

at a time

to get inside

the convention

center.

What a marvel

we get to 

see

as thousands

agree

with decency

and civility

to 

continue

the tradition

with whatever

addition

moves the

conversation

at the convention.

I think you get

where I’m going

here.

It’s clear

the marvel 

happened 

yesterday

when Biden

announced

he’s stepping

away,

so Harris

can earn 

your vote.

The Marvel

Universe

is always 

threatened

by destructive 

forces

and ego.

But the hero

and shero

know

they must go

forward

for

more

than their

own selves.

How marvelous

for us

to witness

what fitness

really means.

The courage

and strength

and great 

length

it took to be

our superhero

of democracy,

without

a stage lit

like a show,

showed

the world

our marvel.

I imagine

his grief

will not be

brief,

but his 

legacy

will be

an inspiration.

I’m so grateful

for this

moment,

and moved

by a torrent

of emotion.

Excitement,

relief,

new-found

belief

that good

could

still

win

over spin,

but also 

compassion

for what must

have been

excruciating

for Biden.

So now

the comical

Comic Con

that will soon

surround me,

will oddly

ground me

in knowing

that real

heros

and sheros

and so much

fantastic

is not made

of plastic

or on green

screen.

It’s democratic;

at times,

dramatic,

a universal

marvel

that is US.

Confidence, Man

“Look, Folks”,

as he

would say;

“C’mon, Man!”,

he would

inveigh

that he’s

the best one

and should

and could

finish the job.

So why the 

defection

despite

affection?

Everyone knows

the torch

gets passed,

and sees him

past

his prime.

Losing confidence,

questioning

competence,

begging acceptance

of the optics,

is just

not

a good look.

Look, Folks,

he appears

knowledgeable

yet weak

week

after week.

Each moment

on screen

we screen

his condition,

with increasing

attrition,

despite

a great

3 years. 

It sears 

the heart

and mind

that such 

a kind

and effective

politician

against 

the definition

of a Confidence Man,

could lose

the coalition

of confidence.

It’s not 

the platform

on which 

he stands

that demands

change.

He can’t 

defend

his own

success,

and we’re

supposed

to pretend

to address

his strength?

The length

of this standoff

between those

with confidence

and those

without

will without

a doubt

be resolved 

soon.

(It isn’t yet

because

we can’t

forget

what we

all saw

and fear

each time

he appears.)

I suspect

we can 

expect

that after

the RNC 

Convention,

convention 

will be

upended

and the intended

outcome

of restoring

confidence

will come about

not 

with a lout,

but

with a more

youthful

and vigorous

substitute.

As the ever

astute

Confidence Man

who literally

and figuratively

dodges

bullets,

shows strength,

and dare 

I say,

discipline,

the energy

and unity

on display

each day

this week

makes

the weakened

opponent

each moment

weaker,

and his party,

now

the one

of

fear 

and loathing,

is seeking 

some confidence,

and preferably,

a woman.