A hot mess inside a dumpster fire inside a train wreck
Is on the horizon
With only 2 weeks until November 3rd, Americans brace for yet another challenging hurdle in the last throws of 2020; 72 days and counting. This political cycle has been exhausting, the virus suppressing our way of life, and the massive unemployment has left us with our hands in the air. Instead of policy substance at John’s Hopkins we got, “This is going to be a fraud like you’ve never seen,” the President said referring to the election. Biden hit hard, “You’re the worst president America has ever had.” Chris Wallace did his best not to completely lose his temper, “I never dreamt that it would go off the tracks the way it did,” he said after and followed up, “I’m just sad with the way last night turned out.”
If you didn’t take into account these two seniors and their Malarkey before the Hot Mess turned into Must-See reality TV Dumpster Fire, I guess you are still holding for something that isn’t there. Friends of mine had Bingo cards with squares for the candidate’s common banter, topics, and body language. They decided on a shot of Vodka per mark, they quit fast! I thought the debate was hilarious, especially Trump’s softball F-up of denouncing White Supremacy, “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by. But I’ll tell you what: Somebody’s got to do something about antifa and the left,” he finally answered. Linda McMahon, the 25th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, should be looking for royalties. Trumps tactics remind me of The Nation V. DX. I’ve seen those episodes. What happened to sharp witted counters, policy reform, and The People?
With that in mind, I started down a rabbit hole of past debates and the 1992 Presidential debate between President Bush, Governor Clinton, and businessman Ross Perot was the golden ticket.
When Perot was asked about his lack of experience he responded, “I don’t have experience running up a $4 trillion debt.” When asked about his punishment of the consumer with a $0.50/gallon gasoline tax Perot countered,
“It’s $0.10 a year accumulative, $0.50 on year 5. I think punish is the wrong word, I didn’t create this problem but I’m trying to solve it.”
Clinton’s response from Mr. Perot acknowledged the lower class and the struggle of everyday citizens but than this, “All economists who looked at it say, if you cut the deficit this much, this quick, it will increase unemployment, it will slow down the economy.”
President Bush weighed in, “I don’t think it’s fair to tax $0.50 a gallon or whatever it is.” He continued, “He’s talking tough medicine and I think that’s good. I disagree with the tax and spend philosophy.” “I believe what you need to do is what Ross is talking about, control mandatory spending and get taxes down.” Bush goes on to tout capital gains tax cut and a 1st time homebuyer tax break.
Here we have an example of actual policy stances,
- Ross says 10cents/gallon gasoline tax to stimulate job growth and cut the deficit
- Clinton argues to cut the deficit 50% within 4 years and invest
- Bush hammers the conservative stance cut spending and taxes
A personal favorite highlight of mine comes when Perot is asked about jobs and Governor Clinton’s claim that his deficit reduction will hurt the economy. “How would you specifically use the power the Presidency to get more people in good jobs immediately,” Ann asked.
He raddles off a little Texarkana humor as he pulls his reading glasses out,
“Step 1, clean up the small business problem. They need capital, credit, mentors, and coaches. We’ll create more jobs there in a hurry than any other place.”
The Governor hits back with old faithful, Federal Jobs Program.
The President echoes tax cuts and trickle-down economics.
On Foreign affairs and defending the national interest Mr. Perot is first to respond,
“One is we’ve got to have the money to be able to pay for defense, and we’ve got to manufacture here. Believe it or not folks, you can’t ship it all overseas, you’ve got to make it here. And you can’t convert from potato chips to airplanes in an emergency.” (Proven) He goes on, “We’ve got to help Russia succeed in its revolution and all of its republics. When we think of Russia, remember we’re thinking of many countries, now. We’ve got to help them. That’s pennies on the dollar compared to renewing the cold war.”
Governor Clinton replies, “We need a new military and a new national security policy equal to the challenges of a post cold war era, a smaller permanent military force, but one that is more mobile, well trained with high technology equipment.” (Proven) “Our dollar’s at an all time low against some foreign currencies. We’re weak in the world. We must rebuild America’s strength at home,” the Democratic candidate declared.
The President responding to both men, “Well, we still are the envy of the world in terms of our military. There’s no question about that. We’re the envy of the world in terms of our economy, despite the difficulties we’re having. There’s no question about that.”
I know you’re waiting for the Sleepy Joe, “Will you shut up, man.” Or maybe, the Orange Man spouting, “I paid millions of dollars in taxes, millions of dollars of income tax,” but it never came.
On racial division in the country Ross says empathically,
“We are all in this together. We ought to love one another because united teams win and divided teams lose. And if we can’t love one another, we ought to get along with one another. And if you can’t get there, just recognize we’re all stuck with one another because nobody’s going anywhere, right?”
“Our diversity is strength. We’ve turned it into a weakness.”
Bill spins a yarn about Arkansas and God but then says, “If the American people cannot be brought together, we can’t turn this country around. If we can come together, nothing can stop us.”
After Mr. Bush refutes against Arkansas law, and his main competitor he answers the question, “But I do think that you need to make an appeal every time you can to eliminate racial divisions and discrimination, and I’ll keep on doing that and pointing to some legislative accomplishment to back it up.”
Health care?
The Governor, “But you can’t just do it by cutting Medicare; you have to take on the insurance companies, the bureaucracies. And you have to have cost controls, yes.” “I’m tired of being told we can’t. I say we can. We can do better, and we must,” referring to Germany, Hawaii, and Rochester health care.
Mr. Bush talks crazy, “Governor Clinton clicked off the things — he’s going to take on insurance companies and bureaucracies. He failed to take on somebody else — the malpractice suit people, those that bring these lawsuits against — these frivolous trial lawyers’ lawsuits that are running the costs of medical care up 25 to 50 billion. And he refuses to put anything, controls, on these crazy lawsuits.”
The Businessman with tough medicine, “We got the most expensive health care system in the world; it ranks behind 15 other nations when we come to life expectancy, and 22 other nations when we come to infant mortality. So we don’t have the best.”
Will the United 50 ever solve Health Care?
I can smell the dumpster fire, Cleveland Steamer 2, A Hot Mess. Of course there will be no substance, stances, plans, or programs but laughs will be had. When will America decide they will not take a two party tyranny? You may not agree with Mr. Perot but at least we heard a different opinion, fair and balanced, ha. I pray my anger doesn’t turn to Chris Wallace sadness. I have Hope for the Future and Change after visiting Ohio last month. Two friends, one a liberal, one a Trump cop, both said the same thing to me, “You know I really like Tulsi.”
Our time is coming. The time of reason, justice, prosperity, and love.
So we have to deal with train wrecks, dumpster fires, and hot messes; so be it.
