No Party for an Old Man


As the 2020 Presidential election crawls towards the Iowa Caucuses, I’ve been watching various candidates on both sides of the aisle looking for one I could support without reservation and…I’m coming up empty. Don’t get me wrong. There are candidates I’m paying attention to, but too few of them actually have enough of what I’m looking for to earn my vote.

Since 2008, I’ve made it a point to vote for a person instead of a party because the latter leads to the kind of political gang warfare that make the Crips and the Bloods look like a Mennonite church picnic. I’m to a point where I don’t particularly care for Democrats or Republicans because they’re both out to screw us, just with different means and different colored ties. These days picking a candidate from both major parties is like determining what kind of shit sandwich you want.

Having said that, I have been paying attention to Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard, Pete Buttigieg, and Marianne Williamson for the same reason: they are running mostly positive campaigns. They may call out the other candidates’ positions from time to time (Kamala Harris still has marks from when Ms. Gabbard pimp-slapped her at a debate a few months ago) and call out President Donald Trump’s positions, but they’re running mostly on a positive message. The other candidates in the Democrat Clown Car are too busy repeating the same lines, using the same tired campaign tricks, and comparing themselves to Trump to bother with articulating what their positive vision of the country under their presumed leadership would be. And, no, Senator Elizabeth Warren, saying “I have a plan for that” doesn’t count as actually having a vision.

On the Republican side, there’s President Trump and…a couple of other guys who are running unintentional stealth campaigns. At this point, I’m wondering whether the Republicans challenging Trump are in the federal Witness Relocation Program living under assumed names. Also, there are other potential candidates speaking in hushed tones about challenging the President because…they think he’s an embarrassment to the country and the GOP. In other words, they’re Republicans running on the same platform as the majority of Democrat Presidential candidates.

And that’s where I get off this roller coaster. Running for President because you don’t like the guy currently in the position isn’t enough for me anymore. Yes, I know if we elect a Democrat bad things are going to happen in the judiciary system, but given some of the court rulings I’ve seen recently, I’m not sure electing a Democrat will improve the situation any. Ditto with keeping a Republican in the White House. At this point, I’m looking for a candidate who can articulate a vision for America post-Trump and come up with some actual ideas that I can support. And, if you really want to wow me, be civil about it. I get called a Never Trumper by Trump fans because I don’t think everything he does is amazing, and I get called all sorts of other names from the other side of the aisle because I’m an aging white man who doesn’t think the Left has any answers that don’t involve stupid ideas that haven’t ever worked or marching on Washington, DC, wearing a Halloween costume that would get you kicked out of most bars.

So, where do I go from here? Who can I trust to protect my interests? I’ve narrowed it down to two: God, and myself. And, trust me, I am waaaaaaay down the list from God. I’m at an age where I pretty much want to be left alone, and neither the Left nor the Right are willing to do that right now. Granted, the Right is less likely to be as invasive than a gynecologist moonlighting as a TSA agent, but they’re still okay with some personal intrusions when it suits their aims. And today’s Leftist is only one step removed from being Gladys Kravitz from “Bewitched” (and still six degrees away from Kevin Bacon).

Remember the shit sandwich I referenced earlier?

So, for the time being, I will remain unaffiliated because neither major party wants to build up this country. They would prefer to tear down the other side so they appear better by comparison. I will continue to look for good people who want to do good in the world, and if one doesn’t appear, I will vote my conscience…and vote for my dog.

Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week




the Mueller Report






But I’m totally not cynical.


Yay for us?






But, still totally not cynical.

Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week






What it really means – substituting party line thinking for actual thought









Shut Up About the Shutdown


As we enter another week of the government shutdown, I’ve noticed more and more talk about it and its potential impact to our economy and to the furloughed government workers and service members and their families. Since we haven’t devolved into Thunderdome yet, I’m thinking we’re doing okay, but the media seem ultra concerned about the shutdown as though we’re one story away from total anarchy.

As both a freedom-loving individual and a lower middle class wage earner, I see both sides of the equation. On the one hand, living paycheck to paycheck is subsistence, not living. On the other hand, not having government worm its way into my life (and my wallet) as much is a good thing. Somewhere in between, there is a happy medium.

But since we have toddlers in Congress, we can’t have that. Republicans blame Democrats for not agreeing to $5 billion to fund a wall/barrier/fence/garden wall that President Donald Trump wants. Democrats blame Republicans for not doing anything about it when they had control of the House and Senate. Trump is blaming Democrats for not wanting to come to the table about the wall, after saying he would take full responsibility for shutting down the government.

Is anyone else tired of the shutdown talk?

Yes, I see the irony of writing a blog post talking about not wanting to talk about the shutdown, but the point is still the same. People are tired of the back and forth between sides that don’t want to be the first to blink. Take ideology off the table for a moment, folks, and look at what the core of the matter is. It’s not national security. It’s not amnesty. It’s not separating families or curtailing crimes committed by illegal immigrants. It’s not an allegedly racist President wanting to stroke his ego or a Congress whose approval ratings are lower than a snail’s belt buckle.

It’s about a wall. Period.

All of this macho posturing over a damn wall that won’t mean a thing unless there’s real change in the way we address illegal immigration. And, spoiler alert, only one side of this shutdown debacle is even talking about matters beyond a wall, and rarely at that. Meanwhile, the other side has members who want ICE abolished because reasons. Actually, they want ICE abolished because doing so allows more illegals into the country…to vote for Leftist candidates.

Put simply, the wall is a metaphor for the political aspirations of two sides who really don’t give a damn about us, but they care enough to shill for our votes and take our campaign donations. It’s political theater where you pay out the nose for a bag of popcorn and watch the crappiness play out. Wait. That’s the current movie-going experience. Nevermind!

You know what might stop the posturing and jockeying for position? If we stop paying attention to it. Fire doesn’t last if it’s deprived of oxygen, and so do political shenanigans like the shutdown/wall controversy. There are a lot better things out there to be spending time on than rehashing the same tired arguments about why we need/don’t need a wall. Like, and I’m just throwing this out there, reading a thoughtful, occasionally humorous, and well-written blog like mine. You know, if you’re into that kind of thing…

Your Move, Leftists


It’s the start of a new Congressional term, and before you can say “We elected who?” Democrats are already racing to file articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. Why, it’s almost as if they were going to do that anyway once they got control of the House of Representatives again!

Actually, this wasn’t much of a surprise, given how the Left has wanted to impeach Trump for everything from having two scoops of ice cream to alleged ties with Russia. What may be a surprise is my response to these House Democrats.

Go for it.

No, I haven’t gone back to being a Leftist, nor do I hate President Trump. The latter requires too much effort, and the former is impossible because I don’t think I can fit my head up my ass anymore. Instead, I want Leftists to go all in on impeaching Trump because it will be a spectacular failure on several fronts.

First, let’s look at the political aspects of a Trump impeachment, since impeachment is a political action. The Democrats came into power in part because Republicans didn’t seem to fight as hard for their offices as their Democrat rivals did. In other cases, Democrats ran unopposed, such as with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. If the Democrats and Leftists see the 2018 midterm election as a mandate to impeach Trump, I would beg to differ. Sure, the possibility of impeaching Trump was high on Leftist voters’ priority lists, but outside of that group, I don’t think there’s enough of a drive to follow through on such a promise.

What do non-Leftists think is important? As James Carville once famously opined, “It’s the economy, stupid.” People are more focused on their pocketbooks rather than the political kabuki theater of a Trump impeachment because the latter doesn’t matter to them as much. Public opinion and approval ratings aside, most people do not care what Trump does or doesn’t do because it doesn’t affect them financially or because they’re tired of hearing about it. And who might be responsible for the latter? Maybe it’s the Leftists screaming for Trump’s impeachment non-stop? Ponder that for a second.

Democrats can’t be seen as the Party of Impeachment right now. Their focus needs to be on the economy where they may be able to convince Trump voters and Independents that they have a plan to make the economy better. Out of all the Democrats talking, most are silent or shouting about impeachment. That leaves the aforementioned Ocasio-Cortez as the Democrats’ economic wonk, and if you’ve seen her talk about it, it’s clear she doesn’t have a clue even with an economics degree.

Then, there’s the legal side to consider. The standard for impeachment is high crimes or misdemeanors, which covers any crimes a President might commit. The problem Democrats face is the seeming lack of criminal activity. What we have is a bunch of accusations of shady dealings without much along the lines of evidence. Also, we have to take the timeframe of these alleged crimes into account. Collusion with Russia? Happened prior to Trump becoming President. Lying? Unless it’s under oath or in a Congressional hearing, it’s not a crime. Getting rich because of his office? I’m going to need some proof of that. His advisors got indicted, so Trump must have known? So far, none of Trump’s advisors have been linked to direct criminal activity related to his Presidency, and remember this is the same President Trump you claim is so dumb, but yet he’s a criminal mastermind behind the most feverish of Leftist fever dreams. You’d be better off hoping for the 25th Amendment to be invoked.

From a numbers standpoint, the House could vote to impeach Trump if all Representatives voted along party lines. That may be a bigger assumption than the Left wants to admit. With 2020 right around the corner, a good chunk of Representatives from both major parties will be up for reelection, which means these folks have to pay attention to what their constituents want or need. And in those districts where Trump remains popular, a vote to impeach (especially without hard evidence) is a one-way ticket to unemployment. And we’re not even getting into the Senate, controlled by Republicans. Any impeachment efforts are going to run into resistance from Senate Republicans, who most likely won’t break with the President or his party. Sooooo…what’s the Plan B, kids?

That’s just it. They don’t have a Plan B. It’s either impeach Trump…or keep trying to impeach him until something sticks. In other words, they were like House Republicans in the 1990s, only with less of a legal leg to stand on. Which is precisely why I want Democrats to go ahead with impeachment. The more they focus on the task of removing Donald Trump, the less likely it is they will move ahead with their real agenda.

That’s a win-win in my book.

A Year to Dismember


The Chinese uses animals for their calendars to mark the different years in their cycles, such as the year of my birth, the Year of the Cock. (But I always seem to write the Year of the Boar on my checks.) Sometimes the media bestow a title upon a year, such as the Year of the Woman. In these traditions, I am starting off 2019 by christening it…the Year of Bad Decisions.

I came up with this idea after reading a piece on Twitchy about a pro-choice activist writing a children’s book about abortion to be released in 2020, and then posting a video about it on her Twitter feed. You read that right. Someone wrote a children’s book about abortion. Talk about not knowing your target audience!

Some might be saying “But that’s just one person on Twitter. Surely not everyone on it can be that misguided.” I assure you not everyone on Twitter is that tone deaf, but there are enough on both sides of the political spectrum to justify my boycott. As I’ve said, I won’t join Twitter because there are too many twits on it.

And when I think of something with too many twits, I think of Congress. Funny how that works out, huh? Anyway, Democrats take back control of the House of Representatives for the first time since 2011, and one of their first orders of business will be promoting Nancy Pelosi to Speaker of the House again. And what a bang-up job she did last time! This time will be different because Pelosi will be butting heads with a Republican Presi…oh, wait. She did that last time and was booted out of the Speakership within 4 years. Not to mention, she now has a whole caucus of Leftists to her Left who think she’s a corporate sell-out. And guess who is demanding the loudest for House Democrats to investigate President Donald Trump for everything short of jaywalking.

On the other side of the aisle, Republicans, especially those loyal to the President, are experiencing their own issues with bad decisions. Supporting higher tariffs, not addressing some of the major issues with the wall while settling on metaphors above literal concrete, and not speaking out when Trump says or does something stupid (often on the aforementioned den of stupidity known as Twitter) while attacking those who do have left the Right on shaky ground. At a time when party unity is imperative and after a preventable loss of the House, Republicans are too busy trying to placate the President and his supporters (thus trying to get reelected) to take a hard look at the possible reasons why they lost the House in the first place. Spoiler Alert: it might be because Trump spends more time Tweeting than leading. And with the possibility/probability/guaran-damn-tee Democrats will be investigating Trump and calling out Republicans for standing with the President, there may be a shortage of popcorn in the DC area and both coasts.

Outside of politics, the media, activist groups, and celebrities keep making bad decisions. This begs the question of what these bad decisions have in common. The answer: a lack of a filter. In recent years, people have decided to go with their gut instincts before posting anything online or going to the press with it. However, these decisions to go public are often met with scorn and ridicule because they’re planned out about as well as a murder mystery written by Kathy Griffin, last year’s recipient of the Dumbest Idea Yet Award. With a little thought, many of these bad ideas might never have seen the light of day, which is both good and bad. It’s good because then we wouldn’t have to suffer through the half-hearted apologies and twisted explanations of why the idea wasn’t that bad. On the other hand, it’s bad because it would deprive us of something to laugh at. Speaking personally, though, I encourage people to think before they speak or act because once that genie is out of the bottle in today’s media, it’s impossible to put it back in.

Failing that, invest heavily in popcorn because that industry is about to…pop.

I’ll see myself out.

Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week




government shutdown










So, Happy New Year!

Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week





Election 2018




Okay, scratch that.








That’s why I’m voting for my dog, Chico.

Leftist Lexicon Word of the Week


We’re entering into the home stretch of the 2018 midterm elections, and it couldn’t come soon enough. I was tired of this year’s midterm elections in, oh, 2016. And with the Left, this could be the most important election in our history because, as they put it, “Trump is a doodyhead.” (Actually, it’s not that reason in so many words, but it boils down to that.)

To help the cause to elect more Democrats, the Left has once again jumped to social media to start a new hashtag, #VoteThemOut, referencing a desire to vote out Republicans. Because, as we all know from the previous Administration, hashtags make people DO something.

Well, in this case, it’s inspiring me to do something: write this week’s Leftist Lexicon!


What the Left thinks it means – an online movement to vote out Republicans and replace them with progressive Democrats

What it really means – a hashtag that will accomplish nothing

Every couple of years, we go through the same tired dance. One party wants to keep power, and the other party wants to strip power away from the other party because the other party is evil incarnate. The only way for the latter party to fix the problems caused by the evil party is to elect more good people. And every couple of years, nothing changes in a significant manner, no matter who wins the election.

Blather. Rinse. Repeat.

Although the Left has a ton of motivation to vote for Democrats and progressives this year, their use of a hashtag to promote it doesn’t exactly scream “Vote for us because we have ideas.” It’s closer to “Vote for us because the other side sucks.” Enter the hashtag #VoteThemOut. It sends the same message as “Vote for us because the other side sucks,” but does it in a way that is short, memorable, and catchy. It’s the social media equivalent of a bumper sticker, but without the need to find space on a vehicle to stick it.

And you might be able to guess what else I feel can stick it.

Hashtags may be what the cool kids do, but it makes for poor political strategy because it doesn’t necessarily create action. Remember #BringBackOurGirls? It was a valid sentiment that hoped to garner positive results, but it worked as well as CNN’s fact checking department. It brought attention to the situation and did…absolutely nothing.

Just like the ribbons worn on the red carpets in Hollywood, hashtags are a great way to show you care about an issue and they seem to absolve the person using them of the responsibility of actually doing something about it. After all, they did the hard part by telling people know about an issue. It’s up to others to do the easy stuff and make things happen!

And, yes, I’m being sarcastic here.

In order for hashtags to become more than just words in the cyber-ether, someone has to act on them. But the problem with the midterm elections is only a limited number of people can act on them since we’re dealing with state-level elections, albeit with national implications. A Leftist in California tweeting #VoteThemOut can have it go global, but the impact it has is limited to the voters or potential voters where Democrats want to take Republican seats. Further diluting the impact is the fact #VoteThemOut will only garner support from people already leaning towards that idea.

Can you say “echo chamber,” kids? I knew you could.

Let’s say for the sake of argument the hashtag catches on and results in the “Blue Wave” the Left keeps saying is going to happen. What then? Given the fact most Leftists see it as a chance to impeach President Donald Trump, not much will get accomplished. Oh, there may be some other progressive ideas that may get proposed and maybe even voted on by the House and Senate, but unless impeachment is on the table, the Left won’t be happy. (Mainly because they think they can remove Trump and everyone else in the line of succession, force the country to hold a new election, add more Justices to the Supreme Court, and other wild conclusions devoid of Constitutional grounding. But, hey, why let a little thing like the Constitution get in the way of getting what the Left wants, right?)

Surely this time will be different, the Left will say. And they will be wrong. When there is a seismic shift in political power, rarely is it followed by a flurry of positive results that benefit the country. Why, it’s almost as if…politicians promise the moon, but only deliver green cheese!

That’s because government isn’t in the problem-solving business. I’ve noted it before, but the short version is current government needs there to be constant problems to retain power, money, and control. If Democrats sweep into power in 2018, all the problems they say are caused by Republicans will either be “forgotten” or found not to be as big of a problem as they claimed they were. And if the “Blue Wave” happens, a “Red Wave” will come after that and then Republicans will be the ones to “forget” problems or go along to get along.

The fact we still have a Department of Education in spite of Ronald Reagan’s promise to eliminate it back in the 1980s is proof of that.

If you want to vote out Democrats and/or Republicans because you feel things will be better without them, go for it. Just try to act surprised when nothing comes of it.

Concise Conservative Comebacks for Loony Leftist Lines




Ready? Here we go!


What investigation is that?

That he conspired with Russia to help him win the Presidency.






See? You’ve just made my point for me!


But Kennedy’s son was Trump’s banker!

So what?





















Didn’t Kavanaugh say a sitting President shouldn’t be indicted or tried?

He did.










