From Demo to Dino

There is the old adage, “the only thing constant is change.”  There is the new adage, “change is coming at you faster than ever.”

The old adage is proven correct daily.  The new adage remains debatable.

Tulsi Gabbard changed, at least she changed officially.  She formally announced Monday that given the mad shift to the far left in her party, she would no longer be a part of the Democratic Party.   Her beliefs aren’t contained in a neat box, but her core values seem mostly right of center.

She didn’t declare herself a Republican though. She did not yet, and maybe not ever.  For now, she’s independent.

This has been brewing for some time.  The announcement only formalized it.   The United States Army Reserve officer and political commentator served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii’s 2nd congressional district from 2013 to 2021.  She attempted to gain the Democratic nomination for President in 2020.

Why is she still news?  It says here that she would make one fine VP candidate to go along with Ron DeSantis in 2024.  Imagine a conservative Republican picking an Independent as his running mate.  Now that would be a vote for the new adage ringing true.

Hawaii is a vote for the old adage.  It’s been brewing for some time as well.

Approximately 40 to 70 million years ago, the 137 islands of Hawaii began to form. Every island originated from multiple underwater volcanic eruptions. Magma burst from underneath the seafloor until it reached the ocean’s surface.

And, guess what.  It’s still forming as active volcanos still shape and reshape some of the newer islands in the chain.

Around the same time, give or take a mere 10 million years, about 66 million years ago a massive solar system body now known as the Chicxulub asteroid collided with Earth, excavating a massive 110-mile-wide impact crater in what would later become the Yucatan Peninsula.

This collision triggered a chain of cataclysmic events which, when combined with the devastation caused by the initial strike, wiped out 75 percent of all life on Earth.

Research that analyzed geological records from this traumatic period in our planet’s history, has revealed that the devastating impact may have triggered a “mega-earthquake” that lasted for weeks, or even months before subsiding.

That’s what you would call real climate change.  If you don’t believe us ask the next dinosaur you see walking around the face of the earth.

The Republican party actually reminds us of the fossils a bit.  Merriam-Webster’s first synonym explanation of the word is “one that has passed the peak of effectiveness or popularity.”

Take off Mitch McConnell’s glasses and what do you see?  Maybe you see words related to dinosaurs?  Dodo, fogy, old-timer, fuddy-duddy, mossback, stick in the mud, and stodge comes to mind.

Maybe change needs to come to the Republican Party faster than ever.  A return to conservative principles is in order and the presentation needs a makeover.

Gabbard as a running mate would not be a mega earthquake nor a MAGA earthquake, but it would be a fine start.

 

 

Think Inside the Box

Surely once or thrice you’ve been asked to think outside of the box.

A wise CEO once asked a group a few moons ago to think inside of the box.  Why?  To get their attention is one reason.  And, to realize where you are, where you want to go, and how to get there is another.

So, where is America right now, and more importantly for Republicans where is their party in the minds of Americans?

America is seriously divided on a plethora of issues right down party lines.  Each side asks that we “come together as a country” frequently.  What they mean is “agree with us and all will be well.”  The ask doesn’t even sound sincere and it certainly doesn’t work that way.

Republicans are thought of and/or portrayed as white, old, stodgy, racist, set in their ways, and out of touch.

What to do?  How about doing some things that are progressive and democratic at the same time yet reflect conservative views?

Say what?  Well, it’s a lot different than it may sound at first blush.

Progressive also means “happening or developing gradually or in stages; proceeding step by step.” Democratic also means “relating to or supporting democracy or its principles.”

Try just a few on for size.

How about getting all new leadership after the midterms regardless of the outcomes?  Isn’t it past time that old Mitch McConnell for one, arguably the biggest RINO of them all step aside? Just last week he mumbled, “if you look at the statistics, African American voters are voting in just as high a percentage as Americans,” implying that Black voters are not Americans.

On Friday, he said he “inadvertently omitted the word ‘almost,’” but then after the news conference ended, he returned to the microphones to correct himself one more time. “The omitted word is ‘all,’ not ‘almost,'” he said. “Sorry.”

Biden is worse tripping over his own tongue, but not by much.  The elephants need a fresh face, voice, and view.

How about having all 50 Republican Senators vote for the SCOTUS black female nominee?  Let’s assume that she is qualified, regardless if opinions vary if she is the most qualified.  The vote is supposed to be cast on qualifications, not political ideology.

Madame VP Harris would cast the 51st vote for her confirmation regardless, but that’s not really the point.  The point would be that America could look at this as “progress.”  Take the lead in celebrating her nomination.  Maybe even a RINO or two could sell it that way as “coming together as a country.”

Eleven Democrats voted for Clarence Thomas.  One was not then-Senator Biden, but we digress.   Thirty-nine Republicans voted for Ruth Bader Ginsberg.   Only one Democrat (don’t Build Back Better Joe Manchin) voted for Brett Kavanaugh.

And, how about looking ahead to 2024?  If you support true conservatism, you’d support it regardless of who espouses it, wouldn’t you?  Nominate the right presidential candidate from the right.  Then choose Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat in name only as your VP running mate.

Sound crazy?  It might drive perpetually in mourning Morning Joe crazy.  But, listen to what she believes in and you’ll swear that she’s further right than any Bush, Graham, McConnell, Crenshaw, Romney, or Rubio ever sounded.

It is after all principles, not sheep in wolves’ clothing that matter most, isn’t it?  And, who wants to be the first Democrat to stand up and say that nominating a Dem female is a bad idea?

Progressive and democratic is the new conservative.

Do you say it can never happen?

Don’t tell Joe Burrow “never.”

Orange and black is the new AFC Champion.

 

 

Yin and Yang

If America had a nickel for every time a politician said “we need to come together as a nation and move forward,” America wouldn’t be in debt.  Well, it still would be actually based on the “free” for all mentality we have in place now.  But, go with it anyway.

The truth is we never come together in the absolute sense of the phrase.  We aren’t even built that way as the checks and balances that our founding fathers (can you still say that?) put in place some 245 years ago create what used to be a purposeful debate.  And, we should thank them for that.

But, way back when we did a much better job of putting the country first and the agendas of factions thereof second.

Remember when House Majority Leader Tip O’Neill and Ronald Reagan would top off Tip’s glass of Scotch and hammer out a deal while Tip got hammered?

Bill Clinton’s tenure at the top produced nearly balanced budgets and a budget surplus once or twice.  He signed into law the three strikes and you’re out legislation.  The border was ours and we protected it well.   As a friendly reminder, Clinton was a Democrat.  But most all Americans saw these policies as effective, not just the more moderate left back then.

No more, and close isn’t close.

So, what to do?  Well solving it on just one quick dip of the pen in the ink well is far too ambitious.  But, with an early eye on 2024, we have an idea to try on.

Biden has no shot unless you count his three and counting “vaccine” shots.  Kamala will be off creating a new gameboard phenomenon called “Where’s Kamala?”  She’s practicing and perfecting it now.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the President and Vice President of the United States, Ron DeSantis(R) and Tulsi Gabbard(D).

Did you see the R and D inside of those parentheses?  Of course, you did.

Forget if you like DeSantis or not. The pendulum always swings and it’s swinging right now.  The Republicans will return to the highest office in the land, mail-in ballots or not. It’s him or someone else from the right.

The point is, what if he used his Floridian stones to go where only Abe Lincoln and Andrew Johnson have gone before?  Nominate the opposite party as your running mate.  He’s not afraid to make bold moves and take chances.

At a minimum, for the Republicans, it would(should) neuter the every four-years “war on women” nonsense that the Dems drag out.  The cries of misogyny would be dampened.  And it reaches across the aisle like never before.  It might even make Morning Joe happy, or infuriated, or both.

She seems very even-keeled, intelligent, and moderate in her views. She could be the yin and Ron the yang.  Her actions (military service) and her words always seem to try to put America, not her party, first.

And, most of all “we could come together as a nation and move forward.”

Couldn’t we?

Sure, probably, maybe, doubtfully, no chance.