Fascinating

-
When this is all over...

...and I'm fairly sure it will be all said and done in November...

...the Trump era will be a fascinating campaign to digest.

Will there be a lasting effect?

I don't much care for politics on social media. There is no changing of the mind. No one is really listening to the other person.

Minds are made up. All the angst does it torture people who used to be friends.

But it's a disservice to NOT talk about what the hell is going on.

People who don't believe in abhorant behavior are in the awkward position of defending that behavior.

People who believe that Bill Clinton's time in office was a national embarrassment are now DEFENDING their candidate by saying that Clinton did it.

So, it was okay then?

Or it's okay now?

The other amazing thing is how low the bar has now been set. How will future elections be handled? Will outrage over inhaling pot be a news story ever again?

Appears that nothing is off the table now.

I'm also concerned about who runs next.

It can be anyone now, right?

Rappers?

Former felons?

Playmates?

The office is forever tarnished. When I was a kid there was a simple respect afforded to the leaders. Perhaps some of that was misguided, but we didn't know. We considered the president to be above our level of intelligence.

There was some security.

Certainly there has been a shift. Not all of it can be blamed on these two candidates. There had been a hill that we were sliding down.

Obama took unbelievable amounts of grief.

Remember when someone threw a shoe at George W. and there was anger because no matter what, the office of the presidency must be respected?

That's out the window.

In January, the job will have gotten much tougher.

There's no way that there is not a great divide.

My 19-year old son walked by the other day. I was curious.

"What do you think of what Trump said?"

"Don't think about it," he said. "He's garbage."

Let's just hope...

...for the good of the country...

...that somehow there is, someday, an ounce of respect again.

It's fascinating, isn't it?

It's also horrifically sad.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suits

-
Like a lot of other people we got pulled into the series, ‘Suits’ on Netflix. I’ve never had much fun hanging around lawyers who have questioned me as a construction safety officer. I once testified in a case where the opposing lawyer started questioning me by going through my educational background. “So,” he said, racing to a crescendo, “You graduated from college with a degree in Communications-Journalism and suddenly, 30 years later, you’re a ‘safety expert.’” He actually made the quotation marks with his fingers. I just looked at him. “How does that happen?” He bellowed, sure that he was going to discredit me. “Well,” I said. “I knew I was overqualified to become a lawyer.” The courtroom erupted in laughter. Even the judge chuckled. The rest of his questions landed flat. So, I wasn’t all that keen on a show about lawyers, but ‘Suits’ is great. Meghan Markle became a princess because of the show, and she is very good in it (and a beautiful woman). Yet, there is so much more. The wri
Read more

My Buddy, Dave

-
Way back in 1997, I started working with a steel erection company out of Syracuse. I was coming straight from a long stint with a steel erector here in Buffalo so I knew my stuff when it came to steel erection safety rules. On day one, I met with the safety director and he was just getting started as a safety guy, but man, he certainly cared about the guys he worked with. Dave was a good man from the start. He’d say things like: “You’re so full of beans.” Just a down to earth, hardworking guy who became a fast friend. We drove all around New York State setting up jobs. I always let Dave drive so that I could rest. One fine day, way up North of Syracuse, we passed a state trooper.  I glanced at the speedometer. “You’re screwed,” I said, and seconds later, the lights came on. Dave was beside himself.  The cop stopped by the window, grabbed the license and registration and headed back to his vehicle. “Here’s the thing,” I said. “You’re pissed, but you’re such a good guy that I bet you tha
Read more

Mom & Ollie

-
Image
 Ollie Stadium is a mess. The heavy rains rendered the backyard a mud pit and even though we threw in the side yard, the Big O was looking for more, and we were both covered in mud. I had to take some steam out of him somehow so I suggested we go visit Grandma. Ollie hates the car, but he laid quietly as we made the trip. We even brought the football because there is plenty of room to play at Grandma’s. Mom opened the door and started laughing. I thought about the love she had for every single dog we ever had. Oliver was quick to give my Mom a kiss, and then he stood beside her. The love between Mom and Dogs is a mutual bond. Through the years, Mom would make breakfast for the dogs.  Fried eggs, toast, bacon… She would wrap Christmas gifts for them. “To Jeter, Love Santa,” she would write on the cards. They played with the big chicken that made a lot of noise. Mom tossed the football and Ollie brought it back to her. As the visit drew to a close I headed for the door.  “C’mon, Oliver,”
Read more