ME AND MR. ROGERS

I have some friends who are Democrats. Folks who march, protest, volunteer, and donate money. I used to be among their number, but I just cannot bring myself to do any of it anymore.

Will Rogers said it best nearly a hundred years ago when he uttered the quote most associated with his brilliance, “… I don’t belong to any organized political party. I’m a Democrat.”

More often than not… okay, a lot more often than not… okay, I can’t remember voting for a Republican since Earl Warren ran for Governor in California… so, I concede my bias, and admit I vote the Democratic ticket, take solace in political thought put forward by the so-called “Left,” and scoff at their Republican counterparts.

While that remains true for me, I find that I can no longer endorse the lack of political skills, or the dearth of anything resembling the backbone or will of any Democrat to aggressively … and/or effectively… take the battle to their right-wing opposition.

You would think Donald Trump has, of late, made it easy for his political opposition. It should not take a rocket scientist, nor even a subscription to AI to do this. A fight with the Pope!? Posting a picture of yourself as a healing Jesus of Nazareth!?  For Christ’s sake … are you kidding me?

High inflation, an unpopular/unnecessary war, a humongous defeat of his political pal and ally, Victor Orban in Hungary, the regular pardoning of true criminals, including those who pled guilty to their crimes, the “promise” to issue mass pardons to White House staff before he exits the Presidency … all in addition to the obvious/unseemly monetizing of his office. How is it I still have no confidence that the Dems will get their act together and have anything that resembles what happened in Budapest happen here?

Let me take you back to the last inauguration of Donald Trump in January of 2025. It was predictable that this bombastic political animal would go off script… and that, in the process, he might even take to insulting a predecessor or two.

A few rows behind the about-to-be-new commander-in-chief sat Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and President and Mrs. Joe Biden. Sure enough, and early in his speech to boot, Trump began to harangue Joe Biden… not only a still very much alive and only just former… President, but one sitting only feet away.

Had any one of those former Chief Executives simply given a hand signal to his four seatmates, the Clintons and the Bidens and former President Obama could have risen en masse from their chairs and walked out right in the middle of the Trump diatribe.

It would have set a tone. It would have made a statement about what is acceptable in American politics and what is not, and it would have said volumes about the “new Democrats” and their recently discovered backbones.

No one gave that signal… just as no one thought to prepare … or have a plan… for Trump’s latest State of the Union address.

That Trump would be aggressively offensive was once again predictable. Still, neither leaders Jeffries or Schumer could figure out what could be done that would show some strength… some sense of “I’m mad as hell and I’m not gonna take it anymore.”

Some party hack came up with the idea of inviting Epstein’s victims to the affair. Did you see them on TV? I sure didn’t. Were they in some kind of uniform? Did they each wear a colorful sash… or scarf… or cap… or something to distinguish them from the throng? None of their hosts thought to have them do that. Was the idea to intimidate The Donald? Lots of luck with that.

This is nothing new with the Dems.  Over twenty years ago, as someone applying to work on the John Kerry for President campaign, I remember learning that Bob Shrum, who was running the campaign for Kerry, would have to approve anything I was to do beyond stuffing envelopes.

I was incredulous.  Forget the fact that in those days it was generally conceded that few had ever been more creative in getting favorable press coverage in the television medium than I, there was the very fact of Shrum himself. How was it possible he could be leading the campaign for Kerry?

Shrum’s previous job was to lead the campaign for Al Gore four years before. Does anyone remember how that turned out? In fact, despite having previously handled the campaigns of a number of different Democratic candidates for President, Mr. Shrum has never had a winner.

Forget the first few, in my line of what it was I used to do for work, if you had a debacle on your list of credits such as Gore v Bush you most likely would never work again… let alone be given the next top job that came along.

As if by way of explanation, the politico witnessing my incredulity at Shrum’s presence in the campaign, simply said,

“..He writes great concession speeches.”

And with that, perhaps it becomes clearer why the party’s symbol is an ass.

 

Barney Rosenzweig