I never knew it could get this ugly. Then again, I speculated it could -- and time and events played out -- and it did get pretty darn unsightly. Speaking of the eternal internal struggle in the Republican Party between the intangible but very real Republican establishment and, well, everyone else who identifies as conservative and a supporter of the party. The average person in the hinterlands used to see the two-party system as a necessary evil and most signed up either as

If you’re alone and confined to an island, where do you go? Theoretically, the question’s already been answered in the literary world and by Hollywood over the years. The famous British novel Robinson Crusoe wasfirst published in 1719, thought to be one of the first -- if not the first -- serious work of fiction that paved the way for an entire new genre in publishing, and also made into numerous movies in the 20th century. (Note: Of course, Crusoe was not completely alone on

Isn’t it funny how establishment Republicans counsel that the party must move on from the Donald Trump era but keep invoking his tenure and shaming his leadership style -- and voters -- to make the point? It isn’t exactly news when it happens, but the establishment media makes a big deal out of it anyway. Such was the case a week ago when former Speaker Paul Ryan made a speech at the Reagan Library in California and did his darndest to disparage the former president without s

“Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.” It’s something you might hear from a friend-turned-adversary who’s unhappy about a difference of opinion that’s cropped up between you. Whereas the two of you might’ve agreed on just about everything in your formative years together, time and changing circumstances intervened to place you on opposite sides of the original cause. The phenomenon appears in sports teams, marriages, business partnerships and political parties. It’s saf

“We’re far from the shallow now.” With apologies to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, who co-wrote and sang the now famous (at least in my household) and Academy Award winning song “Shallow” from the 2018 film “A Star is Born” (which was itself a reengineered, contemporary and more effective remake of the 1976 version with the same title starring Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson as well as the 1937 and 1954 versions), the “shallow” we’re referring to here has to do with t

“If not us, who? If not now, when?” This oft-heard line was attributed to a number of politicians over the years, from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama. It takes a historian or an internet search to reveal the phrase’s true origin, so opportunistic borrowers seeking to look smart and/or to accomplish something might bank on no one making the connection. A parent could just as easily use the saying to inspire a lazy kid to take out the garbage. “If not you, who

Who asked John Boehner? We’ve all been in situations where someone contributed an opinion or statement on a topic of general interest only to be greeted with quizzical looks and a rather contemptuous, “Who asked you?” from a know-it-all companion. Well, nobody asked, but if you’re seeking input and the occasion strikes, what’s wrong with chipping in your two cents? Apparently Boehner sees no problem with it. The former Republican Speaker of the House has been talking out of t

Over two months after Donald Trump quietly (for him, at least) left the White House and Washington, DC, there appears to be no letup in the eternal struggle between conservatives and the establishment for control over the hearts and minds of the Republican Party faithful. It’s not a real battle, however, as most grassroots conservatives have about as much regard for the stodgy GOP old guard and protectors of the swampy status quo as they do for the leftist opposition Democrat

Ever since Ronald Reagan’s 70’s and 80’s campaigns we’ve heard a lot about “Reagan Democrats”. More recently, with the rapid rise of the inimitable Donald J. Trump, the term “Trump Democrats” has also been a common refrain, even among charter members of the establishment media. But is there any such thing as… “Joe Biden Republicans”? Don’t laugh. With the internal power struggle in the Republican Party today, it’s certainly possible if not likely that there’s a small but stat

Why is Joe Biden president today? It’s something millions wonder about these days. As news reports stream on the new president’s stumble or political affront of the hour, one can’t help but consider how it was that a man so blatantly incompetent and politically compromised could’ve prevailed over an opponent who exudes leadership, even if it’s packaged in the crude unrefined person of Donald Trump. The most unique commander in chief of all-time, Trump cannot and will not e

By impeaching him, Democrats paved the road back for Donald J. Trump’s reputation “Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!” With this chant emanating from one element of the capitol building invasion crowd eight days ago, we could sense the life force of the heretofore unstoppable Make America Great Again coalition subsiding before our eyes (or is it ears?). Meanwhile, Twitter’s brains were in the process of moving forward with a lifetime ban for President Donald Trump, but the s

A Trump “destroyed” Republican Party is a fiction that doesn’t exist and won’t last long We’ve heard it a lot in recent times, that Donald Trump has “ruined the Republican Party.” Since roughly half of Americans and the world have been engaged in a gigantic game of “Let’s Pretend” over the past year, perhaps now is a good occasion to examine the question of Donald Trump’s “damage” to an entity that, at its purpose level, exists only to get candidates elected. The same med

Wednesday’s “mostly peaceful” protest changed everything for the MAGA movement -- except its heart Put it this way: when you go out the door each day you have a lot less to fear from your average Trump supporter than you do your typical Democrat/Biden backer. But don’t count on this truth being reported by the establishment media. The media has spent decades instilling an impression in the already skittish psyches of gullible people that all conservatives and Republicans ar

Dare to dream of unity, Grampa Joe Biden and pals “To dream the impossible dream, To fight the unbeatable foe, To bear with unbearable sorrow, To run where the brave dare not go…” -- Man of La Mancha, 1972. I’m not talking about the ultimate results of today’s Georgia U.S. Senate runoff elections and I’m not referring to the prospects of a couple hundred (more or less) Republican congressman and senators to successfully argue there was sufficient voter fraud in several states

Trump’s reelection was never a sure thing, even before the CCP virus ruined 2020 In the aftermath of last month’s election, many a commentator at both ends of the partisan spectrum has said or written that President Donald Trump was defeated in his reelection bid due to the onset of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP, or Wuhan, if you prefer) virus and the ensuing global pandemic and its disastrous effect on the world economy. For sure, the virus is the proverbial “shiny object

Weak kneed Republicans worry over appearances that Trump is holding on too long One week from today is Christmas Day. The quadrennial presidential election was held last month on November third. Counts, recounts and audits have taken place ever since. Lawsuits have been filed and heard in state and federal courts. Expert testimony and examinations have occurred in state legislatures. Names have been named -- and called. The United States Supreme Court has addressed the matter

Is it true that all Democrat candidates need from here on out is to be more like Joe Biden? Now that it appears America is destined to have Joe Biden as the country’s 46th president, liberal pundits and academics begin the arduous task of dissecting the recently concluded campaign to determine what went right for the successful candidate (not getting into fraud here, since it speaks for itself) and how other Democrats might borrow from the 78-year-old’s example and come to th

Democrats still swear Trump is purposely destroying the GOP. Are they right? The scene was surreal this past Saturday night when President Donald Trump went down to Georgia to conduct a campaign rally. Such a headline wouldn’t have shocked anyone a couple months ago as the incumbent president, running for a second term, held numerous similar assemblies in states purported to be in contention during the 2020 election. Only this mass gathering of thousands of boisterous and che

Who’s doing more damage to the GOP -- Trump or the wishy-washy establishment? It’s a conversation we needed to have. We hear the term a lot, the proverbial “conversation” that somehow reveals hidden truth and gets all parties in agreement. Be it a parent sitting down with his tween or teen and awkwardly explaining the birds and the bees or a guidance counselor dishing tough love to a student on the verge of failing out, the “talk” is typically straight to the point, emotional

What are Democrats saying about Joe Biden in private? Is it all positive? One day this will all be over. As America heads into the Thanksgiving holiday, perhaps it’s time to reflect on our moment in time. Even in the darkest hour it’s comforting to know that whatever troubles us at present is only short-lived. According to Wikipedia, the saying This too shall pass “is a Persian adage translated and used in multiple languages. It reflects on the temporary nature, or ephemerali