thependulumswings

It started innocently enough last evening.  Not too long after the New Hampshire Democratic Primary polls closed Andrew Yang closed shop on his campaign.  He meant well.  But his $1000/month giveaway to every adult idea never gained traction.  He thought it was the right thing to do, but voters never lined up for the “free” handout.

Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, not in this primary (are the rules convoluted much?), had audio tapes leak yesterday.  On them, defending his stop and frisk initiative he stated “95% of your murders, murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it, pass it out to all the cops, They are male, minorities, 16-25. That’s true in New York, that’s true in virtually every city.”

Avowed Democrat and African American Juan Williams, Fox News contributor, was asked how he felt about the words heard on the tape.  Juan said “on one hand the statistics prove that Bloomberg is right.  But, it would be wrong for my son to have to fear getting stopped by the police each and every time he left the house.”

Bernie Sanders took a victory lap with just over 25% of the New Hampshire vote last evening.  It’s his right to run for President even though he makes no bones about his Socialism platform.  The United States is fast approaching its 250th birthday.  It seems to be doing quite well as a capitalistic society.  It’s poor are far richer than the global average.  That’s not to say that we can’t do better.  He finished his victory speech with “this victory is the beginning of the end for Donald Trump.”  Bernie may be right.  Trump’s presidency and his reelection message are diametrically opposed to Sanders.  Someone (James Carville, Democratic strategist extraordinaire) once said, “it’s the economy stupid!”  There is a lot to like in today’s US economy.  Bernie may be wrong.

The purported front runner just weeks ago, Joe Biden skipped his “victory” party last night in NH and flew straight to South Carolina, the next primary battleground. He made the right move given his single-digit performance and subsequent fifth-place NH finish.  He called the Iowa finish (though it’s not finished) a “gut punch.”  The New Hampshire support lacked support as it was a punch below the belt.  Greeted by South Carolina supporters he attempted to rally the troops.  He told them “It’s important that Iowa and Nevada have spoken.”  Wrong.  Nevada, New Hampshire.  Pre Med.  Pre Law.  Tomato.  Tomatoe.  It’s all the same.  Right?

The DNC tried to put a new saddle on an old horse in Biden.  The RNC tried to do the same four years ago in Jeb Bush.  Wrong and wrong.  Biden’s campaign should be taken behind the barn and put out of its mystery.  It’s the right thing to do.  Biden should be on a beach with crew socks on his sandal feet and zinc oxide on his nose, with his Aviator glasses in place.

“Hello America! I’m Amy Klobuchar and I will beat Donald Trump,” she told a cheering crowd. “My heart is full tonight. We have beaten the odds every step of the way.”  She’s right.  No one thought the Minnesota Senator would still be standing at this point in the long road to the nomination.  She finished a “strong third.”

Since when is a third-place finish a victory?  When a party is searching desperately for a warm body to be the nominee, she isn’t wrong.

Everyone is famous for 15 minutes.  Klobuchar has no organization on the ground in any Super Tuesday primary state.  No candidate has ever gained the nomination without a first or second-place finish in the first two primaries.  Never say never, however.

Speaking of a first or second-place finish, Mayor Pete Buttigieg has one of each.  It’s Pete’s right to accept big donor money from Wall St.  Sanders says it’s wrong.

Based on the above history says it’s right to assume Sanders or Buttigieg will wind up being the nominee.  In today’s political madness basing anything on history might be the wrong thing to do.

And, waiting in the wings is Donald Trump.  Whether you think that he is right or wrong, all he wants to do is “Keep America Great!”

Queue the Billy Joel.