The Ghost of William Jennings Bryan - Trumped!

There's been a lot of talk about how there's never been a presidential campaign like this one because there have never been candidates like Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders. Each has grabbed a segment of the public by its respective collective lapels and, in his own way, given 'em quite a shake. And damn if they didn't like it! However, the truth is that there have been a lot of wacky candidates - and, therefore, a lot of wacky campaigns. But perhaps no candidate has been as wacky as William Jennings Bryan. Bryan ran on the Democratic ticket in 1896, 1900 and 1908. He possessed Trump's ability for endless blabbing, Cruz ability – even determination – to say anything to alienate himself within his own party, and Rubio's constant call for a reform movement that was – and is – unknown even to the candidate himself. Maybe best of all, he was the precursor to Bernie Sanders as a true man of the people – "the great commoner," as Bryan was known in his day.

But it is mostly Trump who seems to be a reincarnation of Bryan who, in truth, was a reincarnation of P. T. Barnum – the circus man who believed that a sucker is born every minute. Like Bryan, Trump has a way of reaching the ignorant masses in a way that is seemingly unrivaled – a la another great character from history (albeit literary history), Elmer Gantry, the charlatan minister of the 1900s who, indeed, got the joke. Trump gets it, too. Don't let him – Trump – fool you into thinking he is a hard-core, rigid, tough-guy bastard who is set in his oh-so-righteous ways. In truth, he's one of the most malleable politicians in recent memory, and will say anything to get people on his side. And has.

Like William J. Bryan, Donald J. Trump is a man of no ethics, no principles and certainly no worries about possessing neither.

Shooting de Jour

Another day, another mass shooting in the United States – an act that has seemed to become the new American way.

When is it going to be enough? What is it going to take for the gun crowd to think there's something wrong here? When are the gun-friendly "I'll do anything for cash" members of Congress going to stop standing up for the NRA and start standing up for the millions of innocent people in this country who deserve to live life without the fear of being randomly shot any day of the week by yet another screwball who had easy access to a gun?

One of the first to open his trap was that idiot Mike Huckabee who accused Obama of "politicizing" the issue with his speech the evening of the shooting. This from the guy who was shoulder to shoulder with Kim Davis as she left jail for violating the Constitution. And THIS wasn't politicizing an issue?

And speaking of Kim Davis … at least half of congress is too damn worried over her phony "rights" issue – the right to opt NOT to do her job for religious reasons IN A NATION THAT WAS FOUNDED ON THE PREMISE OF SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE – to worry about mass shootings. Right. Just forget the rights of those couples of all types who have a right, as granted by the Supreme Court of the United States – and thereby, the U.S. Constitution – to be legally married.

But back to our regularly scheduled shooting … someday, somebody in Congress is going to realize that mental illness can't be cured; it can only be confined. But access to guns by the mentally ill can eventually be stopped.

The Kids Are Alright - For Now

Oh, what a terrific debate last night – a focus on things that actually matter – like the economy and what the hell to do about ISIS. And while I seldom agree with the four gents who tossed around ideas in Preliminary Republican Debate #2, it was nice to hear from folks who at least sounded somewhat informed. As opposed, say, to some of those idiots in the main event who seemed consumed with how rich they are, how great they are or how pesky to the others on the dais they are.

You have Donald Trump who continues to speak in platitudes that only the dumb (that would be 99% of the nation) are willing to try and pretend to understand.

You have Carly Fiorina who keeps saying that Hillary Clinton lies, lies, lies as she – Fiorina – lies, lies, lies.

You have Ben Carson who is basically a scientist who doesn't believe in science, and continues to speak as though our nation was founded on the principle of a faith-based government.

And you have the rest of the bunch that appear to be so jealous of the time the first three are getting that they act like children tugging at mama's skirt just to get a word in.

Yeah, it took those at the kids' table – George Pataki, Rick Santorum, Piyush "Bobby" Jindal and Lindsey Graham – to make those who followed sound like a bunch of children.

That said, there may be hope yet for those at the kids' table as today's numbers show that interest in Trump is dropping, as he slowly reveals that he doesn’t really know anything about the economy at all. (Does he really think his trade policy of raising tariffs would HELP farmers who depend on agriculture exports?)

As The Donald fades away, all we can hope for is that the rest of the Tier 1 elephants learned a little bit about adult behavior from their cohorts at the kids' table.

Kim Davis - Free at Last!

It's been quite a few days in Morehead, Kentucky, replete with the kind of publicity that I'd guess 99% of its residents wouldn't wish upon their worst enemies (even pro-choice folks) with a gun to their collective heads. And I bet there are plenty of guns in and around Morehead. This is truly His country where the locals love God and Guns, and hate Gays.

And nobody hates 'em more than Kim Davis, the county clerk who went to jail on September 3^rd rather than obey the law by issuing marriage licenses to same sex couples. Bad as that alone is, it's really a riot when you consider that Davis thinks it's okay for her to pass judgment by taking the law into her own hands after three divorces!

If Kim Davis is the latest face of resistance to gay marriage, she is also the newest face (of many) of intolerance, defiance and ignorance of the Constitution of the United States of America. As always with this bunch, while the stance is nauseating enough, it's the hypocrisy that accompanies it that is so utterly astounding. But that was seemingly lost on the faithful who gathered today to witness with great acclaim Kim Davis' coming out party, flanked by none other but one of the biggest fools around, Mike Huckabee – always anxious to milk any kind of publicity he can.

Yes, Kim Davis is free now. And fret not, friends - the tale of Kim Davis of Kentucky is going to turn out just fine. She's never going to work again as she becomes yet another nutball martyr for the far right, reaping fortunes under the table to endorse who ever needs endorsing at any given the time.

If the men among the far right contingent had any real guts, these 16^th-century minded Republicans would start applying a little 16^th-century discipline to this upstart hussy. Unfortunately, I imagine that burning at the stake wouldn't pass legal muster.

Even in Kentucky.