Hell, it’s Nebraska.  It’s lonely in Nebraska.

Okay, so it took me a while to figure out whether they were arguing over who owned this particular Bible or cranky with each other over something written in this Bible.  And, the story doesn’t answer that definitively.  However, I think they were arguing over holy scripture.

Jimmy Livingston, 60, shot 30-year-old Andrew Pickering in the shoulder and hip in the incident at an apartment building at 741 Sumner Street, according to an affidavit for Livingston’s arrest.

“I’m not a member of any organized political party…. I’m a Democrat.”

“Democrats never agree on anything, that’s why they’re Democrats. If they agreed with each other, they’d be Republicans.” – Will Rogers

I live to stir the pot, so I’m going to stir it again this morning.  Yesterday, I put Oprah at the top of my list for 2020, and the suggestion was met with considerable pushback.  “Amateur” and “celebrity” were some of the pejoratives used by readers to say no to Oprah.  Some people fled to their own corners, decrying outsiders and calling for mainstream politicians to run.  The very same mainstream politicians who have driven the Dems to minority status in DC and in 32 states.  Over the last 20 years, with only a few flashes of hope, the Democrats have SUCKED at what they are supposed to be doing, which is attaining, and keeping, political power.  You can’t govern if you can’t win and keep power in DC and state houses, and the Dems have failed miserably at that for over two decades.  I was active in party politics from about 2001 to 2012, when I threw up my hands in frustration at the incompetence and petty battles between factions (not to mention a lot of my dollars flushed down the toilet).   When Dems would call a meeting, they’d spend 75% of their effort counting noses rather than doing business.  The party structure wasted millions and millions of donor dollars, and the result was that the only ones doing well were the same political consultants that lost every race they managed. It drove me crazy, so I withdrew to hide behind my keyboard and…stir the pot.

Many years ago a wise political sage told me that Dems and Repubs run their parties very differently, especially since the 60s after Goldwater lost to Johnson.  For 20 years after Goldwater, the GOP rebuilt themselves from the bottom up starting at precinct chairs, local school boards, county commissioners and so on.  When they would then get control of the local level, they would go to the next level.  Once they finally controlled a state, they would then immediately gerrymander themselves into what Karl Rove called the “permanent majority”. The GOP has organized itself as a pyramid with a strong base from which leadership grows.  It worked, and worked really well until Trump turned the party on its ear.  What’s comes next is an opportunity for Dems, if they don’t blow it.

Dems, on the other hand, have relied on traditional constituencies – unions, working class, minorities, and machine politicians.  When they would win office, though, the lip service to their constituencies would go silent and it would be business as usual.  They, too, have relied on gerrymandering, but not to the art form it has been raised to by the GOP.  Dems are generally far less organized between elections and then scramble to rally around a presidential candidate who rises to prominence.  Barack Obama is the textbook example of this characteristic.  The Dems are organized in a pyramid, too, but an inverted one where the entire organization stands on the shoulders of the presidential candidate.  It worked for Obama, but failed miserably with Hillary as the standard bearer.  The party needs to change, but it won’t, especially with its calcified leadership parodied by Saturday Night Live last fall:

The textbook example of this calcification?  It’s the Dems idiotic program it rolled out last year dubbed “A Better Deal”.  “A Better Deal?” What moron thought that slogan was a good idea?  How about, “We Don’t Have Cavities”, or “Make America Just OK Again”?  Here’s a good one – “We Didn’t Get a Flat this Morning”.  Stupid.  This kind of silly sloganeering and message massage is what kills momentum. Trump has provided the biggest opportunity for Dems to grab control since Bush/Cheney, but they’re doing everything they can to blow it.  Again.

That’s why I say Oprah.  In the general election, you have to get a good portion of the middle 6% who doesn’t pay attention until the end of October when they tear themselves away from The Voice or Dancing with the Stars long enough to drag themselves to the polls.  Turnout is key.  Obama won twice because of turnout.  Hillary lost because of turnout.  Turnout is everything.  I look at Oprah as that turnout machine.  Because the Dems SUCK at GOTV, the candidate has to pull the vote.  Oprah will do that, hands down.  The base of the right wing will hate her as they do all Dems; no Dem will get that vote.  So, turnout of the base and the majority of the middle is required to take it.  Oprah can accomplish that like no other Dem on the bench.  Period.  AND, Oprah is a super successful business person as well as a television personality with gigantic recognition numbers.

People say she’s an amateur and inexperienced.  I say hogwash.  Obama announced for president 23 months after he took office in the Senate.  Was he perfect?  No, but he was a hell of a lot better than McCain or Romney would have been.  Oprah can inspire, she’s successful, she’ll pull the middle vote, and she’ll have her pick of the best and brightest for her advisors who will readily serve.  And, the big bonus is that she’s not nuts.  She’s not a malfunctioning narcissist.  She’s not lazy or self obsessed.  The key, though, is that after she took the White House, the Dems would have to stand on their hind legs, get themselves organized and raise money (and candidates) as fast as possible during that first term.  New leadership and a fresh bench are the only assets that will help cement a longer term influence on national politics.

You purists out there who want to keep doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result knock yourselves out.  Me, I want to win 2020, and I damn sure don’t want that task in the hands of the same good folks who got us in this mess in the first place.

I dunno, I just find it disconcerting that that the only words he knows to the National Anthem is about the rockets red glare and bombs busting in air.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyrfbQ6Tkdw

Okay, y’all, it’s everybody’s favorite pastime:  What Did Louie Gohmert Spend Money On?

What damn fool in his right mind would buy this much barbeque in Washington, DeeCee?

It seems to me that the vast majority of his money either goes for food or telephones.  And flowers.  He’s big on flowers.

Go look for yourself and have fun!

Thanks to Alfredo over at the Diary Queen for the heads up.

Remember Chris Christie, y’all?  The guy caught a bad case of The Delusional.

• He grades himself as a B+ governor (with “A moments”) and thinks people will come to the same conclusion.
• He says he doesn’t care about his bad poll numbers, but blames them on the media — mostly the New Jersey press and other “know-nothing voyeurs” — who he said attacked him mercilessly after Bridgegate with a “floodgate” of negative stories and attention.
• He concedes that scandal over closed lanes on the George Washington Bridge changed the course of his administration and political career because he lost “the benefit of the doubt.”
• He “absolutely” believes he’d be president if Donald Trump didn’t enter the race.
• He told Trump to knock it off when he slammed Christie on Bridgegate during the GOP primary.

He seems to have forgotten all about his 25% approval rating other than to blame it on the media.  Sound familiar?  Gives himself a B+ (but really closer to an A) as governor.  Thinks he would be president except … the other delusional guy whipped him.

Ah, those were the days ….

I’m smart! Not like everybody says! Like, dumb. I’m smart, and I want respect!

Sayeth Fredo, Trump, and Christie

Oprah Winfrey’s speech last night at the Golden Globes was inspirational and motivating.  It was as good as it gets, and sounded to me more like a campaign kickoff speech than a gold-statue award thank you.  And, of course, social media lit up with Oprah 2020 memes.  I have to say I like the idea; she’s nationally known with super high recognition; she’s a successful television and movie star; she has high approval ratings; she’s started and run several very successful businesses; and she’s been involved in politics for years.  She’s a great choice in my book, and brings many of the positives that Obama did, with fewer negatives.  I would say if she’s game, I think she would be the perfect counterpoint to that thing currently infesting the White House.

Speaking of movie stars, what about Tom Hanks?  He would also be good, though not as strong as Oprah, but I could get behind that candidacy, too.  So lets look at the others considered by the Washington Post a couple of weeks ago when they provided their ranking of 15 possible candidates, starting with number 15 (with my own reaction):

15. Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson – B grade movie star, former pro wrestler. Uh, NO.

14. Terry McCauliffe – Gov. of Virginia.  Clinton attack dog.  NO.

13. Former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz – Good businessman, no recognition, no political base.  NO.

12. Deval Patrick – Former Gov. of Massachusetts – Highly qualified, good political base.  POSSIBLE.

11.  Oprah – See above.  A definite YES.

10. Andrew Quomo – Gov. of New York.  Waffled on sexual harassment.  Good record as governor, but not very inspiring.  MAYBE

9.  Sherrod Brown – Sen. from Ohio.  Firebrand, strong progressive voice.  Good with labor.  Good political base.  YES.

8.  Jerry Brown – Gov. of California.  Great progressive voice.  Turned California around.  Great governor.  Too old.  NO.

7.  Chris Murphy – Sen. of Connecticut.  Tim Kaine-like.  Great senator, progressive voice.  Not strong enough. NO.

6.  Cory Booker – Sen. of New Jersey.  New Jersey; ’nuff said.  He’d be compared continuously to Obama to the negative.  Weak MAYBE.

5.  Kamala Harris – Sen. of California.  Great candidate, highly qualified, well spoken, inspirational.  But can she carry the middle working class whites?  Give her the benefit of the doubt.  YES.

4.  Kirsten Gillibrand – Sen. of New York.  Great possibility until she kneecapped Al Franken for her own benefit.  NO.

3.  Elizabeth Warren – Sen. of Massachusetts.  Great progressive voice, highly qualified.  It would be hard for her to carry the center.  MAYBE.

2.  Joe Biden – Love me some Joe Biden, but he’ll be 75 in 2020.  He should have run in 2016.  Too old.  He should go back to the Senate. NO.

1.  Bernie Sanders – Great progressive voice, inspirational to millions.  Too old, unelectable.  NO.

The other one missing from the list here is Hillary.  That’s good, since her time is done, she’s a two time loser, and will be too old.  Oh, and the Castro brothers don’t have enough seasoning yet. One of them needs to be governor, the other senator. And what about Sally Yates?  She’s a former US attorney, former Deputy Attorney General.  She needs to run for US Senate from Georgia in 2020 and knock out David Perdue.  Better yet, she could run for  governor, knock off Nathan Deal THIS YEAR, then run for president.  Having said all that, here’s my ranking, and I would like to know what you think, or if you have other candidate ideas:

1. Oprah ★
2. Kamala Harris
3. Sherrod Brown
4. Deval Patrick
5. Elizabeth Warren
6. Cory Booker
7. Andrew Cuomo

And then there’s always Tom Hanks, right?