Everyone that has worked in industry would have had a ball if we had known about this invention. Apparently there is a group that will allow you to make your own bingo cards. Inside you can put certain catch phrases that we always hear in whatever industry we happen to work in. Just imagine the hilarity of hearing someone yell, “bingo!” in the middle of a staff meeting.

One of the games of conservative politics is the game of identity politics. Whatever you do, don’t run on your record. This is particularly true in Texas where Republicans have controlled statewide politics for 25 years. It’s kind of hard to saddle your problems on your opponents when they haven’t held statewide elected office this century.

So, you play identity politics. For Dan Patrick, your opponent isn’t Mike Collier. Collier is a mainstream Democrat that is hardly radical. At least he doesn’t have anything on his legislative resume that would scream radical. So, we tie him to every “dangerous” liberal we can think of in order to scare people from realizing that Republicans have done a perfectly good job of screwing up Texas on their own.

So, we link him to Joe Biden and his America. Let’s ignore that Biden inherited a nation where you could literally see the dumpster on fire. Let’s ignore that we have had record deficit reduction, job creation, and solid economic growth. Let’s ignore that COVID is now under control and the vast majority of the population got vaccinated in short order. Let’s ignore that our reputation around the world is coming back. Let’s forget about all of that. Mike Collier is not Joe Biden.

Then, we link him with AOC and “her Green New Deal”. Let’s forget two things immediately. First, let’s forget that most people couldn’t accurately tell you what’s actually in the Green New Deal. Secondly, let’s forget that the GOP can’t go three minutes without complaining about gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil. Yet, begin suggesting policies to move to alternative energy sources and you are a radical. Mike Collier is not AOC.

Then, we link him with Nancy Pelosi and California. Apparently, California is some kind of hell scape with zombies and the purge simultaneously coming to kill the residents there that haven’t already been radicalized. In actuality, they mentioned sanctuary cities, weak immigration policies, and cheap bail. Goodness knows we don’t want to be like those vegetable eating commies over there in California. They cannot produce quotes Collier of saying any of these things. He’s a Democrat. Nancy Pelosi is a Democrat. It must be so.

The candidate running against Lauren Boebert was so fed up in their debate about her mentioning Nancy Pelosi that he finally had to keep repeating his own name. This is Mike Collier. He’s running for Lieutenant Governor. Joe Biden isn’t running. Nancy Pelosi isn’t running. AOC isn’t running. I haven’t heard about “woke” policies, boys playing girls sports, or sanctuary cities, but if you had those on your bingo card you are today’s winner.

Author’s Note: I have to thank those that participate in the comments section for spurring me on to offer an extended commentary.

I remember reading “The Apology” for the first time in one of my political science classes in college. It was there that Socrates used the term “gadfly.” The term stuck with me and was eventually applied to others in history like Martin Luther King Jr. I can’t speak for anyone else, but the term always took on a special significance after that as it got attached to people that unapologetically spoke their mind even when they did not benefit from doing so.

What I found interesting in the comments was the problem of “bothsidesism” because there are voices on the left and right that consider themselves as gadflies. I suppose that’s true and yet all of the assorted vociferous politicians on the right never seem to actually offer anything of substance. Socrates wanted us to be better. Martin Luther King wanted us to be better. I see AOC in the same light. People like that are rarely appreciated in their own time. Their commentaries become annoying to some and inconvenient to others. Yet, they always have substance.

Those other folks remind me of a beautiful song by John Lennon when he was with the Beatles. In “Across the Universe” he offered these lines back to back: “Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind…” and then “nothing’s going to change my world.” Lennon is often credited with brilliant irony when in fact he stumbled on it accidentally. I’m positive he probably never grasped the incredible irony of those lines being back to back.

Like Lennon, many of the “luminaries” on the right likely see themselves as gadflies when they are really just a bunch of jackasses. The fortunate difference in this case is that at least Lennon was a jackass with talent. Naturally, people around here know the difference, so belaboring the point is just indulgent. For any outsider that might stumble in, the difference is subtle. It basically comes down to the purpose behind the annoyance. One wants us to be better while the other just wants to be noticed.

It doesn’t change the fact that both can be irritating in the moment. Any challenging person can be irritating. The question is whether we ever move on from the irritation. If the motive behind the irritation is to provoke thought then we have to. If the motive behind the irritation is attention then we can’t.

There are famous lows in our nation’s history. I suppose one would see the signs beforehand, but everything is a lot clearer in the rearview mirror. We could see the signs of Civil War when we look backwards. I wonder what they saw when Charles Sumner was beaten on the Senate floor in 1856.

Will we look back on this latest flap over Rep. Paul Gosar as a blip on the radar or a precursor of things to come? For those that don’t want to go down the rabbit hole, essentially Gosar released a video on Twitter and Instagram of him killing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes and also stabbing President Biden. As always, it is the aftermath of this situation that is so unsettling.

Democratic leadership is at a loss of what to do. On a number of levels I get it. A lot of this has to do with the momentum thing I discussed earlier this week. How much political capital do you want to expend to get rid of a guy that probably has zero political power? It was a lot like dealing with Marjorie Taylor Greene. If you do too much you end up martyring a nobody and giving them more oxygen. If you don’t do enough you encourage the behavior. It’s the no win scenario.

Kevin McCarthy apparently has been neutered for his own protection. He is not willing to stand up to anybody or anything. He’s the kid on the playground that all the bullies hit up for his lunch money. The only question is which bully will get to him first.

AOC is one of the more polarizing members of Congress. She might be the most polarizing member of Congress. Even for Democrats, you feel like you alternately love her and then want to shake some sense into her. That’s what happens when you speak your mind and never self-censor yourself. On some level, it is enviable that someone can go through life like that. On another it is frightening to see someone get that much vitriol for just speaking their mind.

In one of the oddities of this case, Gosar’s sister is one of his most vocal critics. That must be an interesting family come Thanksgiving. I think everyone should keep their head on a swivel lest the gravy bowl wind up on top of their head. However, no one can disagree with a word she says.

Everyone remembers the story of Kathy Griffin and the flap over 45’s severed head. The comedian had a somewhat promising career that went up in smoke. People don’t think that even subtle threats are funny and it doesn’t particularly matter who the subject is. Republicans and Democrats should be able to agree on this much.

That was a B-list comedian doing that. Now it is an actual member of Congress. I suppose there can be no greater illustration of where we are as a country. On one side, fringe entertainers are going a bridge too far or sound crazy. On the other side, actual representatives are going a bridge too far and sound crazy. Unfortunately, some people still don’t see the difference.

AOC tore up the GOP yesterday on climate change.  This warms my heart.

https://youtu.be/MMfWD2fHiYI