Who Are 'The Men North Of Richmond'?

 In recent days, with the Oliver Anthony tune.....folks have taken an interest who he refers to....when stating 'men north of Richmond'.

He's referring to lobbyists, Republicans and Democrats.  Anyone who got into greed and made wealth off their occupation.

If you came to DC twenty-five years ago being half-a-millionaire....you probably exceed 200-million today.  And if we analyzed your friends....they also got rich off your DC work.

So as much as conservative House/Senate members might say this is their 'tune'.....NO, it's really putting a number of these folks in the same status of blame.

Could Joe Biden Debate Vivek Ramaswamy In A Presidential Debate?

 No. 

If we reach October 2024, and Ramaswamy is the Republican candidate (not Trump or DeSantis).....the last thing on Earth that Biden could walk into....is a debate with Ramaswamy.  

Even if you used NPR or CNN people.....Ramaswamy is probably capable of taking Biden AND the moderator on at the same time.  

I'm not saying Ramaswamy is a great politician (he's not), but at debate skills.....there's probably fewer than five House/Senate members existing today that can debate at his level.

The fact that probably one-third of all Republicans in DC....won't saddle-up with the Ramaswamy agenda?  Yeah, that's a problem as well.  Finding people to be in his cabinet to be a problem?  Yeah, there's that issue as well.

But to imagine two debates (Biden versus Ramaswamy)....it just won't be entertaining to watch Biden bumble around and give confusing answers.  

I might even go and suggest that Biden won't agree to a single debate.  

Two Beers Per Week?

 President Biden's health 'expert' came out this week and said that there should be a limit of two beers per week.

He didn't say a law or sales limit should occur....just that you should only drink two beers a week.  Oddly, he didn't even say low-or-moderate alcohol content....just two beers.

I pondered over this.

I grew up in a dry county (rural north Alabama) and most people would readily say they drank zero beers, but behind a closed door....admit to driving to the state line and consuming four to eight beers over a four-hour period....every Saturday evening.

Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for the guy to suggest a McDonalds menu limit of 1,200 total calories?  Or perhaps.....suggest that only half-a-Coke-can per day would be more appropriate?  Or perhaps suggest no more than 3 pancakes with syrup per week?

How did beer come into a political discussion?  By accident or design?

It's just an odd conversation.  

What'll happen here?  Well....two beers could be in a regular containers....or in mega-containers (1-liter size).....so I'm guessing extra-large beer cans will be the outcome here.....24 ounces per can.  A full-liter can?  Well....that would be 33 ounces.  

America As A Car

I have a Audi A5, which has probably 300 different features built into it.  So far, four years into owning it....every single thing has worked.  One day, I expect a feature or two to develop issues, and troubles to start up.

America is like that advanced car....except it's already got issues.

You can't depend on the police, or some local prosecutor.

You can't lessen fire danger issues because of environmentalists

You have druggies on every street in major cities now.  

You have a higher chance of power-outage today....than in the 1970s.

From the general population....there is less trust in nurses and doctors today....than forty years ago.

Daily readership of newspapers?  It dropped by 50-percent since 2000.  Go ask people about the last time they read a Time or Newsweak.....a lot of people will tell you at least ten years ago.

Recruitment for the US military?  In severe decline.

Something is 'broke' here and the pieces/parts required....just won't fit like they did before.

People are skeptical of your intentions, your beliefs, or the general facts.  

It's a rough world developing.  

My Own Fire Experience

 Every year as a kid in rural Alabama....as you approached October.....you had a leaf raking experience over the yard, and you'd end up with enough leaves to fill thirty 'big' garbage bags.  They'd all be pushed to a corner in the yard (away from trees) and lit.  So for about 30 minutes.....you'd have this controlled fire situation.  

Somewhere around age 15....we had some neighbor to the farm who did this and allowed the yard fire to expand out into one of our fields.  It took about 20 minutes to realize what had happened, and then drive out to the field....with a light wind pushing it north....near a wooded area (not our property).

All of this happening about an hour before sundown.

My dad and I were out there....in the wooded area till about 9 PM....when the last of the field-and-woods fire had been put out.    You were tired, and all-smoked-up.

Generally, if you pay attention....do controlled fires, and downsize underbrush....the potential for a big fire lessens.  

I look at a lot of the Maui fire business, and it just seems like having a 'control' situation or downsizing underbrush....was never a priority.  It's like....they seemed to have higher  priorities in their strategy.  

Can Biden Or Newsom Reach Enough Votes Again?

 For the 2008 election (Obama/McCain)....there were a total of 129-million voters in the mix.

For the 2012 election (Obama/Romney)....there were a total of 126-million voters in the mix.

For the 2016 election (Clinton/Trump)....there were a total of 128-million voters in the mix.

For the 2020 election (Biden/Trump)....there were a total of 155.5-million voters in the mix.

(Note, I'm not counting the 3rd-party guys).

The question here....can you dig up 25-million extra voters....which in 2008/2012/2016.....was not possible.

Adding to this issue....if inflation is still a continuing problem (four years into Biden's period)....will working class Democrats really buy into the Biden or Newsom message?

Then you consider.....just on California woes of the past decade....is there anything really positive about Newsom....other than he looks really good in a thousand-dollar suit?

It's a sad thing to admit....but there's clearly not any dynamic 'star' as governor or senator....that the Democratic Party can drag out and really attract people....other than Biden or Newsom.

You need to find these 25-million extra people and somehow convince them to vote again, and I just don't see this possible.  

If Trump exceeds the 2020 numbers (he had 74.2-million votes)?  Well....that's another worry....that he might actually convince another 3-million voters (probably Hispanic and blacks), and suddenly.....the 25-million Biden extra votes really matter a lot.  

Q-and-A: 23 Aug 2023

 1.  Does any of this debate crap matter?

NO.

A couple of dimwit journalists asks stupid questions.....a couple of candidates give bogus answers, and after an hour of this....you have this 'daze' in your head....like you had six shots of vodka and drunk a whole bottle of flu-medicine.  

2.  Biden falling asleep at that Maui appearance

You have to deal with a old guy who probably needs two naps every day....on top of his eight hours of sleep.  If you don't like the idea....vote someone else in.

3.  Did you even notice S&P downgraded several banks?

Wasn't front-page news.  Should be a big indicator of things to come over next year.

4.  Masks coming back?

Yeah....another Covid era.  Me and my one single mask (bought in 2020) with 14,888 hours of use.....to be re-used again?  Yeah.