by TEJ | Aug 15, 2024 | Political humor
These nine people all have something in common. They all still have no idea who they’re going to vote for in the upcoming presidential election. I interviewed them to find out what the f*ck’s wrong with them, I mean, what is keeping them from making up their mind.
With only weeks remaining before the 2024 presidential election, the contrast between the two candidates for our nation’s highest office could not be more obvious. On one side is a 59-year-old black / South Asian woman, the child of Indian and Jamaican immigrants, a liberal who smiles relentlessly, talks about joy, and exudes optimism about the future.
On the other side is the oldest candidate ever to run for president, a crotchety 78-year-old massively overweight orange man, convicted of sexual assault, who posts dozens of rambling texts every day railing about how horrible everything is and that only he can save America from a terrifying, dystopian future of doom, despair, and imminent collapse into a hopeless hellscape.
One is a former prosecutor. The other, a convicted felon. One is named Donald, the other goes by Kamala – or perhaps it’s Kam-MAL-a or maybe Kamabla – I’m not really sure anymore.
Their differences in policy, ideology, personality, and ability to utter coherent thoughts could not be starker. And yet, incredibly, there remains a handful of people who still claim to be undecided about who to vote for. Who are these people? What the Hell is wrong with them? I mean, why have they still not made up their minds? And what will it take for them to finally pick a candidate?
I recently conducted an informal focus group with a few of the last remaining undecided voters to get some answers. Here is what I learned.
Tim Jones: I understand that you have not yet made up your mind about whether to vote for Kamala Harris or Donald Trump. Why is that?
Undecided Voter Mary: Who was that first person you mentioned?
Tim: Kamala Harris.
Mary: No, can’t say that name rings a bell. Who exactly is he anyway?
Tim: It’s a SHE. And she’s the Democrat in the race. That’s Kamal Har–
Rebecca is a busy mom. She said she plans to read up on the two candidates just as soon as she has some downtime between taking her kids to soccer practice and making everybody dinner. She will get around to picking a candidate by early December at the very latest, she promises.
Mary: Oh, you mean KamABla? Yes, I think I’ve heard of her. Why do you ask?
Tim: She’s running for president. What will it take for you to decide who you’re voting for?
Mary: Well, I’m just waiting until my husband tells me who to vote for.
Tim: Pardon me? And who is your husband planning to vote for?
Mary: He’s not sure yet. He is hoping Gerald Ford might run again this year.
Tim: I hate to break it to your husband but Ford passed away in 2006. You sir. I understand that you have not made up your mind yet about who to vote for in the presidential election.
Undecided Voter Bert: Is there an election this year? Gosh, it feels like there was an election barely four years ago.
Tim: That’s right, sir. Every four years – like’s it’s been done since 1788, when George Washington was elected. May I ask you, why are you still on the fence?
Bert: I’m not on the fence. I’m sitting right here, on this leather couch. Maybe you need to get your eyes checked.
Tim: No, I mean figuratively speaking, why are you on the fence – undecided about who to vote for, for president?
Bert: I don’t like to rush into things. I’m a muller. I’m still unsure about whether or not to take a shower today.
Tim: Just curiously, when’s the last time you took a shower, sir?
Bert: August 2011. Like I said, I’m not one for rushing into things.
Tim: Ma’am, I understand that you too have not made up your mind about this year’s presidential election. Why is that?
Undecided Voter Trixie: There are just so many choices. I just can’t make up my mind.
Tim: So many choices? Not really. There’s the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, and the Democrat candidate, Kamala Harris. Oh, and a third guy named Kennedy running as an independent, but he’s a bit of a wackadoodle. He claims a worm ate part of his brain. And recently he admitted to dumping a dead bear in Central Park. A bit of an odd duck.
This is Lucas. He isn’t really into politics. Besides, none of his friends plan to vote, so why should he? He’d tell us more but he’s in the middle of an intense game of Mortal Kombat 11 with a 9-year-old from Sweden named Lars, who’s pretty good.
Trixie: Oh really? I like Kennedy. I voted for him the last time. I think it was 1960.
Tim: Not the same guy, ma’am.
Trixie: Just curious. How did he kill that bear, anyway? With his bare hands? He sounds very brave.
Tim: Excuse me, sir. Can I ask you a question? What is it going to take for you finally to decide on a candidate for president?
Undecided Voter Richard: Well, I hate to see anybody lose. If it were up to me, I’d vote for both candidates, so they could share the job of president.
Tim: That’s not how our democracy works. The voters decide on one person. We don’t let them share the job.
Richard: Well, that sounds selfish. I always tell my kids they need to share their toys. Maybe it’s time we let both candidates share the Oval Office. Can we vote for a dog? My neighbor’s dog, Barkley, is a basset hound. He’s dumb as a brick, but he’d never get us into a war, that’s for sure.
Tim: Um, I’m pretty sure dogs can’t run for office.
Richard: Are you positive? Because I read once where a town elected a golden retriever mayor.
Tim: Hmmm. This isn’t going quite the way I had hoped. You, ma’am. Why have you not made up your mind yet?
Undecided Voter Gladys: Well, to be honest, I really don’t like either candidate. On the one hand, Donald Trump is old and grumpy and mean and he seems to be a little, well, weird. On the other hand, Joe Biden looks like he’s about to keel over and die. He’s so old and frail-looking lately.
Tim: Ma’am, sorry to interrupt your coma, but Joe Biden is no longer running. Kamala Harris will be the Democrat choice for president. Does that help you make up your mind?
Gladys: I did not know that. When did that happen? And who’s this Kim-OH-la person?
Norm doesn’t really follow the news much, so he’s not really sure who’s running for president. Norm usually just asks his bartender friend Collin who he’s planning to vote for and follows his lead. So, what’s Collin’s system for choosing a candidate? Simple: Whoever has the most TikTok followers.
Tim: Several weeks ago. And it’s KAM-ah-La. Kamala Harris is his Vice President.
Gladys: Oh right. I think I’ve heard of her. Is she the one who can’t decide whether she’s a black girl or an Indian? Why won’t she just come out and pick a race?
Tim: Because she’s both.
Gladys: I’m not sure that’s possible. And another thing, Fox News says she’s never had kids. I’m not sure I can vote for a woman who hates children.
Tim: She is the stepmother of two kids.
Gladys: Hmm. I’m not sure that’s true. I heard she hates the Jews.
Tim: She does have kids. And her husband, Doug Emhoff, is Jewish.
Gladys: Hmm. I’m not sure about that.
Tim: Arrgh! Well, I’m not sure what conclusions to draw from this small focus group of undecided voters. From what I can tell, they all have one thing in common: They’re all idiots.
Maybe they all should sit out this election. Besides, they appear to have much more pressing decisions to ponder, like what to watch on TV tonight, Cagney & Lacey or Matlock, and in Bert’s case, whether or not to shower.
That’s the view from the bleachers. Perhaps I’m off base.
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by TEJ | Jun 4, 2024 | Parenting and Family humor, Political humor
In the Garden of Eden, everything was going great until Eve tempted Adam to disobey God and eat the apple. That’s when all Hell broke out. The moral of the story: It’s all the girl’s fault – at least that’s what I got out of the story. Maybe I’m wrong.
I discovered there are some extremely helpful life lessons found in the Bible. For example, the story of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. When the serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden fruit, she selfishly convinced Adam to do the same, even though this was strictly against God’s direct order not to eat the apple. When Adam caved to her unrelenting nagging, God banished both of them into the wilderness and destroyed the Tree of Knowledge. I think the takeaway lesson from this story is clear: Adam may have screwed up, but technically, it was really mostly Eve’s fault. Like 90%.
Just as Adam blamed Eve for his ill-advised decision, there have been a spate of recent news stories about other men throwing their wives under the proverbial bus, blaming them for the husband’s own bad behavior. New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez was indicted for a bribery scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars in gifts and cash. When the Feds caught him red-handed with the loot, including actual bars of gold bullion, the Senator manned up and took the fall. I’m just kidding. He denied everything and blamed his wife for the entire scandal, claiming she kept him in the dark about her scheme.
Then there’s Samuel Alito. This nice man is a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, holding one of our nation’s most trusted positions of power. It was recently reported that for several days in the immediate aftermath of the January 6th storming of the U.S. Capitol, he flew an American flag upside down in his front yard. The upside down flag is widely known to symbolize support by people sympathetic to the “Stop the Steal” election-denying cause.
When confronted by journalists as to why a Supreme Court Justice would prominently display such an obvious symbol of political protest at his residence only days before Biden was sworn in, Alito did the noble thing: He blamed his wife. He claimed he had nothing to do with it and that his wife had put up the flag due to a spat she was embroiled in with an anti-Trump neighbor. Well played, Sammy. Well played.
Left: NJ Senator Robert Menendez; Right: Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. What do these men have in common: Both their wives hate them, since they both blamed them for their own bad behavior.
The obvious takeaway for husbands is that it’s perfectly acceptable to blame your wife when you get caught doing something reckless or morally egregious. For too many years, we husbands have been held accountable by our wives simply for making boneheaded, impulsive, and poorly thought-out decisions which we hoped our wives would never find out about. It’s time we held our ground and shifted the blame for our many failings squarely where it belongs: with our wives.
Let me explain how this works. Say you’ve been jonesing for a 20-foot power boat for years, but your wife keeps pointing out that “we can’t afford it.” This despite the fact that you’ve never once complained about all the times she’s gotten her hair done at that fancy salon.
My advice, following in the footsteps of inspirational men like Menendez and Alito, is to ignore her protestations. Go out and buy that boat anyway. You deserve it. And if she ever finds out (which is possible since it’s hard to hide a 20-foot boat in your garage), just blame your impulse purchase on your wife.
Point out that when she said, “You really shouldn’t buy that boat,” you thought she meant, “Oh, my, you really shouldn’t, my darling” the way southern women in the movies often blush and say things like that when what they really mean is “Oh, my, Thank you, darling. How did you know? I just love it. Of course, I will have sex with you tonight.” Explain how you bought it for HER, not even thinking about yourself, and how you plan to name her boat “Beautiful Gal” in her honor. And how the dealer doesn’t accept returns after the sale.
But be careful about trying this technique if you’re thinking about buying those top-of-the-line titanium Calloway golf clubs without her permission. She might not be convinced you bought them for her, given the last time she played golf was 1994 – and all the holes came with castles, clown faces, and pirate ships.
Let’s say you just put half of your retirement nest egg into some convoluted cryptocurrency scheme your buddy Artie told you was sure to quadruple your investment in five months. Say it tanks, becoming totally worthless. Remember, it’s not your fault. It’s HER fault. After all, your wife was the one who once said, “Gosh, I wish we’d invested in Google back when it first went public.” So, clearly she was giving you her tacit permission to try to load up on the next unicorn buying opportunity.
Is it your fault that it turned out that your $200,000 investment in BUBBA BUCKS crypto turned out to be pyramid scheme run by an ex-con named Bubba who had recently served ten years for defrauding people by selling them non-existent condos on the moon? Okay, technically, yeah, it IS your fault. But that’s beside the point. Your wife planted the idea in your brain with that Google comment. So, she’s at least half to blame.
See this poor husband? He’s grossly overweight from eating junk food and never exercising. But it’s not his fault. Blame his wife for serving him his favorite foods and letting him lie on the couch and watch football for hours on end without ever complaining.
Imagine you arrive home at 2am, after playing poker with your buddies – instead of 10pm like you promised your wife – and your wife notices the car’s front bumper has been badly smashed in. Once again, it’s not your fault that you forgot to press the garage door remote, and as a result drove straight into the closed garage door. It could have happened to anyone who was as drunk as you were.
This is clearly your wife’s fault. She should have called you to remind you when the clock struck 10pm to come home NOW! But she didn’t. She deliberately let you keep playing poker and doing tequila shots. So, why should you be blamed simply for failing to notice the garage door was shut when you rammed your Ford F-150 pickup truck into it at 32 mph?
In any healthy marriage, the wife needs to accept at least 50% of the blame for your mistakes. If she really loves you, she’ll agree to take more like 75%. Remember, guys. We’re just men. We’re designed to fuck up. It’s in our caveman DNA. If your wife couldn’t figure that out by the time she agreed to marry you, if you ask me, that’s on her.
That’s the view from the bleachers. Perhaps I’m off base.
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by TEJ | Mar 2, 2024 | Political humor
[Author’s note for the humor-impaired: This week’s article is political satire. – TEJ]
The case before the Supreme Court is far from black and white. They must decide whether a former president is above the law or not. Okay, well, maybe it is pretty black and white, now that you put it that way.
I’m mad as Hell. I’ve been watching nothing but News Max and Fox News for two weeks straight. They’ve got me so riled up, I’ve only had seven hours of sleep in the past three days. Perhaps it’s lack of sleep or the 12 Red Bulls I’ve ingested in the past 15 hours, but I’m feeling a little cranky. And I need to get some things off my chest.
One thing’s become clear to me: All 257 current and pending civil and criminal prosecutions being waged against Donald Trump are politically motivated witch hunts by the Deep State.
Based on that, I totally agree with the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision to hear Trump’s immunity claim. The issue before the court is this:
Can a former president who has engaged in a series of criminal acts break the law whenever he wants and get away with it?
Answer: Of course he can. And he SHOULD be able to get away with it. Because presidents can do whatever they want. Trump assured us it’s in the Constitution (I think in Article 11. Or maybe it was Article B). The verdict is still out as to whether this immunity protection would apply if the president were a girl.
If they can prosecute the greatest president in U.S. History (Lincoln was lame compared to Trump) merely for some minor lapses of judgment (aka “criminal acts”), then what’s to stop our corrupt justice system from arresting anyone who’s committed a crime? Where will it all end?
Some of history’s greatest men have been arrested and imprisoned. Think about it. They put Nelson Mandela away for 27 years. They prosecuted and murdered Jesus Christ. Our savior! (Well, at least if you’re a Christian, that is, which is the law in the USA, I’m pretty sure). And according to a commercial I recently saw on News Max, Trump is the new Messiah. Clearly, God wants him to be our king of kings. And God is never wrong.
If they can arrest Trump, they’ll soon be coming after you. Like Jesus before Pontius Pilate, Trump’s standing trial so you don’t have to. Such courage! And Donald Trump will do everything in his Constitutional power to keep you out of jail – just so long as you send $1,000 to his Legal Defense Fund.
Trump did nothing wrong. He was just trying to make sure that every vote was counted – including 11,780 extra special votes in Georgia. If the DOJ can go after Trump for every little miscalculation he made as president, who’s to stop them from going after other past presidents? In that case, Obama should definitely be prosecuted for wearing that terribly unpresidential tan suit at a press conference. Talk about fashion crime!
Who can forget this memorable, historic, patriotic day when President Trump urged his supporters to peacefully march to the Capitol, gently smash in the windows, politely break down the doors, and delicately hang Mike Pence.
The Supreme Court absolutely should hold that Trump is immune from prosecution. It’s the only fair verdict, since he gave a third of the court their jobs. They owe him.
Meanwhile, the radical, communist-sympathizing, woke, America-hating, God-denying anarchists on the left want to let in all the Mexican drug dealers, rapists, and LGBTQ supporters. And they’re furious the Supreme Court accepted this case in the first place, saying it was an open-and-shut case that no president should be considered “above the law.”
But it’s just not that simple. I mean, where do you draw the line? If you can prosecute Trump for inciting an insurrection and attempting to subvert an election, what’s next? By that logic, should prosecutors come after him for obstructing the Mueller investigation? Sharing classified documents with the Russians? Trying to strongarm Ukraine’s president Zelensky to lie about Joe Biden? Firing whistleblowers? Repeatedly violating the Emoluments Clause? Causing the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans by not taking the COVID pandemic seriously? Of course not! Jeez, you liberals are such whiny nitpickers.
On the other hand, presidential immunity should not be granted to Joe Biden – because he’s not even our real president, so technically it doesn’t even apply to him. I’m not really sure what all the Hunter Biden / Burisma / Ukraine stuff is all about. Kinda complicated. But Hunter admitted to using cocaine in the past, including when Biden was Vice President. Hunter’s supplier was probably his dad. Disgusting. So, if you ask me, Biden should be prosecuted for running a drug cartel out of the White House – something Donald Trump has never been accused of, I might add.
Many on the subversive left also are up in arms – and not the good kind of arms like an AR-15 rifle – that by taking up Trump’s immunity claim, it will push the January 6th trial back until after the 2024 election. Sure it will, but that’s just how the justice system works. Cry me a river, you libs.
In my objective opinion, the Supreme Court should not hear this case until at least Spring 2027 at the earliest – to give Trump’s lawyers adequate time to prepare. After all, this is an extremely complicated case.
And let’s not forget the Supreme Court has a full docket of other equally pressing cases ahead of it in the queue, like whether a plaintiff can sue Buffalo Wild Wings for misrepresentation and fraud when they discovered the chain’s “Buffalo Wings” aren’t technically wings. (That’s an actual lawsuit.)
You can’t expect the Supremes to make a rushed decision overnight. That’s impossible. In fact it’s never happened in the court’s history (with the minor exception of Bush v. Gore, where they reached a verdict one day after hearing oral arguments, handing the 2000 election to Bush).
Supreme Court Justices are ordinary people, too. They have lives just like you and me. They need time to decompress, be with family, take a pottery class, or hit the road for a three-week vacation in their 40-foot $267,000 Prevost Marathon RV given to them by a rich benefactor with cases before the court. You can’t rush important decisions like this.
In the meantime, I hope you’ll join me in making a small donation of $500 to help Donald Trump’s re-election campaign. I’ve been assured that no more than 90% of your donation will be applied towards the $500 million in judgments Trump has been ordered to pay.
When Trump wins the election (with only minimal assistance from Russia), I’m confident his own Department of Justice will shut down all these frivolous prosecutions, so he can focus on Making America Great Again (just so long as you’re not black, trans, an immigrant, or Joe Biden).
Joe Biden, when that day comes, Trump’s Attorney General (who I’m hoping will be Marjorie Taylor Greene) won’t let you hide behind presidential immunity for all the Biden Crime Family’s misdeeds. In fact, I just learned on Fox News that you recently LIED by saying in a speech that the Grand Canyon was one of the NINE Wonders of the World. There are only seven wonders, and the Grand Canyon ain’t one of them. You lied to the American people – something Trump would never do.
That’s the view from the bleachers. Perhaps I’m off base.
PS: If you enjoyed this week’s post, let me know by posting a comment, giving it a Like or sharing this post on Facebook.
Subscribe to my View from the Bleachers YouTube Channel and request notifications to see my latest videos. And check out my latest book, THE SECRET TO SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS (is Something I Have Never Figured Out. I’m Open to Suggestions).
by TEJ | Oct 22, 2023 | Political humor
Black smoke emerges again from the Capitol’s chimney – a sign that a new Speaker has not yet been chosen.
For the past several weeks, the U.S. House of Representatives has been a House Divided. That’s because a group of representatives voted to remove Kevin McCarthy as Speaker. This had never happened before in the 247 years of our nation’s existence. The mutiny came from the far-right “Freedom Caucus,” led by Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz (unanimously selected by his colleagues to spearhead the one-person You Can’t Sit With Us Caucus)
Republicans are desperately searching for someone – anyone – whom the entire caucus can rally around. But so far, their efforts have floundered. Conservative pundits had expected the Speaker’s mantle would be passed to the longtime Trump ally / attack dog, Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan. But after three rounds of balloting, it became clear that Mr. Charisma was not going to meet the required 217 vote threshold. This was caused in part by the fact several moderate Republican colleagues considered Jordan to be – how can we put this delicately – an arrogant, pompous, bullying, narcissistic horse’s ass.
Prior to his defeat, most conservative House members gave Jordan high marks for his steadfast refusal ever to vote in support of any piece of legislation proposed by any Democrat. His record of refusing to work across the aisle is unrivaled.
Jordan achieved a well-earned reputation for his unyielding loyalty to the 45th president, as demonstrated by his tireless work to help Trump attempt to overturn the 2020 election. But perhaps most importantly, Jordan had won plaudits from his ardent constituents for his unwavering unwillingness to bow to pressure from disgruntled Democrats who chided him to “please put on a Goddamn jacket for once in your life.”
For the moment, the House continues to be Speakerless. Because of the crisis, House Republicans have officially changed the name of their caucus to the “Chaos Caucus.” With Jordan now officially out of the running, Republicans, also affectionately known as the “The Coup Clutz Clan,” have expanded their search for a possible speaker. In the past few days, several surprising names have surfaced to take Kevin McCarthy’s place:
Kevin McCarthy: Several House members have suggested simply going back to the previous speaker. On the positive side, he has more experience as Speaker than any of the other names being floated. On the downside, he’s Kevin McCarthy.
Donald Trump: The ex-president’s name has been frequently circulated on social media. His favorables include widespread name recognition and the helpful fact that every Republican Congressperson is terrified of pissing him off. One possible minor drawback to his candidacy is figuring out how he would oversee House proceedings from his jail cell. Supporters are furiously raising donations to ensure he has a good phone plan in prison, one with unlimited texting and data.
The effort to find a Speaker of the House to replace Kevin McCarthy has devolved into a chaotic, messy, contentious fight that has torn apart the Republican Party. On the plus side, the government has completely shut down, which is one of the key goals of many Republican members of Congress.
George Santos: Admittedly one of the more controversial characters in the Republican party, Santos threw his hat in the ring despite being under a 23-count federal indictment – or maybe because of it. While his felony count total pales in comparison to the 45th president, many MAGA Republicans point out that it’s an excellent start, given his short time in office. A dark horse candidate for sure, don’t count him out just yet, thanks in part to the Purple Heart he says he was posthumously awarded for courageously serving on the front lines in Ukraine’s battle for freedom, and because he is the first man ever to walk on Mars.
Abraham Lincoln: On the plus side, Honest Abe, the first Republican ever to win the White House, is probably the most universally admired president in American history. He held our union together in its darkest hours during the Civil War. One significant drawback to his candidacy may be the fact he’s been dead for 158 years. However, nearly 40% of likely Republican primary voters believe Abe is still alive and should run on a unity ticket for president with JFK. However, Lincoln was not known to be a supporter of building the wall to keep out the Mexicans, so that could hurt his chances slightly,
Jesus Christ: Although our Savior, like Lincoln, is widely believed to be dead, there have been countless claims of Jesus sightings year after year. My neighbor Bert Higgins is fairly sure he saw him coming out of a 7-Eleven in South Philly. Still, Christ’s notorious tendency to provide handouts to the poor and needy, along with his leftist radical clothing choices, along with his hippielike affinity for long hair and a beard, may cement JC in the minds of key Republican voters as too woke and a socialist who’s soft on crime. He was also reportedly once Jewish, which won’t help his chances in the Bible Belt.
Vladimir Putin: As Marjorie Taylor Greene recently pointed out, the Constitution is silent about whether the Speaker must be an American citizen (unless you count that ambiguous text in Article I, Section 2, Clause 2, which reads, “No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have …been seven Years a Citizen of the United States“]. Trump, an ardent admirer of his Russian boss, has highlighted that Putin is way smarter than Biden and someone he’d emulate if he is ever restored to his rightful throne (he means presidency). Also, have you seen Putin on a horse without his shirt on? Talk about sexy!
Elmer Fudd: Admittedly a longshot, this TV celebrity checks off several important boxes the Trump base looks for in a candidate: white, male, good ole boy from the deep south, and a strident PRO GUN advocate. A favorite of the NRA. Fudd has long taken a no-nonsense stance against crime (especially any mischief caused by wascally wabbits). He supports building the wall to keep out Mexicans and other rodents.
Some Republicans have raised the idea of selecting this Roomba robot vacuum cleaner to be the next speaker. Because one of its wheels fell off, it ONLY goes to the RIGHT – something most R’s see as a big plus.
Commander: Some members of the Clown Car Party, as Republicans have come to be known, have suggested thinking further outside the box. A few have even floated the name of Commander, President Biden’s German Shepherd. It appears Commander, while for the most part unapologetically apolitical, holds strong views on defense (of his toys). As a bonus, he’s reportedly bit President Biden and several prominent Democrats on multiple occasions, which the Republican base argues proves he wants to Make America Great Again. The only question at this point is whether he’s had his shots.
So, who will come out on top in the race for Speaker of the House? Well-respected members of the newly named “House of Cards” say it’s too soon to tell. But they continue to be optimistic that a unifying candidate will eventually emerge.
And as soon as that person pounds the Speaker’s gavel, their first order of business will be to shut down the government once and for all – until the Democrats finally acquiesce to their very reasonable demand to reinstate Trump as president and overlord.
Personally, my money is on Commander. Everybody loves dogs.
That’s the view from the bleachers. Perhaps I’m off base.
PS: If you enjoyed this week’s post, let me know by posting a comment, giving it a Like or sharing this post on Facebook.
Subscribe to my View from the Bleachers YouTube Channel and request notifications to see my latest videos. And check out my latest book, THE SECRET TO SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS (is Something I Have Never Figured Out. I’ Open to Suggestions).
by TEJ | Jul 6, 2023 | Political humor
ARI MELBER: Good evening and welcome to “The Beat.” Our top story tonight continues to be former President Donald Trump’s federal indictment over his handling of government documents. There’s so much about the government’s case against the former president that is still unknown, so we’ve assembled a panel of crack legal experts to help us shed light on the many questions surrounding it. Foremost among those questions, of course, is whether the case will actually go all the way to trial or whether Trump will seek a plea bargain. Let me therefore put that very question to former U.S. Attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Chuck Rosenberg. Chuck, what’s your sense about those two possibilities?
CHUCK ROSENBERG: Well, first of all, Ari, you’re absolutely right about that being the big question. It’s impossible to know whether the former president’s lawyers would be able to persuade him to plead guilty to some or all of the charges, though any responsible defense lawyer would certainly propose that. Nor can we know whether the Justice Department and Special Prosecutor Jack Smith’s team would be willing to accept a plea deal, unless it included terms such as a prison sentence, which Trump likely wouldn’t accept.
MELBER: You say “likely,” but of course…
ROSENBERG: …we don’t know.
MELBER: Because we can’t know for sure what’s going on inside Trump’s head.
ROSENBERG: Right. Or the Justice Department’s head… or, rather, heads… for that matter.
MELBER: It’s definitely a key question, though.
ROSENBERG: Yes, it certainly is.
MELBER: Okay, let’s turn now to former U.S. attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Joyce Vance. Joyce, Donald Trump isn’t the only one indicted in this case. His personal aide Walt Nauta has also been charged. What would you say are the chances that he’d be willing to flip and become a cooperating witness for the prosecution?
JOYCE VANCE: Well, considering the potential severe penalties that he’d be facing in the event of a conviction on the charges against him, he’d certainly be wise to consider it. But at the same time, he’s reportedly extremely loyal to President Trump, so it really remains an open question.
MELBER: He could turn state’s evidence.
VANCE: He definitely could. Or not.
MELBER: Interesting. Thanks, Joyce. We’re now joined by former U.S. Attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade. Barbara, where do things stand with regard to the judge in the case, Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by President Trump and was criticized for her initial handling of the government’s investigation? Will the prosecution seek to have her recuse herself?
MCQUADE: Time will tell, Ari. While it would be risky for the prosecution to do so at an early stage, if things go wrong and they wait too long it could significantly delay the case, which is something they don’t want either.
MELBER: So, hard to say.
MCQUADE: Yes, we’ll have to wait and see.
MELBER: Care to hazard a guess?
MCQUADE: My sense is that it could go either way.
ROSENBERG: Can I jump in with a comment, Ari?
MELBER: Sure, Chuck. Go ahead.
ROSENBERG: I just want to say that I totally agree with Barbara.
VANCE: So do I. Anything is possible.
MELBER: Fascinating. Thanks, Joyce and Barbara and Chuck. When we come back from the break, we’ll be joined by former U.S. Attorney and MSNBC legal analyst Carol Lam as well as by former federal prosecutor and MSNBC legal analyst Jill Wine-Banks for a deep dive into what we don’t yet know about the details of the government’s case, including any surprising evidence the prosecution may — or may not — have against the former president. Stay tuned.
by Steve Fisher
This week’s post was guest-written by former U.S. Attorney and VTFB legal analyst Steve Fisher. Steve notes, “They say that revenge is a dish best served cold. If you despise Donald Trump, then MSNBC”s non-stop coverage of his various indictments is a smorgasbord of schadenfreude, an all-you-can-eat karma buffet, with a large helping of comeuppance for your just desserts.”
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by TEJ | Mar 11, 2023 | Political humor
This is Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida. He is widely seen by many Republicans as the next Donald Trump. He is really shaking things up in the Sunshine State. And he just might be our 47th president. If you like a leader who can’t stand anyone who disagrees with him and who’s angry 80% of the time, this just might be your guy.
Most historians are in agreement that of the people who have been president of the United States, Donald Trump ranks among the top 46 (barely beaten out by the 45th best president, James Buchanan).
Personally, I’ve never had a strong opinion one way or the other about Trump, unless you consider the fact that since he was elected in 2016, I’ve written over THIRTY articles about this deplorable, vile, racist, misogynistic malignant narcissist, who is a lazy, incurious, vain, grossly overweight petulant man-child who is also a serial criminal / traitor / mob boss who only cares about himself and demands loyalty but offers none in return. But besides that, I really haven’t given the man much thought over the past seven years – except when I’ve been conscious.
As terrible a human being as Trump is, he’s not the person who keeps me up at night. That honor goes to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. In case you haven’t been following the news lately, you might want to pay closer attention – because DeSantis is the odds-on favorite to challenge Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024. There is a very real possibility he could be our next president.
The more I’ve learned about DeSantis, the more I’ve come to the opinion he’d be a dream candidate for president – assuming your dream candidate is a brooding, malevolent, temperamental, wannabe dictator who, if given the chance, is intent on turning his state, and eventually the nation, into an anti-woke, white Christian nationalist authoritarian society, fashioned exactly in the mold of Hungary’s fascist-leaning prime minister, Viktor Orbán. If this sort of world sounds like paradise to you, perhaps you’ve been watching a little too much Tucker Carlson (who is, by the way, a big fanboy of Viktor Orbán). Perhaps consider changing the channel to the PBS News Hour.
If you like Trump, you’re going to love Ron DeSantis. He’s every bit the megalomaniac as Don the Con, only much smarter and able to pronounce complicated words like “Beyoncé,” “Namibia,” and “United States.” In a nutshell, he’s Trump but without the fake orange spray tan – or all the impending criminal indictments.
So how does Gov. DeSantis compare to Donald Trump as a possible future leader of the Republican party? Trump is volatile, nasty, and hates minorities, gays, and anyone who confronts him. DeSantis is the same – except that he’s not likely to go to prison any time soon. Also, he can pronounce words like “anonymous” and “government.”
A former Florida state senator said the following: “There are no second chances. It’s well known that you can’t go against him. If you cross him once, you’re dead.” No, he wasn’t talking about the man I prefer to call Mar-a-Lardo. He was talking about Ron DeSantis.
In a nutshell, DeSantis, working in close collaboration with the Republican-controlled state legislature, is actively working to turn Florida into a culture eerily similar to Orbán’s authoritarian Hungary. He famously led the push to implement a “Don’t Say Gay” law, banning classroom instruction dealing with sexual orientation or gender identity. He also is behind legislation to prevent schools and universities from talking about racism and systemic racism, in part because it might cause white kids to feel bad about being white. He’s a big promoter of the massive book ban taking place in Florida right now.
And if you’re a fan of Covid, you’d love living in the sunshine state, because as of March 2023, Florida continues to lead the nation in the number of Covid cases with 4,120 new cases per day (the next closest state is Texas at 3,010). That’s largely because Governor DeSantis is a strident anti-vaxxer who has repeatedly demonized all the health measures recommended by the CDC to fight the pandemic.
Recently, Commander Covid has petitioned the Florida Supreme Court to convene a grand jury to investigate “crimes and wrongdoing” (his words) related to the life-saving Covid vaccines – because he cares about freedom – apparently the freedom to expose people around you to the risk of dying from Covid.
DeSantis’ public persona is that of a charismatic, positive, kind, uplifting, likeable person. I’m just kidding. He’s an angry, churlish bully. A culture warrior who takes pleasure in attacking and mocking anyone who disagrees with him. Excuse me for a minute. My wife just showed me a news article with a rather disconcerting headline:
Florida bill will require bloggers who write about the governor to register with the state.
According to this article (I’m not making this up), a bill has just been introduced in the Florida state legislature, endorsed by DeSantis, which, if passed, would “require bloggers who write about Gov. Ron DeSantis, his Cabinet or state legislators to register with the state within five days of the post.” It goes on to say that failure to do so would result in fines of up to $2,500 per post.
Yikes! Apparently, the Governor is rather thin-skinned about criticism. And vengeful. Uh oh….
Um, after consultation with my wife, I would like to amend my previous somewhat critical comments regarding the Florida governor. Upon further reflection, I would like to clarify that I think Governor DeSantis is a great governor, a man of great conviction, and a man for the people (well, some of them, anyway). He is a beacon of freedom and patriotism (if not wearing a mask means you’re a patriot).
I used to think Ron DeSantis was a smug, arrogant, mean-spirited, hotheaded white supremacist. But then I read about the proposed Florida legislation that will require all bloggers writing about DeSantis to register with the state. I want to clarify my previous comments: I think Ron DeSantis is GREAT. Please don’t arrest me, okay?
When I wrote the passage above, “He’s every bit the megalomaniac as Don the Con, only much smarter and able to say words like “Beyoncé,” “Namibia,” and “United States,” I would draw your attention to the part where I said he’s “much smarter.” I was just kidding about the “Wannabe dictator” paragraph. I had not eaten for hours, so I was feeling a bit hangry.
In conclusion, I just want to reiterate, as a blogger, I didn’t mean any of the insulting words I wrote about Our Dear Leader and Next Coming of Christ, Governor Ron. I’m a kidder. And I admire His Grand Imperial Highness deeply. I have decided to name my pet snake DeSantis in your honor, sir. I will raise my kids to fear anyone in drag and make sure they attend CPAC every year. And I promise never to let anyone vaccinate them – or any of our pets.
Oh, and one more thing, Governor DeSantis: PLEASE DON’T TAKE AWAY MY KIDS!! I BEG OF YOU!!
That’s the view from the bleachers. Perhaps I’m off base.
PS: If you enjoyed this week’s post, let me know by posting a comment, giving it a Like or sharing this post on Facebook.
Subscribe to my new View from the Bleachers YouTube Channel and request notifications to see my latest videos. And check out my new book, THE SECRET TO SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS (is Something I Have Never Figured Out. I’ Open to Suggestions).
