Well, I’m a bit surprised but pleased to report that Trump’s little Nuremberg in Tulsa was a flop.  As usual, Trump “helped…”

On the right, this photo (without the Sharpie additions) will be dismissed as having been taken before or after the rally.  Still, there are FAR too many photos of the arena no more than two-thirds full.  The trump team had to pull down the outside venue that had been set up for the overflow – because the “overflow” never materialized.

I don’t mean to make too big of a deal about it.  The best explanation is that, despite what they’ll tell you in public, even conservatives were too aware of the risks of Covid-19 to take such an unnecessary chance.  Sure, for a haircut, yes.  But to listen to an old, washed-up TV guy riff on his “greatest” hits?  Why?

Alternately, I’ve heard that huge numbers of young people signed up for tickets they had NO intention of using as a joke, which is what caused the campaign to believe – and announce – that the rally was going to be a huge success with overflow crowds and people STILL being turned away.

I’ve looked at many photos of the event.  I found a few masks.  That surprised me.  For political reasons, conservatives have been conditioned to disdain the masks.  I didn’t expect ANYBODY to wear one at such an event.

I’m expecting Fox “News” to start – today – taunting people who still accept science with the idea that – as of today – there are no new cases of Covid-19 attributable to the rally.  Of course not.  There’s an incubation period.  Let’s see what happens to the infection rate starting in 10-14 days.  I’m guessing Fox will be silent on the subject by then…

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I don’t care about Bolton’s new book but I DO think he has a point about how badly the Democrats handled the impeachment.  The Dems are insisting that he should have testified and perhaps the process would have gone better.  It would not have.  The Dems insisted – insisted – the process must move forward at breakneck speed; so fast they didn’t even have time to collect and collate all of the information.  But they DID have time to sit on the Articles of Impeachment for something like three weeks.

I continue to believe that the job of the Democrats in this charade of a Republic is to lose.  They’re supposed to put up something that appears to be a “fight” but lose.  Rank and file Democratic and Progressive Americans offer all kinds of ways to win.  The Republicans offer misery and suffering to the masses and nothing else.  It should be easy for Dems to pull off victory after victory but they scrupulously avoid any path that might actually lead to a win.  It’s always true: actions speak louder than words…

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I guess the PG&E bankruptcy is moving forward.  I had a conversation with a PG&E employee who thought that the recent decision by the company to move it’s headquarters to a cheaper location would benefit rate-payers.  I laughed.  (He’s young.)  I explained that PG&E executives would benefit from the move; not the rate-payers.  Literally two days later?  PG&E was back at the trough seeking rate INCREASES…

It seems there’s NOTHING in this once-great nation that works in practice as described in the brochure…