Opinions

Will she or won’t she? It’s the question on everybody’s lips. Ridiculous. Ludicrous. Of course she will. Her macho ego and messianic mission to save America won’t let her turn away. We need her. She leads an ignorance-based bunch that is on a crusade to give power back to the people. Every criticism is ammunition for a counterattack. Every criticism proves the rightness of their cause. Every criticism strengthens their resolve. Every criticism is a badge of honor.

Prediction: She’ll run but will not get the nomination. The leaders of her party will go into a self-preservation mode and in the end nominate one of their own. They’d rather risk losing the zealots who follow her than risk losing the election, which would surely happen if she were the nominee.

Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe she could win. Maybe the 40% or so of the people who resonate with her will grow. Maybe the income disparity gap in this country is so wide and the anger felt by those who feel left out or persecuted by the government they don’t trust is so deep that the numbers will tilt in their direction. Could be. What then? The downward spiral of American power and influence will accelerate. So it becomes not a matter of ‘if’ but only of ‘when.’

Good luck.

Different subject: So many politicians on all sides are complaining about the suggestions put forth by Simpson and Bowles, co-Chairs of the Deficit Commission, that it’s hard not to conclude they’re on to something. Unfortunately, the ones objecting to the proposals are the same ones who, if they had the guts and brains, could do something about it. So nothing will happen and we’ll continue to move inexorably toward the economic catastrophe that awaits us.

Prediction: This one is a no brainer. Michael Steele will soon be out as Republican Chair. It doesn’t matter if he wants to keep the job. He’s history.

And Nancy Pelosi should be gone. She did her job. She had some victories. And she led her party into the electoral toilet. With her approval rating at 15% she should have declared victory and become a full-time grandma. Again, ego and stubbornness trump graceful and appropriate behavior.