393. Lame Lame Duck; October's Opening Opinion

The American history books will tell us that the British expression from the 18th century "lame duck" was first applied to the United States presidency during the closing months of the term of James Buchanan. It has come to mean a president (or any office holder) who is unable to be elected again, is on the down side of her or his term, and is essentially impotent.

My younger friends use the term "lame" as an expression meaning out of touch or unsophisticated, not far from what is has always meant - disabled, impaired, or unsatisfactory - essentially impotent. And all the erectile dysfunction medicine ol' Bob Dole has ever peddled can't correct the current lameness of the current lame duck holding court at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in our nation's capital.

When George W. Bush took the airwaves after the failure of the House to pass the Financial Bailout bill, it occurred to me to ask, "Why in the world does this man think anybody pays him any attention?" Handed defeat at the hands of conservatives in his party and liberals in mine, he was and is the absolute personification of a lame duck and lame-ness. Has there ever been a president in a weaker position than this man? I think not.

I see bumper stickers on cars proclaimimg "Richard Nixon, No Longer the Worst Presdient Ever." In truth, Mr. Nixon, while criminal, wasn't a bad president, even if he was a strange one. I've argued here before that he was one of the last of the great New Deal presidents, in line with FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy (to a point), Johnson - especially Johnson, and even to a degree Ford, who followed the disgraced Nixon in the White House. As a New Dealer myself, I see what good could have come from the federal largesse of programs had they been handled in a responsible way, which admittedly in many cases they weren't.

The worst president in my lifetime, up until the current occupant, was Ronald Wilson Reagan. He drove us to near bankruptcy while opening up the old Soviet empire, and increasing our relations with China, or as Jacob Payne always calls it, Red China. And what has the end of communism as we knew it brought us? Competition. Capitalistic competition for we which we were and are unprepared. But, Ronnie, may God rest your soul, you have been replaced in my mind as the Republic's worst president by one of your disciples. And for others, even those for whom Ronnie holds a dear place in their heart, they've found a new president worse than - who? - FDR, LBJ. Whoever.

George Walker Bush, the lamest of the lame ducks.

*****

You know, I really hate beginning October with this rather sour sounding entry. October is, without question, my favorite month of the year. There is potential for, at least this year, November passing October is favor, given we can change the country and the planet with our federal elections by throwing out the plutocrats posing as patriotic Republicans - and there are many of them. The deadline to REGISTER TO VOTE in Kentucky is Monday, October 6. If you aren't registered to vote, get registered in the next five days. The future of our Republic may well depend on your vote. Now you may say it is a foregone conclusion that Kentucky will support McCain and not Obama. You are probably right and that is a shame. Shameful for the people of Kentucky many of whom are rejecting Obama out of fear and more than a few out of pure racism. But, the presidency isn't the only thing we will be voting on in November.

The Minority Leader of the United States Senate is a Republican from Kentucky. George W. Bush's right hand man at the table is Kentucky's Senior Senator of twenty-four years, Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. As Kentucky has the earliest poll-closing time in the nation, the results from the race between Addison Mitchell McConnell, Jr. and Bruce Lunsford could have an effect on states whose polls close much later. How great would it be for the Senate map to light Kentucky up Blue on election night.

We can do that.

We should do that.