History’s Harsh Lessons

By David Glenn Cox

History is the best teacher, but she’s a harsh mistress. She punishes severely any who disregard her teachings. I recently (Yesterday) saw a joyful Facebook post. Robert Kennedy Jr. was polling at 19% ain’t that great? How short is the memory of Democrats? Be careful what you wish for. In reaching for the brass ring, you might just fall off your hobby horse. Willing to trade away a good thing in search of the illusive something better.

Maybe you think Joe Biden is too old? Maybe he isn’t Liberal enough to suit you? Maybe you haven’t always agreed with him. I know personally, I haven’t always agreed with Joe. But I am a student of history and have been lashed by her whip for disregarding her lessons.

A long time ago in a faraway land. Lyndon Johnson decided not to seek another term of office. That left Vice -President Hubert Humphrey as the leading Democratic contender. This was an open seat and Humphrey was the heir apparent. Humphrey by today’s standards was a flaming Liberal. But Humphrey supported the Vietnam War, like his boss Lyndon Johnson.

This opened a schism inside the Democratic Party and when Robert Kennedy entered the race it was Katie bar the door. Kennedy was also a flaming Liberal by today’s standards. Only, Robert Kennedy was against the Vietnam War. After Kennedy’s assassination the anti-war mantle fell to divide the Democrats, and Richard Nixon was elected in a close election.

Richard Nixon had said, he had a secret plan to end the Vietnam War. In fact, Nixon’s plan was only a secret plan to get Richard Nixon elected. Republicans lie…really?

“Richard Nixon is a no good, lying bastard. He can lie out of both sides of his mouth at the same time, and if he ever caught himself telling the truth, he’d lie just to keep his hand in. ” ― Harry S. Truman

Nixon instead expanded the Vietnam War. Because the Democrats couldn’t agree, they gave the White House away to the Republicans.

After Watergate, Jimmy Carter was elected on a wave of anti-Washington sentiment. But Carter’s largest adversaries in Washington weren’t the Republicans. Carter’s greatest adversaries were the Democrats in Congress. Democrats who resented a political outsider from Georgia trying to tell them what to do. Ted Kennedy, in particular, sparred with President Carter constantly. It made Carter look weak and ineffective when the main campaign issue was inflation. The same inflation that had ended Jerry Ford’s tenure.

Is the President responsible for inflation? Or is it that province of the NON-Federal Reserve? Who do you suppose big banking the interests were supporting in the election? Ted Kennedy ran for President against a sitting Democratic President. It further damaged Carter along with a stolen debate book and other shenanigans, which then gave us Ronald Reagan.

When Hillary Clinton ran in 2016, there was resistance inside the Democratic Party. Some disliked the idea of a former President’s wife running for the office. Hillary had been the victim of a massive and prolonged Republican smear campaign. Hillary was driving when the Titanic when it hit that iceberg. It was Hillary on watch when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.

Hillary was accused of murder a dozen times over and yet, nothing, repeat nothing was ever proven to be true. Hillary ignited the passion of hatred in Republicans, while having the opposite effect on Democrats.

I wasn’t a big Hillary supporter myself. But I always vote and always vote Democratic. I was living outside of Cleveland, Ohio, and Hillary was holding a rally at a steel mill just across the state line in Pennsylvania. I was willing to jump in the car and drive the twenty miles for the event, but I wasn’t invited.

The event was by invitation only and attended by two busloads of paid staffers. The event was staged like an episode of “Friends“ for the cameras and TV commercials. Lifelong Democrats like myself, weren’t welcome on the closed set. It made me angry; I’d never heard of a staged Democratic campaign rally before. I had attended dozens of rallies in the past and never once had the door slammed in my face before and told to go away, so I did.

But had I known that Donald Trump might actually be elected. I would have crawled on my hands and knees pushing a peanut with my nose to vote for Hillary. I don’t exempt myself from responsibility. Like millions of other Americans, I thought it could never possibly happen. Donald Trump couldn’t ever actually be elected to the Presidency.

 In 2016, Donald Trump was just a goofy Dick clown. No one had any idea of the full ramifications which plague us still today.  

In 2020, Tulsi Gabbard ran for the Presidency on “The snowball’s chance in hell” ticket. She made a lot of left-wing jargon campaign promises. But the question in my mind was always, does she know what the hell was she doing? Did she genuinely believe that she could ignite a ground swell of support or was she acting as a shill for Donald Trump to divide the Democratic vote?

See how all the second tier Republicans are running for Presidency today to assure Donald Trump wins the Republican nomination?

Which brings us to Robert Kennedy Jr. if Republicans can buy a Supreme Court Justice or two, what would a shill campaign cost? “Oh, that Joe Biden, he’s too old! We need to support someone else.” Maybe someone with a famous name, and not much else.

The polling makes it clear a Trump – Biden match up will give Joe Biden a second term. But maybe, if the Republicans can find a way to divide the Democratic vote. We can all watch Donald Trump be sworn in for second term.

Experience tells, and Joe Biden has done a damn good job through difficult circumstances. He hasn’t once suggested we drink bleach or stick lightbulbs up our ass. He doesn’t disagree with science and supports our civil rights.  Joe is not under indictment or tried to overthrow the government even once. Our allies prefer him a great deal over Donald Trump.

Be damn careful what you wish for. A bird in the hand is worth two in the George W. Bush. All that glitters is not gold. Trading away a known winner for an unknown famous name, would be the acme of foolishness. But would the Republicans really do that? You bet your god damn last bottom dollar they would. That and more. Put on your thinking cap and your big boy or big girl pants and be prepared for the shit that will fly. History offers us no do overs.

“The greedy, profit-seeking exploiter cannot see beyond the end of his nose. He can see a chance for an “opening”; he is cunning enough to know what graft is and where it is, and how it can be secured, but vision he has none-not the slightest. He knows nothing of the great throbbing world that spreads out in all directions. He has no capacity for literature; no appreciation of art; no soul for beauty. That is the penalty the parasites pay for the violation of the laws of life.” ― Eugene V. Debs