What do you call a person who makes someone mad every single time they do their job?
Mister President.
There are other names we have for them, like Governor or Senator or Representative. You get the idea. It's the people we elect to do the hard stuff.
Let's focus on the first ignominy here. Whenever Mr. President does anything, someone isn't going to like it. Even if the vast majority of Americans are delighted, millions of others are going to be mad.
You've got to wonder what kind of people would knowingly put themselves in that position. Usually the best remembered had pretty thick skin.
Which brings us to the current edition. I'll honestly admit I never was a fan of Joe Biden. From the 80s and beyond I considered him the typical pandering politician. I never once considered him presidential material in his many candidacies for the White House.
My view of him softened as Vice President. Still a pandering politician, but he added much needed levity to most situations. Let's be honest, the Obama administration was a little over serious and thin skinned. When things got tense, they'd pad out Uncle Joe to give us all a good chuckle. That didn't matter, I still wasn't going to vote for him in a primary.
And I didn't. But I had to vote for somebody against the traitor to the Constitution Donald John Trump.
To my surprise, Biden has been a darned good Mr. President. He got us through and to the other side of a pandemic which his predecessor swore would be forgotten in a couple months. His administration's policies helped the country weather worldwide inflation while keeping us out of a recession. Unemployment is at record low levels and the job market remains strong. Infrastructure needs are finally being addressed and services in many areas are strengthened.
Of course everything he does still makes people mad. At times I'm one of them. All I can say is if it makes me mad it's not politics. But he's a thick skinned old coot and he's pretty steady and every now and then he says the darndest thing.
I believe Joe's too old for a second term. I'm hoping he'll come to that conclusion, too. I believe the country is better served with younger leaders all the way around. If there's a minimum age for office, why isn't there a maximum? I kind of think 80 is maxing out any public office, whether executive, legislative, or judicial.
But if he's on the general election ballot next November and the man under multiple indictments and likely convictions is his opponent, it'll be a very easy choice. I'll always vote for democracy when I can.
While writing this, the news broke of the death of Henry Kissinger, Secretary of State under Nixon and Ford, at the age of 100. There is no damage Biden could do that would come close to the scars that man left on this country and this planet.
I know it's wrong to wish death on anyone. But that is one obituary I'm going to be so happy to read.