Monday, February 1, 2016

Cruz and Clinton in Iowa





 CLINTON 617 SANDERS 610
*CRUZ 28% TRUMP 24% RUBIO 23%


I am reliably informed that the clown show in Iowa is over. They can all get back in their clown cars and drive off to New Hampshire now. I have to say, I'm a bit surprised though. Bernie got within 7 votes of the Whore of Babylon.. if I was him, I'd demand several recounts. There's got to be away to put a foot on her neck. I wish we could still burn witches. Bernie tried. Oh well. He may take New Hampshire.

Cruz just enjoyed his only victory of the primary season. Once boredom sets in for Trump, he will suspend, drop and leave his votes to Rubio, then it will be over. Marco will be the next president, the Witch of Endor will be under indictment and Bill Clinton will move to England.

I just love America.  

Yesterday, The Day Before And This Week

Sunday was good. I really enjoyed my 0800 Sunday school class yesterday. We are in the gospel of Matthew and we have started the final week of Christ's life on earth. Yesterday we did the triumphal entry into Jerusalem - Palm Sunday (Matthew 21). I would really like to have been there to see that. I am not sure what side I would have been on. Knowing myself as I do, I probably would have been a Pharisee. I would like to think I would not have been one of those adamantly opposed to Jesus, but you never know.

Some have said that this event in Christ's life is contrived - planned, either for continuity in the gospels or for show purposes. Usually this gets pointed out with some negativity on the part of the critic. For my part, I would say these things are true, but only coming from the most positive intent. These events of Jesus' last week were controlled by Him and in His Father in such a way as to make only the most consistent reporting possible and to ensure events played out exactly as they were supposed to. This is, of course, my believer's point of view. You may have another. That's all right. All things in good time.

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I did not attend a 1030 Sunday school class because I had to pee. So why did I not urinate at church? Truth? I am uncomfortable using the restrooms at church. I can not explain this to any satisfactory degree to the casual reader, so I will not, but I left after the service and went to the grocery store to pick up a few things, but not before I stopped at a convenience store to utilize their facilities. I then went home and made pizza for lunch. Dad was fairly lucid yesterday and enjoyed the pizza. In the afternoon he got a bit confused, but we got it straightened out. I finished my day watching episodes of "OZ" on Amazon. The show fascinates me. It's about a maximum security correctional facility and the lives of the prison staff and inmates. There is not much actual correction going on, but there is crime and punishment and an exaggeration of reality that could only happen inside the close confines of such a disturbed community. I do not know if it's an accurate portrayal of the prison environment, but it is entertaining. The character development is incredible. Enough about that.

Saturday was a weird experience with Dad. He decided he wanted to get ready for church on Saturday night. He has never done this before and it was a good idea, but he is an Alzheimer's patient, and it crossed my mind that he would not remember that he had showered Saturday night when Sunday morning rolled around. Whatever. I gambled and we got it done. He did remember on Sunday and it made Sunday morning go much more smoothly. He has been less combative of late and so I try to cooperate with his whims when I can to keep things smooth. It seems to be working.

Today starts a new week and a new month. February is upon us. I live in Iowa so today is also caucus day. We kick off the 2016 campaign season for the nation tonight. The truth is that the campaign has already been going on for a year here, but no one else has to suffer through that. I am of the opinion that we here in Iowa delude ourselves about our importance to the national political process. We are not, in any way, a valid cross section of the US electorate and what we will do tonight will have very little meaning in terms of who becomes the next president. The Iowa Caucuses are much ado about nothing. I am not sure why we are first. It's ridiculous. I do know there is a lot of money generated for the state by all this attention, but there are no valid reasons for Iowa to be first. It's a highly overrated contest. Many a candidate that has won the Iowa contest has gone on to lose and lose and lose and eventually become forgotten. We are the last stand for many that are hopeful. One might even argue that a win in Iowa is a political curse. What does a bunch of aging, middle class white people know about what our country will need in the future. We are more concerned with social security and Medicare than we are with immigration and cultural change. Many of us will be dead in 20 years. Large portions of our population are on the public dole in some way. For this reason, politicians must tread lightly here. The farmers like ethanol. Others of employment age like wind energy. Both of these are heavily subsidized by federal programs that even Republicans support. It's the dole. Bread and circuses for the masses. If you pay taxes, these 'would be' presidents are competing to give those taxes to others. Ever wonder how many people you support. Come to Iowa and have a look. We are a state on the dole.

Tomorrow there are two things happening, nay three. It is Ground Hog Day. I am pleased. Second, it is supposed to snow in yet to be determined heavy amounts. No shadow for me tomorrow, but also a very inhospitable day. and finally...the campaign calls, ads and polls will be over for awhile. Washingtonians and the press will forget they were ever here and Iowa will return to normal - boring, white and mildly moral.

I am ready for more 'boring'. It is the absence of tragedy. It is why I live in Iowa.