I don't think I'll watch the State of the Union address tonight. They've gotten to seem so phony what with Democrats standing and cheering all the positive accomplishments and Republicans sitting there scowling, pretending they aren't positive accomplishments. Whenever we next have a Republican president, you'll see all this played out in reverse. And you can probably count on some Repub yelling out something to show disrespect to something Obama says. I wouldn't be surprised to see Louie Gohmert moon the Chief Exec while all his fellow Congressfolks do that fratboy bit where you cough and say "blow job" at the same time.
I'm so tired about the lack of reasonableness from all sides in politics these days. Everyone seems to have decided that you have to talk to the public as if they're low-grade simpletons who want everything reduced down to monosyllables. One of the things they all seem to have learned from Trump is that you can dodge questions or contradict what you said last week as long as you sound tough and remain on the attack. So no one explains. They just keep pushing Today's Message which is always some variation on "We're strong and they're weak!" Talking tough remains a reasonable substitute for actually being tough.
I have friends who are terrified Donald Trump will be the G.O.P. nominee. I'm not sure why they're fretting because they'd be just as unhappy with any of the alternatives. Actually, among the front runners, I'd peg Trump as the one least likely to actually do all the things he's said he'd do. And I still think we're a long way from actually knowing who the nominees will be and what all the major issues will be in this election. It'll be about at least something that isn't on anyone's radar at the moment.
Several folks I know are abandoning the two major parties to officially register as Independents…only they really aren't. They register "I" but their hearts are really with "D" or "R." Independent status is becoming a way to be a Democrat or a Republican but not being quite as embarrassed by some of the things they do. You vote the exact same way but accept no responsibility for your real party's excesses. I wonder how many people even know or care that the guy who's currently running second for the Democratic nomination — and he stands a good chance of winning in Iowa and/or New Hampshire — is not a registered Democrat. He just votes like one.