It was all very patriotic yesterday.The President placed a wreath at the tomb of the unknowns in Washington and later visited the Vietnam War memorial. Yes, it has been fifty years since that deadly mis-adventure began. Mitt Romney was in San Diego delivering a speech to an estimated crowd of 5,000. His people actually had the balls to say the appearance was "...a Memorial Day service paying tribute to the war dead, not a campaign rally."
Such bald face bull shit should be reserved for children who still believe in Santa Claus. Everything, I mean everything, both Mr. Romney and the President do from now until election day is politically motivated. For the next few months both of them won't even take a leak without getting feed back from some focus group first. We are now witnessing the super bowl of American politics. As Holmes would say "the game is afoot," and every move, every word will be dissected by a blood thirsty press. Every speech, every visit to some blue collar diner is designed to appeal to a bloc of voters. There is no down time in a presidential race.
All of which makes you wonder why Mitt Romney is currently hanging out with Donald Trump. It is an odd, almost surreal, mystery. The obvious answer, of course, is money. Trump has a lot of it and presidential campaigns hemorrhage money in astounding amounts. However there are more than a few people who consider Donald Trump nothing more than an extreme version of a self promoting carnival barker. You know, the guy who waves you over to his tent and tells you all you have to do is knock over those metal replicas of milk bottles and you win the big fuzzy doll for your girl.
Brother Trump still insists that there are doubts as to the birth place of Barak Obama. It is a notion so far out on the fringe that it tends to rival those alien abduction stories you hear every now and then. He also believes that Mr. Romney should dredge up the Jeremiah Wright connection and exploit it. Certainly someone in the Romney camp should understand that playing the Wright card would allow the Obama people to call into question the "Mormon issue." We are talking about a can of worms so ugly on both sides that millions of people might just walk away from the two candidates in utter disgust.
Even the articulate arch conservative reprobate George Will doesn't understand this eerie symbiotic moment. MSNBC quotes him as saying, " I don't understand the cost benefit here. The costs are clear. The benefit--what voter is going to vote for him (Romney) because he is seen with Donald Trump? The cost of appearing with this bloviating ignoramus is obvious it seems to me."
The wags at MSNBC speculated that by cozying up to Trump now it will be easier for the Romney campaign to deny him speaking time at the convention. In other words, let him "bloviate" now and then shuffle him off to the wings and ignore him. Or, more pragmatically, cash his check as quickly as possible, then don't let him any where near the candidate again.
Actually the very idea that this sort of horrid used car salesman is somehow influencing the campaign for the presidency of the United States of America should frighten the bejeezus out of us all. Have we actually sunk this low? What is left? Asking for the support and input of Vince McMahon and his cast of World Wrestling Entertainment characters.
There used to be some dignity associated with the office of president and those who sought it. Now it seems we've put choosing the next Commander in Chief on a par with deciding who moves into the next round of "Dancing With The Stars."
Things just get weirder and weirder. Politics isn't what it used to be. Neither are we. Entertainment has overtaken responsible decision making.We have entered the People Magazine age. And, as always, money rules.
Just ask Mitt Romney tonight when he is speaking at the Trump International Hotel as the Donald beams vacuously at his side. He will be appearing in the ultimate episode of "Celebrity Apprentice."
I suppose the only thing left to say is, there's no business like show business.
Bring on the dogs and ponies. This garish revue has just begun.
5-29-12
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