Mark McNease On Topic: An Every Monday Substack
Welcome to Mark McNease On Topic, my every-Monday Substack. Sign up for musings, commentary, comedy and more! I don’t do exclusivity, so everyone gets everything for free. – Mark
BREAKING! France joins England in rejecting the far right
Imagine living in a country where the person who gets the most votes wins. We would always have the president a majority of us wants. We would have a Supreme Court made up of Justices appointed by the presidents we want. As for being “fair” to small states (which was not what the Electoral College was about anyway), there is nothing fair about the will of the majority being thwarted over, and over, and over. But England and France have given us hope, however dwindling, that we may yet live in a world where 6 unelected extremists on a Court that is seizing power for itself and its masters is not a nightmare to wake up to every day. Maybe, just maybe …
This cup ‘o Joe is down to the last drop
One of the few commentators I respect almost without question is Michael Moore. He was right in 2016, when he said Hillary Clinton was going to lose Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and she did. He has his ear to the ground in a way most observers do not.
He also has a perspective on Joe Biden that I have not heard from anyone else: concern for Biden’s well-being. Moore praises Joe Biden, and rightfully so. But he also believes Biden is in trouble, medically and mentally, and no one around him seems to care. He think Biden should resign and let Kamala Harris be the incumbent for the next three months. I don’t see that happening, but I would welcome it.
“Elder Abuse” is Refusing to Give the President a Neurological Exam — and Instead PUSHING Him to “Soldier On”
“President Biden, thank you for the good you have done. You will be remembered throughout the ages. But not if you let your enablers hound you into doing what your body is begging you not to do. Be the one who not only stopped Trump, but also the brave man who gave us our first woman in the Oval Office. She will complete your mission — and we will stand beside her. THIS is your moment in history. Let the doctors examine you. Then do the right thing.”
— Mike
I have come to agree with him. Biden’s body is telling him something, you can see it, and it appears to be urgent. He’s not listening, and the rest of us have been so busy freaking out about Trump back in the White House that we are engaging in what amounts to human sacrifice: demanding Joe Biden push on … on to a stroke, on to collapsing on stage, on, on, on. And why? Because we fear we cannot save ourselves. So Biden will either trudge on and win, or trudge on and lose, and we will be able to blame him if our national nightmare becomes reality.
Caveat One
I’ve been angry with Biden for the past year. He could have gone out on top. He could have retired to a life of standing ovations and history textbooks as the man who got Trump out of the White House, and then handed the future to a younger generation. He could have been a hero for the ages. But he did not choose that, and the people closest to him did not choose that.
I have a similar take on Hillary Clinton (Biden should be ending his second term right now), who could have gone out on top and didn’t. And Obama, too, for pushing Joe aside in favor of Hillary, who a lot of people believed could lose because of the antebellum, anti-democratic Electoral College we’ve had imposed on us since the founding. And she did!
I’m pissed off that I will be nearly 70 when we are finally offered a new generation of political leaders. It wasn’t fair to us, and it wasn’t fair to those generations behind us. What a drag it must be to be a 20- or 30-year-old voter and be told you can vote for Joe Biden or watch the country taken over by fascists. Some of those young people will refuse to save us from ourselves and just stay home.
Caveat Two
I called my senator for the first time in my life (Cory Booker) leaving a message to please get Biden out of this race. I’d given Biden a little more rope, and he hung himself with it Friday night in that interview. I did not call Menendez because he will be behind bars soon (there are some people for whom justice still applies). I also didn’t bother with my House rep Tom Kean, who is a Republican. But I’ve joined the chorus of Joe Must Go, immediately. The Lord Almighty, who is the only one he agreed to listen to, doesn’t vote, but we do.
White Republicans react to President Kalama Harris
Also …
I think Kamala Harris is the best way to go, for a number of reasons, including campaign cash (which cannot be transferred to anyone else) and making sure she’s on all 50 ballots. And I think it would excite people. I would enjoy it just to watch all the Republican heads explode. Misogyny! Racism! Terror of a Black Woman President! Now that’s worth getting up in the morning for.
My Zepbound journey
I’ve been carrying around 50 extra pounds for a very long time, and it’s something I must deal with. I would rather invest in losing this weight, regardless of the expense, than have to deal with diabetes or a heart attack or the other ailments that await someone with long-term obesity.
No regrets, no second thoughts. I took the first injection last Tuesday, and intend to use this for 3 or 4 months (max). Whether it’s a placebo effect or the drug just works really well for me, my appetite diminished almost immediately. No bad snacks, no hunger for snacks. Smaller meals. Fewer meals.
I’m only going to weigh myself once a week, the day of the injection. Stay tuned for updates as I wither away to fashion-model size. (It’s okay to have a little vanity as a motive, too.)
One Thing or Another Podcast #74: A Conversation with Mark Goldstein, Host of the ‘Where Do Gays Retire?’ Podcast
One of the pleasures of publishing websites is all the new friends I’ve made over the last 12 years. One of the more recent ones is Mark Goldstein, host of the Where Do Gays Retire? podcast, and founder of the Where Do Gays Retire? Facebook page (with its over 14,000 members!). I had a chance to catch up with Mark on a hot summer day, about his life, his ventures, and his future. (You can hear us on his podcast talking about Lambertville, NJ, HERE.)
Two 2-hour workshops added for August
For anyone who’s interested, I’ve added two 2-hour Guided Autobiography Introductory workshops in August. These are free and online.
Monday, August 12, 10:00 am eastern
Wednesday, August 14, 2:00 pm eastern
You can read more at YourWritePath.com.