There is nothing like spending 15 hours driving to Northern Michigan to give you a chance to do some thinking. I don’t know if you believe in God but I have noticed that no matter how far from civilization you get his radio stations always come in clearly.

I watched the debate on Wednesday and thought, and I know this will surprise you, McCain did reasonably well. I am not claiming that his campaign is now reading the VRWC blogs but he did all three things I suggested he should and now his poll numbers are rising here in Ohio and other swing states.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden was out there proving his level of intelligence with two stunningly stupid statements. While a lot of folks on the left look down their surgically enhanced noses at Sarah Palin but I am pretty sure she could tell you how many letters are in the word “jobs”. Then Joe “Have I mentioned I grew up in Scranton in the last five minutes?” Biden suggested that his neighborhood was chock-a-block with blue collar worker like plumbers, cops, and firemen. Sen. Biden, who has done well on $160,000 a year, lives in a 6400 square foot lakeside mansion that sits on a four acre lot valued at 3.5 million. I am not a betting man but I might be willing to risk a buck or two that he is the only government worker or tradesman on his block, especially since his house takes up the whole block.

Then there is Joe Wurzelbacher, AKA Joe the Plumber. Here is some poor working stiff who dares ask the anointed one a question and now that the answer to that question is partly responsible for sending his poll numbers down the Obamamaniacs are doing a colonoscopy on Joe. Ok, so this single parent father is working as a plumber without a license to support his son and himself. Yeah, he’s behind in his taxes, which might be the reason he’s wondering if he will pay more. Maybe he is dreaming big thinking that someday he will buy out the boss and be making 250 large a year, but isn’t that what America is all about?

So, how does the left treat this working class hero? This guy who Obama/Biden claim to be so in touch with and working so hard to help. They set out to make his life a living hell.  In Obama’s Marxist view of the world there is no upward social or economic mobility. For daring to step up and give a point of view that doesn’t fit in with the Progressive mythology he is investigated. For being a working class guy who might have a longer term view of life than his next paycheck he is slapped down and told to remember his place.  That, my Enlightened Progressive friends, is a tactic that would make Big Joe Stalin proud. Hey, Joe Stalin, another Marxist!

Before I get going on the non-debate last night I think all Americans can agree that after seeing Gwen Ifell’s jacket that somewhere there is a Laz-E-Boy missing a cover. If I was really looking for a Right Wing Conspiracy it was a blue jacket, a subtle nod to her left leaning politics? Who’s to say?

Maybe I don’t what a debate is. I just watched the Denzel Washington movie too. This was a let me answer your question with a rehearsed talking point fest. Afterwards, I hope to no one’s surprise, both sides claimed victory. I found the whole thing better than Tylenol PM for getting me to sleep. Palin had her wink and over used references to “maverick”.  A note to the McCain campaign, a real maverick wouldn’t have suspended his campaign to run back to Washington to support the conventional wisdom and the President. Had McCain been a maverick like the real conservatives in the House and opposed this bailout crap he would be five points ahead in every swing state instead of five points behind. A liberal friend told me there is a new drinking game like the old “Newhart” game where every time during a debate when McCain or Palin says maverick you have to do a shot. If this is true there are a lot of enlightened progressives with headaches this morning.

Joey Boy had his Hillary moment near the end where he got all choked up, it reminded me of when the Sean Young replicant in Blade Runner was trying to prove she was really human.

I guess I watch a debate for the same reason I watch a boxing match, I want to see a knockout punch. McCain didn’t have it in his first round with Obama and as much as I like Palin there was not even a good jab in this snooze inducing gab-a-thon.

It pains me to say this but maybe Obama may be right, the Republicans, at least the ones running this campaign don’t get it. Americans don’t want someone who is perfect and they don’t want to see someone who claims to be a leader and a reformer playing defense. The Katie Couric crap is unimportant if we know you are a fighter who is willing to take a punch for us. So, John and Sarah get off of the ropes and start punching.

The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy is putting down the cudgel for a day and reaching across the aisle today to pay tribute to someone who we disagreed with on most political issues but admired as a great American and human being; The Coolest Guy on the Planet, Paul Newman. 

Amid the rubble of the unconstitutional Wall Street bailout and the lackluster debate over the weekend a sad occurrence was noted, the death of Paul Newman. The man who breathed life into several of the most iconic screen heroes and anti-heroes passed away at the age of eighty three. In a life that spanned the arts, sports, politics and philanthropy he went from James Dean runner-up to the coolest guy on the planet.

He made several of what were arguably the greatest movies ever made including “The Hustler” and “Cool Hand Luke” which are in my personal top five. He got nominated more times than Harold Stassen but in an odd tribute to his career got his only Oscar of “The Color of Money” which might make a top ten list of the worst sequels ever made.

He was reported to be a down to earth guy but what else would you expect from a kid from Shaker Heights, Ohio. A veteran of World War II his life is a lesson in perseverance. Seen early in his movie career as a Brando wanna-be or James Dean imitator he lost several roles which would have made him a star in the early going. He hung tough to compile a multi-faceted life which far eclipsed cult hero Dean and the bizarre later life antics of Brando.

He donated what has been reported to be between 170 and 250 million dollars to charity through his “Newman’s Own” brands. Married for over fifty years to his second wife he defied any categorization on and off the screen. So pop the top off a long neck beer, have a boiled egg and shoot a game of nine ball in tribute as we send off the coolest guy on the planet. 

Writer’s note, Sandra Bernhard recently opened a show at the D.C. Jewish Community Center. If you have a strong stomach follow this link for a little clip of the obscenity laced, anti-Christian, racist and sexist rant

http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2008/20080912200433.aspx

Dear Sandra,

I heard about your new show at the D.C. Jewish Community Center. I am afraid I won’t be able to get to Washington to see it. I am tied up with trying to be less bitter and not cling to my guns and God so tightly like Mr. Obama has encouraged me to do. I am so provincial! It must be awesome to be so advanced like you! I have heard a few clips from your show and have already learned much. First, let me say how impressed I am by your expansive vocabulary! I hope my impressions of your show's content haven’t been taken out of context. That is really low and I am sure no left leaning person would ever do anything like that.

I have been to New York a few times. It seemed like a nice enough town but maybe I didn’t get a chance to meet the folks you hang out with there.  I will admit I am an unsophisticated hillbilly and don’t know much about the ways of the big city. I want to thank you for helping me know that real women like you feel gang rape is a fitting punishment for political thought you don’t agree with. I want to thank you for opening my eyes to the fact that in your world African-American men are seen as gang rapist. I didn’t know that sophisticated Jewish philosophy in New York considers the New Testament “Goyish crappy shiksa funky bulls***”.  Here in Hicksville we try to respect everyone’s beliefs. How out of date that must seem to you “enlightened progressives”.

Since most of us can’t afford to come to D.C. Maybe you could bring our show out here? Perhaps you could come out here to our little backwash of civilization and educate us. I know being among so many rubes might scare someone of your sophistication but our crime rate is very low. Even with all the guns around our town hardly anyone ever gets shot except when they are breaking into someone’s house at night or trying to hurt another person. I know this seems nuts to someone as advanced as you but we still believe in personal property and the right to life!  We won’t make fun of your looks; there are a lot of people out here who haven’t had cosmetic surgery either. People here try to look for the positive in everyone no matter what they might look like, where they might come from or what they believe. Try not to make fun of what we wear when you are here. A lot of our clothes are out of date. Folks here would like to shop at Bloomingdale’s or Neiman’s but we spend our money stupidly by paying our mortgages, tithing to our churches and synagogues, and buying school supplies for our kids. Don’t worry about being gang raped either, people here don’t do that kind of thing not even as a political re-education tool, not even the Black people.

Your Fan,

Jeffrey Jena