It has been a great week- a confluence of natural and other events that is quite remarkable. The Big Storm- this one is Laura- came ashore in Louisiana long after I surrendered and went to bed. I slept through the weakening of the maelstrom from Cat Four + down to Cat One as it plowed ashore. Our Virginia weather-guessers are recommending umbrellas for Saturday, and note another tropical storm is tracking west from Africa as the next exciting contribution to our perfect political storm.

This meteorological pattern is ahead of normal for a peak storm season, so we will have continuing excitement in the background throughout what is shaping up to be a unique national election. The latest developments on that front include shootings in Kenosha by a seventeen-year-old citizen against mostly peaceful people who were beating him with a skateboard. The kid may have been part of a local militia group whose leaders appear to resent having their car-dealership torched. The skateboard wielders may have been from Chicago or Minneapolis.

Something like this has been expected for a while even by casual observers. It raises the possibility that riots are not supported by people who prefer to live normal orderly lives, even if that means toting weapons. The rise in the level of violence, including alleged militia members of the ripe age of seventeen, is also interesting. Some of the networks woke up to that- a bit late, but always Woke- and suggested that perhaps continued violence might hurt their preferred candidate. Of course, the more violence there is, the harder it is to appoint blame. That is just part of this delightful historic event, which brings to mind the chaotic year of 1968.

Fair enough. But two of our distinguished leaders stepped up the rhetoric to match the gunfire. The Speaker of the House declared that members of the other party were “enemies of the state.” That is an evocative resurrection of a recent campaign in which the Presidential nominee declared that her opponents constituted a “basket of deplorables,” which was cited in the aftermath of her defeat as a possibly inopportune means of interacting with the electorate.

She is nothing if not a fighter, though. She made a dramatic plea yesterday for Mr. Biden, the current nominee, to refuse to accept any election result not favorable to him. That is a fairly new stipulation in American electoral process, and most interesting. With the predicted train-wreck surrounding mail-in ballots, there is sure to be much merriment following the theoretical election day, and many high-and-low jinks that will likely continue for weeks- or months- following the third of November.

Our system is providing an opportunity for great fun amid a race for great stakes. It could be historic, depending on who refuses to accept whatever votes states accept, and who shows up at the electoral college.

I have never felt so alive in an election season. Wait till you see what they come up with next!

Having a wonderful time. Wish you were here!

Copyright 2020 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com