We were going to address the Big Debate last night. It was highly touted as the “first gun” of the campaign for what was once the most powerful elected office on Earth. They had been hyping it all through the broadcast day. It was a little weird in presentation, since the morning show was pitching it this way: “Only 13 hours to the showdown of the candidates!”

That helped frame the entirety of Wednesday, since the chances of our eyes being open for two (or three!) hours after our normal bedtime.

There was a bunch of other stuff that fell into the “breaking news” category. The Indians were demonstrating extraterrestrial competence as they prepared to (successfully) land an unmanned satellite on the South Pole of the Moon. There is supposed to be water down there, something necessary for prospective extended human presence.

Later in the afternoon there was more breaking news as word spread of the shoot-down of a private jet in which Yevgeny Prigozhin was riding. While still alive, he had been chief of the Wagner Mercenary Group that attempted an armed insurrection against Mr. Putin earlier this year.

The shoot-down may reflect a shortage of windows from which opponents of the regime used to be thrown. The term used to be known as “defenestration.”

There was some of that spirit back here as well. A former U.S. President was getting organized to turn himself into custody at a Georgia jail. It was a lively afternoon and reflected the dramatic change from America as the “sole remaining superpower” to being just one of several in the world, many chomping at the bit for a realignment in the global order. It appears to be well in progress.

So, the debate? We were resting in the snug and comfy bed as the minutes clicked down to the eight declared candidates behind their individual podiums in Milwaukee. Was there a winner?

We don’t know. Our eyes closed well before the opening remarks from Fiserv. We know better than to trust the news, regardless of source, but we are left with uncertainty while trying to decipher the aftermath from the morning reporting.

Like you, we have followed the shifting line-up of those who oppose the current President. The Governor of Florida was the first out of the gate, so he has been a target longer than the rest. There has been controversy since he declared himself willing to serve. One school of thought is that he is actually a candidate of both sides of the Uni-Party, destined to lose to whoever is put forward from the alleged “other side of the aisle.”

There are others. Some of us like Niki Haley, a poised and intelligent woman who has served as a Governor and the 29th Ambassador to the United Nations. Her experience in the latter position is the basis for attacks on one of the other surprising candidates, a fellow named Vivek Ramaswami.

We have been impressed with his performance thus far as a brash libertarian-leaning fellow. Born in Ohio to immigrant parents originally from southern India, he is a Hindu who attended a Catholic high school (valedictorian) and Harvard University. He was a nationally ranked junior tennis player with a reputation as a brash and confident young man.

We are interested by his approach in this era of intersectionality. We glanced over at the clock to remind us of the crazy scheduling. The format was for a two-hour encounter at the FiServ.Forum in Milwaukee. It is a glittering hall, and was scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET, which is just one element of how odd things become when so many competing interests compete for primacy. Events of the day encompassed politics and space exploration highs and lows. The North Koreans failed in a second attempt at putting a satellite into orbit with pieces of payload strewn across the Yellow Sea.

The political show- let’s just call it entertainment for now- was moderated by Fox News hosts Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum. They are both familiar faces on the big flatscreen in the living room, even if the venue is still new. The “Fiserv Forum” where the event occurred is still new, having opened in 2018.

The Forum is more accustomed to the sound of the slap of basketballs on smooth shiny floors than to rhetoric about foreign policy. It is home to both professional and collegiate teams, so the skill levels vary just as they did last night. The Milwaukee Bucks play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), while the men’s squad of the Marquette Golden Eagles provide some academic diversity.
Across the street is the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which Fiserv replaced as Milwaukee’s primary sports and entertainment arena. Considering the state of America’s cities at the moment, it is remarkable that there are two hundred events downtown at the venue each year. They include hockey, boxing, MMA and “special sports,” whatever those might be these days. The Chinese have an interest in the NBA these days, so there is a broad spectrum of interest there.

We didn’t see any of it. We slept right through, and thus have to take the opinions on the flatscreen this morning for what they are. Which is digital dross. That is all we have to work with on this Thursday.

We assume there will be more over the next fourteen months, so stand by. The Fox people are calling it an adventure in something they call “Disturbia.” That is the only thing we took away from the First Big Debate. There may be more to come, you know?.

Copyright 2023 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com