There was some controversy in the Production Meeting on Saturday. No one wanted to take things seriously in the wake of the July 4th holiday. There were memories of other smoking grilled outdoor meals, other fireworks displays and festive gathering we were fairly sure not generated by Artificial Intelligence. There had been a discussion with an AI program that reviews our scripts to avoid inadvertent commentary that could be construed as Article-88 violations of the uniform code of Military Justice, since we have not worn those uniforms in a quarter century.

Naturally, we accept those new restrictions as we do everything else. We have even ceased watching any channel on boracsat meeting during the daylight hours, having accepted the fact that old situation comedies represepnt a more accurate depcition of our current national affairs. One offering in that regard was a look at some of the original episodes of a hot new show called “Saturday Night Live.” They were hysterical, seeing the old farts as young people with vibrant new humor.

One aspect we found particularly entertaining was a new comic named Cornelius Crane Chase, better known as “Chevy.” His mocking of Gerald Ford, the sitting President of the time, was hilarious. Chevy depicted Ford as a bumbling, stumbling fellow allegedly running the Free World. He had been a star athlete back in his days at the University of Michigan, but had an occasional mis-step in maturity, and it was a natural approach to ridding DC of the last vestiges of the Nixon Administration.

We watched two episodes of the SNL shows, humming along with Janis Ian and Paul Simon, and discussion turned to where we are in the decision-making process in the campaign. We agreed this is a historic pivot point in all our futures.

The quick re-cap? The NATO summit here in DC starts this week. Yesterday, we talked about some of the personalities and conflicts that will arrive from a Europe partially in flames. In the wake of uncertainties in our own campaign, who are unsure how, or who, will be representing our interests as the traditional leader of the alliance against totalitarianism.

This would be a moment ripe for Chevy’s humorous approach to coverage of a single bad night at a debate would be subject to cries of criticism rather than laughter. The media coverage has been carefully tailored since the debate, so it is difficult to ascertain the actual state of affairs in the campaign, much less our government. There was a forceful statement to George Stephanopoulos indicating the the current President is firmly committed to staying in the Race. He indicated there was senior guidance he would accept on the matter.

“Look,” he said forcefully, “I’m mean if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe get out of the race,’ I would get out of the race,”

We accepted it as a simple statement of emphasis, not an actual declaration of divine intervention, since he followed by saying later definitively that: “The Lord Almighty is not coming down.”

We are pretty sure Chevy would have had an alternate take on the whole campaign and maybe both participants a while back, but any commentary on those sorts of things is now effectively prohibited. We respect that change and honor it as defenseless retirees.

But to account for the meeting of senior officials in the President’s Party is supposed to happen today, a Sunday meeting unusual in usual times. This is one circle out from those immediately managing the Oval Office, these being the leaders in the House and Senate. If they have a significant guest with an opinion to deliver, we are sure it will be leaked this afternoon.

Anyhow, we wanted to mark today, since it is a historic moment in a historic year. We will see where this campaign will go from here, and the direct application of that decision on the NATO nations arriving in town today. We wish Mr. Chase was here to observe with us. but we understand he is having some trouble walking these days, and we will have to wait to see what the media wants us to think.

That is the new normal. It may be different, but it is certainly still entertaining!

Copyright 2024 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com