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There’s so much happening that it’s hard to pick a topic. I’m going to take another ‘shotgun’ approach and paraphrase conversations I’ve had with friends and family over the past two weeks. There’s a lot going on!

The Presidential Debate was a debacle. While I proudly support President Trump, I was disappointed with his performance. I think he let his anger and frustration get the better of him. I also think though, that his anger was somewhat justified. It seemed to me that, at times, he was debating both Joe Biden and Chris Wallace (the moderator). All that said, I don’t think any minds were changed based on the one debate. I believe the president would have crushed the debate if he had just focused on his impressive record, confronted Biden in the many areas where he (Biden) is demonstrably weak, and then let Biden sink himself. Just one example; I would love to have heard Biden’s response when asked about why law enforcement nationwide refuses to endorse him. I know the answer (Biden is nationally viewed as weak on public safety…more on that before the election), but would love to have heard Biden scramble to come up with a response. I really would like to hear exactly where Biden truly stands on the issues. He’s inconsistent on his best day. I follow politics pretty closely and I can’t figure him out. He’s given contradictory statements on fracking, the ‘Green New Deal’ and shutting down the country because of COVID-19 (to name only three). What is his real position? He never gets confronted by the media. Why does he believe that after 47 years in Washington, he can suddenly “fix” everything. Side note; Whatever happened to Biden’s sexual assault accuser Tara Reade? I’m assuming she’s still alive. That is of course, unless she had dirt on the Clintons that we never heard about. But…I digress. I’d like to see Biden confronted on Reade’s allegations. His actions in Ukraine should also be explained. We’ll see if any of that happens. As I write this, President Trump has just been released from Walter Reed Medical Center after being treated for COVID-19. He is expected to make a quick and full recovery and be back to full duty soon. Hopefully the other two debates will occur as scheduled.

While Biden confuses me, I find Kamala Harris’ antics particularly offensive. During the debates in 2019, Harris referred to Biden as a racist and sexual predator. That all changed in August of 2020 when Biden chose her to be his vice-presidential candidate. Now she’s “honored” to be his running mate? What changed in that time span? Did Biden’s record or past behavior change? The answer to that is NO. The only thing that changed, was Harris being offered the opportunity to be the vice president of the United States. Who wouldn’t forfeit their personal character and integrity for a shot at a job like that?! No brainer right? Is Biden a racist and sexual predator or is he a great guy? I guess it depends on Harris’ goals at the time she’s asked. Harris has no integrity in my mind. I don’t want her representing our country.

Washington Democrats are throwing a pretty big hissy fit about President Trump naming Amy Coney Barrett to fill the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The term hypocrisy is being thrown around quite a bit by the Democrats. What the Republicans are doing in 2020 is what the Democrats wanted to do in 2016. Now the Democrats are crying foul and the Republicans are moving forward anyway. When taken at face value, the actions of both parties could accurately be construed as hypocritical. However, I look at it differently and take what I think is a more pragmatic view of the situation. I believe that the Republicans are simply doing what is more politically beneficial to push forward their conservative agenda and they have the tactical high ground.

Consider this analogy; envision two opposing military commanders approaching a battlefield. With everything else being equal, the commander who arrives first, takes tactical advantage of the terrain, and exploits the opponent’s weaknesses, will, in all probability, prevail. In this instance concerning the Supreme Court nominee, the Republicans have done just that in both 2016 and 2020. Washington Democrats need to stop whining about results they’re not achieving because of work they failed to do! If they want to be victorious, they need to build their war chest, strengthen their position and improve their tactics. Suck it up Democrats…you were out maneuvered. Also…don’t be fooled for a second. If the script was flipped, the Democrats would be doing exactly what the Republicans are doing now. Neither party can make claims that they are "taking the high road."

This battle over the Supreme Court nominee is all about winning. The filling of this Supreme Court vacancy has enormous implications over the long term and Republicans will do all they can to get Coney Barrett appointed. Conversely, the Democrats will use every dirty trick they know to block her. Don’t forget the gutter fight they staged to block Justice Kavanaugh. I find it interesting that Democrat allegations of sexual misconduct against Justice Kavanaugh were so valid during his confirmation hearings, while similar, (and I would argue more credible) allegations against Joe Biden seem unimportant during his presidential campaign. Any rational person has to wonder why this has been completely ignored by the media. I think I know!

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].