When the Democrats Step In It…They ‘Step’ In It

The September 18, 2020 death of U.S. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, from cancer at age 87, has the Democrats in the position of supposedly trying to stop the Republicans—who hold majority control of the U.S. Senate—from getting through U.S. president Donald Trump’s nominated replacement, from the Seventh Circuit of Court Appeals and South Bend, Indiana, Amy Coney Barrett.

For those who are perhaps impressionable, this is a big election issue. 

I don’t think it is. 

COVID–19 is the top issue. 

Contrary to what the Democrats routinely pedal, the U.S. Supreme Court is not most urgent in the minds of all voters. 

Here in 2020, surviving COVID–19 has most everyone concerned and focused.

I find myself not giving a shit about the U.S. Supreme Court. There is no reason. The Democrats don’t care. Yes, they give lip service to caring. They use bringing up the fate of the Supreme Court to motivate fearful people—those who normally lean to their so-called political party—to vote for them in presidential elections. It is tied in with their contrived message, “This is the most important election of our lifetime,” as the Democrats promised in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and, as it is pending, 2020.

I harken back to 2009 or 2010. This was the first year or so of the presidency of Barack Obama. The Democrats won their presidential pickup, with Obama, in 2008. During that period, Ruth Bader Ginsburg had already been diagnosed with cancer. One comment came from Jim Bunning. This was the former MLB pitcher who became a politician and a Republican U.S. senator from Kentucky. Bunning was told by a future majority leader and fellow Kentuckian Mitch McConnell to not run for possible re-election, in 2010, because Bunning barely prevailed in 2004 and was personally unpopular in their state. Bunning opted for retirement. His successor turned out to be Rand Paul. While he was still in the U.S. Senate, Bunning speculated that Ginsburg would step down from the U.S. Supreme Court because she was struggling to stay alive. Well, he was wrong on two counts: She did not step down. And her struggle to stay alive resulted in Ginsburg having outlived Bunning (who died in 2017). But there was some wisdom in what was mentioned by Bunning: Ginsburg should have stepped down.

Had Ruth Bader Ginsburg stepped down a good ten years ago, during the presidency of Barack Obama, and while the Democrats held majorities in both houses of Congress (the Republicans flipped the U.S. Senate with the midterm elections of 2014), the Democrats would not be in their position here in 2020.

I don’t take pleasure in the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. (Certainly not. Not at all.)

I don’t sympathize with the Democrats. (Certainly not this so-called political party in its current form.)

The Democrats are, No. 1, screwing over the actual left of this country.

The Democrats are also, No. 2, screwing over themselves with their sheer political stupidity with this 2010-vs-2020 example of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

The Democrats are, No. 3, wanting people who would normally lean toward them to “Vote Blue No Matter Who” after the corrupt, corporate party establishment—especially its previous U.S. president—screwed them once again with rigging the 2020 presidential nomination for a candidate who opposes [the actual progressives’] agenda.

I don’t think this is difficult to understand.

The main differences between the Republican and the Democratic parties are their brands.

The key difference between the Republicans and the Democrats, for how they operate, is this simple: The Republicans stab you in your gut. The Democrats stab you in your back.

What is amusing about this situation is a reminder, for those who need it, and for those who don’t want to be reminded, that When the Democrats Step In It…They Step In It.

An Anniversary with Change

This Friday, September 25, 2020, marks the three-year anniversary of Progressives Chat.

This blog site was created, and with the help of cathyx, in the aftermath of The Far Left Chat having ended at some point during September 2017.

In the early period of Progressives Chat, I published blog topics five days per week, which included ones on Fridays titled “Open Weekend.”

I later reduced blog topics to three days per week.

Afterward, I brought them down to two days per week.

Last month, it was suggested by cathyx—and the comment received a consensus of Likes—that publishing a blog topic [thread] just once per week may be better for Progressives Chat.

I agree.

In fact, I thought of making this change effective with the start of 2021. (That would have been the date of January 4, 2021.) But, timing it with the beginning of this month, September 2020, also works with respect to this anniversary.

A concern I did have was a second issue, happening in a given week, which may be necessary for its own blog topic. I realize the solution is to maintain one thread which is in effect for the period of one week. And if anything more comes up, I will revise that applicable week’s blog topic by adding an entry. In such case, I will note the date and time of an addition.

The weeklong blog topics from Mondays, August 31 as well as September 7 and 14, 2020 should be considered a segue to making this move. August 31 (“Election 2020: Two Months Out”) was timed closely with both its topic as well as the beginning of September and Labor Day on September 7, 2020. (Memorial Day and Labor Day have people normally often thinking of Holiday Weekends. The extended time. For those who still get that.) And then there was last week’s blog topic—on the television-premiere anniversaries of two classic sitcoms (CBS’s The Mary Tyler Moore Show and NBC’s The Golden Girls)—to further help with the timing of this “An Anniversary with Change” for Progressives Chat.

We can take this current month, September 2020, and note it as the beginning of Progressives Chat having switched to a regular schedule of one blog topic thread per week.

The regular posting schedule will continue to be on Mondays at 06:00 a.m. ET. 

‘Mary Tyler Moore’ and ‘Golden Girls’

It was 50 years ago this week which marked the premiere of the groundbreaking CBS comedy series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. 

Saturday, September 19, 1970.

It was 35 years ago on this blog’s publishing date which marked the debut of another timely situation comedy series, NBC’s The Golden Girls. 

Saturday, September 14, 1985.

I was born in 1971. I could not at such a young age watch The Mary Tyler Moore Show, with it being able to resonate for me, because I was too young. It went off the air in 1977. So, I played some catchup on TBS, in 1985, and was more focused when Nickelodeon’s Nick at Nite premiered the classic in 1992.

I was there for The Golden Girls when it premiered. I was 14. I was newly in high school. The series carried for me—meaning, I followed it regularly—throughout the rest of those years.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ran seven seasons, with its finale on March 19, 1977.

The Golden Girls also ran seven years, with its finale on May 9, 1992, before CBS picked it up, re-titled it The Golden Palace, sans one of its stars, and broadcast it during the 1992–93 season.

They were both socially relevant. 

Mary Richards, a competent single woman of age 30, found a career and a lively personal life which included important friendships in 1970s Minneapolis, Minnesota. 

The three females leads—divorcée Dorothy Zbornak and widows Rose Nylund and Blanche Deveraux; along Dorothy’s 80-year-old widowed mother Sophia Petrillo—shared living expenses in a house in 1980s Miami, Florida.

The casts were remarkable. Mary Tyler Moore—along with the star herself—was aided by superb cast mates Edward Asner, Valerie Harper, Gavin MacLeod, Ted Knight, Cloris Leachman, John Amos, Georgia Engel, and Betty White. And White was likewise golden on that other Golden sitcom, with her and fellow leads Beatrice Arthur and Rue McClanahan backed in support by a sublime Estelle Getty.

Both series won their share of Emmys, with The Mary Tyler Moore Show winning the top Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series in each of its last three seasons (1975, 1976, and 1977) and The Golden Girls winning that top prize in each of its first two seasons (1986 and 1987).

I nowadays don’t watch the current era’s television comedies, certainly not as much as I did in the past, because I really don’t make a point of following too many television series from any genre. And, frankly, I am not young. I like not giving so much of my time to watching many television series on a regular basis. These two series brought intelligence to the genre. They elevated the medium.

Here are five memorable episodes each from both series (listed in the order of their broadcast):

The Mary Tyler Moore Show

“Love Is All Around [‘Pilot’]” (S01E01; 09.19.1970)—Mary’s move to Minneapolis, Minnesota includes apparent obstacles in a cranky new boss, Lou, and a combatant neighbor, Rhoda.

“The Lou and Edie Story” (S04E04; 10.06.1973)—Lou is devastated as his marriage to Edie (guest star Priscilla Morrill) is ending and, despite his efforts, she wants a separation.

“Will Mary Richards Go to Jail?” (S05E01; 09.14.1974)—Mary has an anonymous source she refuses to reveal.

📺 “Chuckles Bites the Dust” (S06E07; 10.25.1975)—After WJM’s Chuckles the Clown is killed in a strange accident, Mary is appalled by the behavior of her co-workers.

“The Last Show” (S07E24; 03.19.1977)—With new management, everyone’s job is on the line. And the overall outcomes are sure to change the lives of employees Mary, Lou, Murray, Ted, and Sue Ann.

The Golden Girls

“The Engagement [‘Pilot’]” (S01E01; 09.14.1985)—Home owner Blanche rushes to marry a man she shouldn’t trust, and Dorothy juggles between her mother Sophia’s arrival and Rose protecting Blanche.

“A Little Romance” (S01E12; 12.07.1985)—Rose is challenged by prejudice in her relationship with a short and kind man (guest star Brent Collins).

“Isn’t It Romantic?” (S02E05; 11.08.1986)—Following the arrival of Dorothy’s recently widowed friend, Jean (guest star Lois Nettleton), a complication happens.

📺 “Twas the Nightmare Before Christmas” (S02E11; 12.20.1986)—The Girls have plans to go away for Christmas; they exchange gifts (most memorable comes from Blanche); and they suffer mishaps. 

“Old Friends” (S03E01; 09.19.1987)—A new and unexpected friendship develops between Sophia and a likewise blunt Alvin (guest star Joe Seneca).

Here are two videos—one scene each—from The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls:

Labor Day Week

I wish everyone a pleasant and safe Labor Day.