Election Day 2020 - Calm Before The Storm?

 With only a few days left until the most contentious election of our lifetime, America is already preparing for the aftermath. The division in our country has fueled things to a near boiling point. There are a lot of unknowns. But there a couple of things that we can pretty much say with certainty. One is that either Donald Trump or Joe Biden will win this year's election. And no matter who wins, half of the country will not be happy about it.

Cities are taking precautions for the anticipated unrest (aka rioting) after the election. Walmart pulled guns and ammo from their shelves (although I hear now that they're re-stocking). Retailers have begun boarding up their windows. And the National Guard has moved into Philadelphia (this is in a response to a recent "civil unrest" after a police shooting. But Tuesday's election will likely spark off a fresh round of "unrest").

Regarding this civil unrest....What is so civil about torching a building or walking out of Walmart with a stolen TV? Random lawlessness has been candy-coated with the term "civil unrest" to make it sound more legitimate. If you refer to it as rioting, you are often viewed as insensitive by the mob sympathizers. They will tell you that physical property can be replaced. As one of Baltimore's infamous mayors said a few years ago, "We need to give them room to destroy".  This kind of "leadership" only serves to embolden the mob mentality to destroy even more. 

I was watching a news segment on NBC this morning and they briefly touched on the potential unrest following the election. They insinuated that militia groups would be the ones wreaking havoc on Election Day. Really? I'm not saying there are not some lunatics out there that fit into this category. However, over the past year of various "unrests", I haven't seen a whole lot of militia members torching police cars or looting liquor stores. 

The have been record turnouts in early voting across the country. So far, I believe things have been mostly peaceful. I myself voted on Monday at one of the local high schools. There were both Trump and Biden supporters working their way through the crowds. I never quite understood why anyone would waste time campaigning near a polling place. Like everyone else, I already know who I'm voting for when I head out to the polls. Do they really think they can change someone's mind at the last second by handing them a piece of campaign literature? But then again, it's 2020. So. I guess anything is possible...

To add to the never-ending drama, we will likely not confirm a winner on Tuesday. Depending on how close it is, we might not have a confirmed winner for days or even weeks after the election. And the more time that passes will inevitably bring new accusations of voter fraud (lost mail-in ballots, voter intimidation, hanging chads, etc.). And this will potentially light the fuse on another round of "unrest".

And piling on even more, Biden is ahead in most of the polls. If you believe everything you're hearing, there is no way Biden can lose this thing. Of course, Hillary Clinton was ahead in most of the 2016 polls but that didn't go as planned for her. So, if Trump should pull out this one in a similar fashion, it will likely ignite the emotions of Biden supporters. It's starting to sound like a best-selling political thriller, huh?

Trump and Biden are two contrasting candidates who have two different road maps for the direction of America. I get that. If you talk to supporters from either camp, they will likely give you a 'dooms day" explanation of why the other guy should not be leading our country. While I can certainly appreciate the passion that someone might feel for a political campaign, there is no excuse to act out violently if your side happens to lose. And if violence ensues, it should not be downplayed or celebrated. This only encourages more of it. If you don't like the winner, try voting him/her out in the next election cycle. That's the civil way to handle it.

kw

Eddie Van Halen - Remembering The Guitar Hero

I was about 12 or 13 years old the first time I heard a Van Halen song. My jaw dropped as I listened to the blistering guitar intro (aka "Eruption") that eventually transitioned into an amped-up version of the Kink's "You Really Got Me". Before long, the whole neighborhood was talking about this new guitar phenomenon who called himself Edward Van Halen.

An interesting thing that I remember from early on was that everyone referred to him as "Edward" instead of the more casual "Ed" or "Eddie". It was as if everyone had already recognized his greatness and anything less than Edward would be disrespectful. But before long, we became more familiar with the music and the band. So, by the time the next album came out, we felt like we had a close personal friend and it now seemed appropriate to call him Eddie.

As the years went by, Eddie continued to cement his place in rock history as one of the greatest guitar players ever. His sound, technique and innovation quickly elevated him to the status of Rock God. Aspiring axe-slingers everywhere were in total awe....

They say that the great ones, no matter what their talent happens to be, make the hard things look easy. And that certainly applies to Eddie. He would play these crazy chord progressions and insane solos while making quirky faces, jumping around and having fun with the audience. 

In sync with his unique sound, Eddie also had his trademark guitars. Early on, Eddie attempted to combine the classic sound of a Gibson with the physical characteristics of a Fender Stratocaster. The end result was the "Frankenstrat". It served Van Halen well through the years and arguably became his most notable guitar. It now rests comfortably in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC.

David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar were the two prominent singers during the Van Halen years. The musical direction was notably different with the two front men. So naturally, there's always been an ongoing debate on which version of Van Halen was better. But one thing that everyone could always agree on was that Eddie was always equally great.

A friend asked me earlier today about which Van Halen song was my all-time favorite. I really couldn't tell you. There were so many great songs, how do you pick just one? I don't know if I could even pick a favorite album. But I'll pick two from the top of my head....

I have always loved "Van Halen II." It brings back great memories for me from a time when I was just discovering what rock and roll was all about. On a somewhat related note, I had a boyhood crush on Linda Ronstadt. So, I thought is was pretty cool to hear Van Halen cover her popular song "You're No Good" on this album. And to tie it all together, "Beautiful Girls" is also on this one.

My second personal favorite is probably "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge". It had a unique sound for the "Sammy Era" in my opinion. And how can you not love the jab at the censors in the album title? "Poundcake" and "Top of the World" are two of my favorites off of this album. 

And I have to mention "Ice Cream Man". When you can write a song about Push-Ups and Dixie Cups and make it sound cool, you're a special kind of special. That song was so bad ass that it turned Good Humor men into Clint Eastwood overnight! 

The tremendous catalog of Van Halen music is truly a gift that keeps on giving. As great songs tend to do, they take us back to those special places in our lives. They have the magical ability to awaken slumbering memories all the back to our childhood. 

I've never met Eddie Van Halen personally and sadly never will. But I would like to thank him for sharing his gift with all of us for so many years. Although it might sound cliche, Eddie Van Halen will never be forgotten. He left an eternal mark on the music world. And we are all lucky to have been around for the ride...

kw

Coronavirus - The POTUS Effect

To say that the plot has thickened would be a bit of an understatement when referring to the drama of 2020. While the COVID pandemic has been at the center of this year's events, the looming Presidential election has also been generating it's share of attention. 

More drama unfolded with the recent passing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And just when you thought things couldn't get any crazier, we found out on Friday that President Trump has tested positive for COVID. With roughly a month to go until the election, this latest development will likely have a huge impact on the approach to the finish line.

So, who, if anyone, has the upper hand at this point?

Let us look back to last Tuesday's debate between the two Presidential contenders. No matter who you might be voting for, I think we can all agree that this was a debate like no other. At times, it resembled an old Jerry Springer episode. It was hard to determine who "won" with all of the distractions. When it was over, I was left feeling like Dirty Harry when he said, "In all of the confusion, I kinda lost count." I think both guys could have done much better by simply addressing the issues and staying on point. But that's just my opinion...

Now, with the President likely having to be quarantined for the next two weeks, a major impact on his campaign strategy can't be ignored. Will the next debate, if there even is one, be a virtual contest? And if so, how will it be moderated? Chris Wallace had a hard enough time with the live debate last week. He must have felt like the ref in a WWF match. Can you imagine trying to control these two guys through a Zoom meeting?

Many feel like this latest COVID blow to Trump will give Joe Biden an easy path to the White House. If you used the polls as a gauge, I could see how you could arrive at that assumption. But you have to remember, most of these same polls had Hillary Clinton winning the 2016 election. And frankly, I don't trust the media to give us straight answers anymore.

I believe that the overwhelming majority of American voters already had their mind made up as to who they would be voting for on November 3rd. As a rule of thumb in most elections, approximately 40% of the voters will always vote Democrat and another 40% will always vote Republican. It's the remaining 20% that candidates desperately try to sway to their respective side. However, this time around, I believe that those "up for grab" votes are not quite as plentiful.

The mental impact on the President can't be ignored. Can you imagine being diagnosed with a potentially fatal virus a month before what is arguably the biggest election in our history? And let's not forget that the President is no spring chicken at 74 years old.

And no matter how you feel about the COVID restrictions, you have to admit that Trump has downplayed the seriousness of the virus at times. Even during the debate, he mocked Biden for "always wearing a mask". I am simply highlighting this because Trump's opponents can now use this as a "told you so" talking point. 

With this being said, I was amazed at the vitriol that was spewed in Trump's direction after his COVID confirmation. I understand the dislike for the man. But people were actually celebrating the fact that he and his wife caught the virus. And many were hoping for the worst! Come on, people! No matter where you stand on politics, this is the President of the United States! Objectively speaking, if you want to defeat the man, do it at the ballot box.

Another thought.... what if Trump's health takes, at least a temporarily, a turn for the worse? If Vice President Mike Pence should have to step in at the last minute, how will that affect things on Election Day? Perhaps we should put the debate between Pence and rival VP candidate Kamala Harris on the fast track.

The outcome of this election will certainly have a huge impact on the direction of our country. The two candidates are polar opposites and they certainly share no love for one another. And when you factor in the division in America right now, we have quite the volatile situation. Fasten your seat belts folks, I think we're in for a wild ride.....

kw