The Kind-Hearted Smart Aleck

For as long as I can remember, the Republican Party has branded itself as “the party of personal responsibility.” I will say, if there’s one area where the Republican Party has dominated the Democratic Party over the years, it’s with just that - branding and sloganeering. The only exception to this was Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can!” As has become quite clear in the decade following his presidency, he was an aberration, not the start of a trend. Here’s how the parties’ branding and sloganeering have played out through the years. GOP: “We are the party of family values!” Democrats: “Let’s look at these studies about maternity-leave…” GOP: “Democrats are tax-and-spend liberals!” Democrats: “Let’s look at the facts. Where did I put my calculator? Honey, have you seen my calculator? Anyway, vote for me.” GOP: “We are hard-working, God-fearing Christians!” Democrats: “Hey, if you want to worship a Flying Spaghetti Monster you call Lord Linguini, go right ahead! We’re not going to stop you!” Of...

The dictionary 'irregardless': "regardless" Also the dictionary 'ir-': "not; the opposite of" 'regardless': "despite everything" Me: You claim 'irregardless' is a word. What does it mean? Merriam-Webster (MW): "'Regardless'" Me: ...and what does 'regardless' mean? MW: "'Despite everything'" Me: Okay, so both 'regardless' and 'irregardless' mean "despite everything;" is that correct? MW: "Yes, that's correct." Me: What about the prefix 'ir-'? MW: "What about it?" Me: What does it mean? MW: "'Not; the opposite of'" Me: So, let me get this straight; 'irregardless,' according to you, literally means "not regardless; the opposite of regardless"? MW: "Yes" Me: Yet it also means "regardless"? MW: "That's correct." Me: 'Irregardless' means the same and opp...

With each passing day, it becomes increasingly clear voters don't approve of Donald Trump's war with Iran; voters don't approve of the financial repercussions which have resulted from it; and to put it bluntly, voters simply don't approve of Donald Trump as president.  Historically, presidents have been offered a honeymoon after starting a war overseas. It wasn't until months, even years after the initial strike when voters began to sour on things. Just ask Vietnam. Oh, and Afghanistan. Did I mention Iraq? No such grace-period was provided for Trump and his war with Iran, however. There wasn't a 9/11-style attack on American soil to trigger a bloodthirsty, united front at home. During his campaign, Trump even called himself the anti-war president, promising there would be no new wars, adding that prices were going to come waaaaaay down. So, what did he decide to do? Start a new war, which caused prices to go waaaaaay up. While it's true, 9 times out of 10, p...