I started off this week here at Not the Bee writing about the irrational bigotry expressed towards Super Bowl winning head coach and outspoken Christian Tony Dungy. While annoying and unhinged, there was nothing particularly surprising or confusing to me about it. In fact, it's precisely what Jesus told His followers to expect.
On the other hand, I've started reserving the end of each week for a brief survey of the things that happened that I just can't fully grasp. So, let's start in Georgia.
According to the leading newspaper in the state, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Republican Governor Brian Kemp has hit an all-time high in approval rating. In January of 2021 he was underwater by a full 9 points. His approval sat at 42% and his disapproval at 51%.
In the interceding 2 years, Kemp endured persistent, withering attacks on his character and capability by former President Donald Trump. He dealt with a party insurrection as ousted Republican Senator David Perdue wore the MAGA mantle and took Kemp on in the primary. After surviving that, he had to face-off a second time against Democrat Party darling Stacey Abrams and her monstrous, money-making, fundraising machine. Millions of dollars were poured into print, television, radio, and internet ads that smeared him as nothing short of a segregationist.
At the end of it all, the AJC just released Kemp's approval ratings for January 2023: 62% approval, 32% disapprove. He's above water by an eye-popping 30 points.
I understand the importance of money, image, strategy, and all of the fluff of politics. But when, someone please tell me, will it finally dawn on politicians that competence matters? Do your job, do it well, and let other things work themselves out.
On the flip side of that competence coin, let's venture to the social media account of the country's current chief executive, Joseph Biden. I struggle to blame Biden himself for this because I think we all know that he isn't operating his own Twitter platform (can you even imagine what that would look like?).
But here's what the genius interns who are handling the feed decided to pump out this week:
I legitimately want to know – are there people out there who really believe this? Even die-hard Democrats – even the college freshmen high on their first year of Marxist promises and guarantees – do they really believe Republicans would do this? Even politically it makes no sense. How stupid and gullible do you have to believe your supporters are to tweet this and expect them to buy it?
Or maybe the adjective should be duplicitous instead of stupid. Maybe Democrats just rely on their supporters retweeting and amplifying something that even they know isn't true.
For those who are curious, the bill in question – like previous iterations in previous Congresses – does propose a 23% national sales tax… as it eliminates the income tax, payroll tax, and estate tax, and provides large refunds, rebates, and credits for families. In short, if the bill went through, the government would be taking a LOT less from American families, providing them excessive amounts of breathing room. It would tax consumption, not productivity – a much more taxpayer friendly approach.
We all complain about half-truths in politics. But why can anyone expect it to stop when we are willing to promote them if it's our party telling them?
And finally, how about the cognitive dissonance of the man who should never be forgiven for plucking Joe Biden out of the shadows of buffoonery and onto a national stage, former President Barack Obama:
I understand that the way the media operates, we're all led to believe that every Republican president is an idiot – Eisenhower was a kindly grandpa, Ford a bumbling doofus, Nixon an evil crook, Reagan an Alzheimer's patient with no brains, HW Bush a genial moron, W Bush just a moron, Trump a bigoted moron – and every Democrat president a delicate genius.
But to tweet your desire to bring back legalized child murder as a way to bless "generations to come?" Seriously? That didn't even give a man pause? Again, I grasp the media narrative of Republican dumb/Democrat smart. But how long do we have to give this Obama guy a pass on the raging incoherence he demonstrates with such regularity? I can't be the only one to wonder that, right?
