Surviving a Hurricane, Analyzing “Rich Men North of Richmond,” & Posting a New Video (posted 8/31/23)

Well, stately Simpson manor has survived Hurricane Idalia, which in our part of Florida was less destructive than Hillary.  (The storm, and the repulsive politician.)  I spent part of Tuesday trying to storm-proof our rental houses, including putting plywood over the windows of our old Victorian. (I’ll be posting more pictures of the nearly-returned-to-her-former-glory Rosewood at my website soon.) 

The main part of the storm passed to the west of us, and we didn’t even lose power.  I made another trip around the rentals today, and have 7 barrels and a pick-up bed full of yard waste to get rid of, but no major damage anywhere, thank God.

DeSantis did his typically excellent job of handling the storm, and in return, was attacked by both the right and the left, as per usual. While DeSantis was handling his bidness, Trump posted four tweets criticizing RDS’s poll performance and touting made-up “roomers” that he would be dropping out of the race to run for Senate.  (Ugh.)

The Dems were their usual classy selves as well.  When DeSantis went to speak to and support a group mourning the three black people shot and killed by a white racist in Jacksonville, he was booed by leftist racial arsonists. 

One local Dem pol actually had the sense to defend his right to speak, but afterwards the ghouls went right back to blaming the best governor in the country for everything from lynching to hurricanes to the heartbreak of psoriasis. 

Two related points:  1. Three black people shot to death?  Do you know what three murdered black people is equivalent to?  Any weekend evening in Democrat-run Chicago, between 8:00 p.m and 8:45 p.m.  (Except that you’ll never EVER hear about those black victims of horrific Democrat policies and governance.)

2. You probably haven’t heard this, but a recent story in the conservative Washington Examiner documented that DeSantis has had more cash spent on attack ads against him than Donald Trump and Joe Biden, combined!   Biden had $9.2 million spent against him, and even though Trump is leading RDS by 40 points, he’s only had $8.1 million spent against him.  Meanwhile, both sides ganged up to spend $20.2 million against DeSantis!

I’m not one for conspiracy theories, but do you think that spending that much to smear and kneecap a candidate who is a statistical long-shot might just suggest that both President Trump and the Dems fear that RDS would otherwise have a decent chance to win?  I think it’s certainly clear that the Dems would rather run against Trump than DeSantis.  (You can easily find a half-hour-long compilation of clips of every major Dem and MSM leftist screeching about how RDS is worse than Trump, from earlier this year, when it looked like he had a better chance at the GOP nomination.)

I dearly hope that if Trump does get the nomination, the Dems end up regretting that decision!  

On another topic, several commenters have asked me my opinion of country/roots singer Oliver Anthony’s viral hit song “Rich Men North of Richmond,” and his subsequent ire at the song being brought up at the first GOP debate.

The song first: I like it, and I like the other songs of his that I’ve heard.  Regular readers know about my Appalachian roots on one side of my family, and my love of old-school country and bluegrass.  Anthony has come out of nowhere with a talent that fits right in with that tradition, and I love his rags-to-riches story too.  

I was disappointed to see him come out and slam conservatives in subsequent comments.  He was mad that his song was discussed at the GOP debate, and at what he sees as conservative attempts to co-opt it, when he says that he wrote it to attack politicians, and “especially” conservatives and/or the ones on stage at the debate.  

I really hope he doesn’t “Bud-Light” himself by insulting the lop-sided majority of his fans – who are conservatives.  And I don’t think he needs to, because even though he doesn’t seem to be aware of it – most people aren’t bookworm political geeks raised on reading Adam Smith, Hayek, Friedman and Buckley – the ideas in his song are mostly conservative. 

Some of the lyrics are politically generic complaints about the tough lot of the working class (long hours, lousy pay, can’t get ahead), and anti-politician animus.   But the chorus is pointed: “These rich men north of Richmond/ Lord knows they all just wanna have total control.”

Point taken: politicians are power hungry, and that issue applies to both parties.  I always wonder at my lefty friends who don’t realize one consistent thing about conservatives: we’re usually disgusted with the GOP and RINOs more than they are!

But the conservative philosophy – even though many/most GOP politicians don’t live up to it – agitates AGAINST centralized political power and the DC/political elite who Oliver correctly says “wanna have total control,” versus the progressive left who embraces that total control completely.

Conservatives say, “that government is best which governs least.”  Conservative/originalist SCOTUS justices say we’re NOT going to dictate abortion policy, we’re going to leave that up to the people in the states.  Conservatives want less regulations, and more individual freedom.

Leftists don’t think regular people can make decisions for themselves, and so they micro-manage and dictate as much of daily life as they can.  They don’t like old fashioned lightbulbs, or toilets that require more water, or guns, or gas stoves, or gas-powered cars.  So they’ve banned the disfavored bulbs and toilets, and they’re trying to ban guns, gas stoves and regular cars.

So who wants “total control” again?    

Leftists also think that the money you work for is the government’s, and they’ll decide how much you get to keep.  They’ve never met a tax they don’t absolutely love.  So when Oliver sings that, “your dollar ain’t sh*t and it’s taxed to no end,” which party does that apply to best?

When he says, “I wish politicians would look out for miners/And not just minors on an island somewhere?”  I’ll grant you that a certain percentage of powerful men – and men in general – are pervs.

But when it comes to Jeffrey Epstein, Harvey Weinstein, Roman Polanski, and a hundred other exploitative casting-couch purveyors and intern-abusing sleaze-balls like them, which political party has tolerated, covered for, and accepted them more?

And when Anthony gets to complaining about welfare abusers (Well, God, if you’re 5-foot-3 and you’re 300 pounds/ Taxes ought not to pay for your bags of fudge rounds.”), what can I say?  The Dems would rip him to shreds for even suggesting that any welfare recipients anywhere aren’t in danger of starving to death in the “food deserts” that evil AmeriKKKa has stuck them in.  

In his heartfelt but incorrect (IMO) political comments, Anthony criticizes the way his song is “being weaponized” by both sides.  He says the right are “trying to characterize me as one of their own, and the left trying to discredit me, I guess in retaliation.”

It’s not “retaliation,” Mr. Anthony.  They recognize (better than you do) that your song is an essentially conservative (or at least anti-leftist) attack on their power-hungry desire to totally control and micro-manage your life.  And when you read from Psalms at a concert and drape the stage with the American flag, they recognized that you’re an evil, non-Christophobe patriot, and therefore their enemy.  

Please just continue making music, and telling the truth in your lyrics.  And if you get the chance, contemplate why so many conservative fans are drawn to it, and so many progressives want to discredit it.

Finally, I’d like to get some feedback from you all about a video I recently posted on this webpage, which you can find by clicking on “Videos” at the top of the page.

While I really enjoy writing these columns, I’ve also been toying with the idea of making a short video every so often, in which I’ll share some thoughts and invite some discussion on any subject that is bothering or intriguing me at the time.   (I’m also going to be speaking with CO to explore the possibility of doing some podcast-style videos with him and some of the CO contributors and/or commenters.)

This video – the subject is “RINO fights” – is a test of the idea.  At 13 minutes it’s a little longer than I intended, and yes, I’m old and have a face made for radio, but I’d still like to hear what you think.  So please watch it if you’re interested, and then give me an honest take on it.  (Is it too long?  Too rambling?  Do you like it more or less than my written columns? Etc.)

Also, if you’d like to engage and comment on the subject matter, please feel free to do so here in the comments on the CO page.  I’m trying to figure out how you can comment on the video on my web page, but you can share it from there, at least.

Please let me know what you think.  And remember…

Biden delenda est!

“Dr.” Jill Biden/Hillary (the repulsive person, not the storm), 2024!