MLB Notes for July: Can The Guardians or Chisox Topple The Twins in AL Central?

As July draws to a close, the tightest divisional race in MLB is in the AL Central where the Minnesota Twins currently lead the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox by 1 and 2 games, respectively. The Guardians and Chisox also find themselves 1.5 and 2 games back of the Tampa Bay Rays for the third AL Wild Card berth. 

The Twins have led the AL Central for a majority of the season. Should they hold on then they will have gone from first to worst back to first. But they will have their work cut out for them. The winner of the division will most likely be the team which can beat up on the Detroit Tigers and Kansas City Royals. The Twins begin August hosting a series against the Tigers while the White Sox will host the Royals. Meanwhile, the Guardians host the Arizona Diamondbacks who are in a virtual tie for last place in the NL West with the Colorado Rockies. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers and Royals will sell off any parts before the August 2nd trade deadline. Last week, the Royals dealt outfielder Andrew Benintendi to the New York Yankees. 

Speaking of the Yankees, both they and the Houston Astros continue to hold double digit leads in their respective divisions. The Yankees have an 11.5 game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays. If you see the Jays these days you wouldn't know there were 11.5 games out as they have won 8 of their last 10 games and are 11-3 under interim manager John Schneider. Toronto has the top AL Wild Card berth followed by the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays despite the fact they have dropped 7 of their last 10 games. The Baltimore Orioles finish July at .500 and are 3 games back of the Rays for the third AL Wild Card berth with the last place Boston Red Sox 3.5 games back though they now have a losing record. Which makes one wonder if the Red Sox will be buyers or sellers during the trade deadline? Could they move both Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers rather than lose them to free agency?

The Astros lead the Mariners in the AL West by 12 games. The Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels and Oakland A's are all 20 games plus back of the Astros and are likely to trade for prospects in the next couple of days. The Angels could move last year's AL MVP Shohei Ohtani while the A's appear ready to move ace Frankie Montas. Although the A's have won 7 of their last 10 games they still own the worst record in the AL.

Over on the Senior Circuit, while the NL East and NL Central isn't nearly as tight as the AL Central it is plenty competitive. The New York Mets hold a three game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East and finished July with six straight wins and wins in 7 of their last 10 games. To make matters better, Jacob deGrom makes his 2022 debut next week. Still, the Atlanta Braves have the top berth in the NL Wild Card race while the Philadelphia Phillies have the third berth with a one game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. As for the Miami Marlins, GM Kim Ng is likely planning some trades while the big question is where will the Washington Nationals send Juan Soto. The Nats, less than three years removed from a World Series title, are 30 games back of the Mets and have the worst record in MLB.

The Milwaukee Brewers also hold a three game lead in the NL Central with the Cardinals on the outside looking in on the post-season. The Chicago Cubs have won 7 of their last 10 games but are not ready to be a contender. Although the Cincinnati Reds have parted ways with both Tyler Naquin and Luis Castillo in recent days for the first time this season they are not in last place in the NL Central. The Pittsburgh Pirates finish July with seven straight losses and are 1-8 since the All-Star Break. 

In the NL West, the Los Angeles Dodgers have a 12 game lead over the San Diego Padres who have the second NL Wild Card berth. The Padres could land Soto but the Dodgers might beat them to it. The San Francisco Giants are at .500 but on fumes having lost 7 of their last 10 games and are four games back of the Phillies for the third NL Wild Card berth. The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks are in a virtual tie for the cellar and are likely to bare their cupboards with the D'Backs having just sent veteran outfielder David Peralta to the Rays. 

It is very difficult to predict where MLB will be at the end of August as there will be a proliferation of trades over the next 48 hours. But we can ask questions? Can either the Guardians or Chisox topple the Twins? Will the Red Sox be buyers or sellers? Will the Angels unload Ohtani? Where will Juan Soto go? Can the Cardinals catch the Phillies for the third NL Wild Card berth? Or will the Giants grow tall? See you in a month.

Bill Russell, R.I.P.

Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell passed away today of natural causes. He was 88.

The Louisiana born Russell initially struggled with basketball when he started playing it in junior high school in Oakland, California. But Russell dedicated himself and played well enough in his senior year to earn a spot playing at the collegiate level at the University of San Francisco. Russell would lead the team to back to back NCAA titles in 1955 and 1956 and was the captain of the U.S. Olympic basketball team which would win the Gold at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. 

While Russell wasn't a big scorer, he was without peer when it came to defense whether it was man to man or blocked shots. He was also an incredible rebounder. The only player who rebounded better than Russell was his friend and rival Wilt Chamberlain. While Chamberlain had greater offensive stats, Russell led his teams to championships. In Russell's 13 years with the Celtics, they would win 11 NBA titles including eight consecutive titles between 1959 and 1966. When the Celtics won the NBA Title in 1968 and 1969, Russell was also the team's head coach having succeeded the retiring Red Auerbach. Russell was the first African-American to be a head coach or manager in professional sports.

Sadly, Russell did not have a good relationship with the Boston media nor its fans unable to accept his African-American heritage. Russell would say that he played for the Celtics, but would not say that he played for Boston. With 11 NBA rings and 5 NBA MVPs, Russell declined to attend his induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975. 

Following his playing career, Russell would serve as the head coach for the Seattle Super Sonics and later the Sacramento Kings though he would not attain the success with those organizations that he did with the Celtics. Russell occasionally worked as a broadcaster and did some acting. I remember Russell appearing in a 1986 episode of Miami Vice in which he played a corrupt judge.

For his civil rights work, Russell was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2011. Upon learning of his passing, Obama said, "Today, we lost a giant."

In recent years, Russell had something of a rapprochement with Boston as he was honored with a statue outside Boston City Hall in 2013.

I leave you with an interview Russell did with Dick Cavett in 1972. The two did not discuss basketball. At the time Russell was doing a talk show out in Los Angeles and discussed interviews he had with George Wallace and Lester Maddox. They also discussed Amos and Andy, All in The Family and played the word association game. R.I.P.

Nichelle Nichols, R.I.P.

Actress and singer Nichelle Nichols, best known for her portrayal of Lt. Uhura on Star Trek TV series and in the Star Trek movies, passed away last night of natural causes. She was 89. 

Nichols began her career as a singer and dancer who worked with both Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. Later she would turn to acting. She had but a handful of acting credits including a guest spot in Gene Roddenberry's The Lieutenant when Roddenberry cast her as Lt. Uhura on Star Trek. Roddenberry's casting of Nichols was groundbreaking in that no African-American woman had ever been part of the main cast of a TV show much less portrayed in a non-stereotypical role.

However, Nichols had her sights set on Broadway and had intended to leave the show after one season but would remain at the urging of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Nichols would remain for the balance of the series and reprise her role in Star Trek: The Animated Series and in the first six Star Trek movies. 

Aside from Star Trek, Nichols mostly did voicework but would return to the small screen in the 2000's with a recurring role on Heroes as well as a handful of episodes of the long running soap opera The Young and The Restless in 2016.

Nichols also had a four decade association with NASA and worked with the agency to recruit female and minority community astronauts. In recent years, Nichols health had declined suffering a stroke in 2015. She would be subsequently diagnosed with dementia and this would result in an ugly conservatorship battle between her son, her former manager and one of her closest friends.

With the passing of Nichols, there remain three surviving members of the cast of the original Star Trek - William Shatner, Walter Koenig and George Takei. On Twitter, Takei tweeted:

I shall have more to say about the trailblazing, incomparable Nichelle Nichols, who shared the bridge with us as Lt. Uhura of the USS Enterprise. For today, my heart is heavy, my eyes shining like the stars you now rest among, my dearest friend.

I leave you with some of Nichols' best moments as Lt. Uhura as compiled by MeTV a few years back. R.I.P.

President Biden Tests Positive for COVID Again; No Symptoms & Working in Isolation

Less than 72 hours after coming out of isolation, President Biden has tested positive for COVID for a second time. 

The President is among the the minority who has tested positive for COVID after taking a regimen of Paxlovid. The same thing happened with Dr. Fauci a month ago. Biden has resumed isolation, but is experiencing no symptoms and is continuing to work. Hopefully it will stay that way.

But if President Biden is diagnosed with COVID for a third or fourth time then the knives will sharpen further. As it stands there is already blood in the water. Three out of four Democrats do not want Biden to run for re-election in 2024. Only yesterday Minnesota Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips said Biden should not seek a second term. A recurring issue with COVID won't help matters even if he experiences little or no symptoms. 

Democrats should be careful for what they wish because we could end up with Donald Trump again.

Lufthansa Whitewashes Anti-Semitism in Not Allowing Orthodox Jews to Board Flight

Back in May, the German airliner Lufthansa refused to board over 100 Orthodox Jews off a flight bound from Frankfurt to Budapest because a handful of passengers were not wearing masks on the original flight out of New York. Of course, at the time of the flight, mask mandates for travel in the U.S. had been lifted, but had not been lifted in Germany. Yet the vast majority of Orthodox Jews on the flight were in fact masked. Despite this fact all Orthodox Jewish passengers were removed from the flight prompting accusations of anti-Semitism.

Although Lufthansa subsequently apologized for the incident, it has denied their actions were motivated by anti-Semitism. At the time of the incident, the company stated, “We find the claim of anti-Semitism unwarranted and without merit,” This despite the fact a Lufthansa employee who said, "It was Jewish people who made the mess, Jewish made the problem."

Now Lufthansa continues to whitewash anti-Semitism. Lufthansa conducted a subsequent "investigation" and claimed,  “The thorough investigation did not reveal any sentiments of antisemitism, prejudice or premeditated behavior by Lufthansa representatives.”

If a Lufthansa employee loudly proclaiming Jews made the mess and made the problem isn't anti-Semitic sentiment then what is?

Not that I have any plans to travel to Europe anytime soon. But one thing is for sure I certainly won't be flying Lufthansa.

Castillo Joins Ex-Reds Teammates Suarez & Winker in Seattle

Last night, the Cincinnati Reds traded their ace starter Luis Castillo to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for minor leaguers. 

Castillo, 29, has pitched his entire five and a half year big league career with the Reds. Prior to reaching the majors in 2017, Castillo had bounced around in the San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins (twice) and San Diego Padres organizations. The Dominican born righty finished 8th in NL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2017 and made his first NL All-Star Team in 2019 and had his best overall season with a record of 15-8 with 3.30 ERA along with 226 strikeouts in 190 innings pitched. 

Last year, Castillo led the NL in losses (16) and walks (75) but would earn his second NL All-Star Team selection in 2022. Although Castillo only has a 4-4 record he has a sterling 2.86 ERA fanning 90 batters in 85 innings pitched for a subpar Cincinnati team. 

Castillo is reunited with former Reds teammates Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker who were sent to Seattle in mid-March. Although Suarez is leading the AL in strikeouts and Winker's production has diminished from his breakout season last year, the Mariners are currently in the second AL Wild Card spot. Acquiring a pitcher of Castillo's caliber gives them a very good chance to go to the post-season for the first time since 2001. Castillo is eligible for arbitration after this season and (unless the Mariners extend his contract) becomes after free agent following the 2023 campaign.

No doubt Mariners players are considerably happier with GM Jerry DiPoto than they were a year ago when he dealt closer Kendall Graveman to AL West divisional rival and eventual AL champion Houston Astros resulting in Seattle missing the post-season by a single game. The addition of Castillo certainly sends a much different message.

Is The Forward Party a Step in The Right Direction?

 

On Thursday, former 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful and NYC mayoral candidate Andrew Yang and former New Jersey Republican Governor Christine Todd Whitman launched the Forward Party. It is a merger of Yang's Forward movement, the Renew America Movement founded by former Republicans as well as the Serve America Movement founded by former Republican Congressman David Jolly. 

Their three priorities are a free people, thriving communities and a vibrant democracy. By a free people they mean to "revitalize a culture that celebrates difference and individual choice, rejects hate, and removes barriers so that each of us can rise to our full potential." Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't add sunshine, lollipops and rainbows.

To the extent the Forward Party has a political platform it concentrates exclusively on electoral reform - ranked choice voting, nonpartisan primaries and independent redistricting commissions. Well, New York City has ranked choice voting as it does here in Cambridge, Massachusetts. California has nonpartisan primaries along with an independent redistricting commission along with six other states for federal elections and eight for state level elections. Taking these things to the national level could be helpful but it hardly guarantees us a better quality of candidate. 

At this point, the Forward Party does not have policies where it concerns the economy, health care, defense and foreign affairs. As the Forward Party consists of both former Democrats and Republicans it is ostensibly a centrist party. For its part they claim, "The Forward Party will welcome new ideas and fearless conversations around the issues of the day. We won’t silence debate or refuse to adapt to the modern world." This is all well and good, but we still need to know where they stand on the issues of the day. After all, the devil is in the details. 

I don't oppose the establishment of the Forward Party but I suspect would be more successful in a parliamentary system. When I lived in Canada, I was a card carrying member of the NDP for many years. Currently, it holds the balance of power in the Liberal minority government of Justin Trudeau.

While I don't think either Democrats nor Republicans are entitled to our vote, we now have a Republican Party which now openly embraces authoritarianism and has abandoned the acceptance of the peaceful transfer of power. Should it gain a foothold, the Forward Party would more likely split the anti-Trump vote. The only circumstance I could currently see voting for a Forward Party candidate would be if the Democratic candidate or incumbent held anti-Semitic views which sadly seems to be only sort of bigotry Democrats tolerate these days. Of course, Republicans tolerate anti-Semitism and a host of other bigotries as well. 

The Forward Party further claims, "The Forward Party will empower leaders to find solutions that work in their communities. We won’t dictate a rigid, top down policy platform and expect it to work for all Americans." In which case, I think it would be best if the Forward Party concentrated its efforts at the local level and elected a slate of candidates to city and town councils. If the Forward Party can establish itself as a viable alternative at the local level then perhaps it can truly move forward at the state and federal level.

But as you can see at the top they have misspelled "principles" on their website. Before they can move Forward they must take a step in the right direction.

Burt Metcalfe, R.I.P.

Actor, director, writer and producer Burt Metcalfe, best known for his tenure as a producer on M*A*S*H, passed away on Wednesday of natural causes. He was 87. 

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Metcalfe started his career in front of the camera in movies like Gidget and in TV shows like The Twilight Zone, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Outer Limits, Perry Mason, The Fugitive and 12 O'Clock High. Metcalfe was also a cast member in the short-lived TV version of Father of the Bride. 

But Metcalfe would make his mark in Hollywood behind the camera when he joined M*A*S*H in 1972 and remained with the series for its entire 11-year run starting as an associate producer, before becoming a line producer and eventually the show's executive producer in 1977. Metcalfe also directed 31 episodes of M*A*S*H. He would also be the executive producer for AfterMASH. 

I leave you with Metcalfe discussing his memories watching the final episode of M*A*S*H "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" with the cast and crew on February 28, 1983. R.I.P.

I Have a Bad Feeling Sinema Will Give The Manchin-Schumer Deal a Thumbs Down

To the shock of many, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last night somehow persuaded West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin to agree to a $700 billion climate, health care and deficit reduction bill known as the Inflation Reduction Act.

The two agreed on energy and climate change spending to the tune of $369 billion, authorizes Medicare to negotiate the price of certain prescription drugs, extend subsidies under the Affordable Care Act by three years and reduce the deficit by $300 billion. Granted, it's less than a third of President Biden's $2.2 trillion Build Back Better agenda. But given that Manchin had balked at the more modest deal earlier this month it is an astonishing turn of events. 

Or is it? While Jonathan Chait is claiming "Joe Biden's Presidency Is Suddenly Back From the Dead" this ain't a done deal.

As of this writing, Arizona Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema has not voiced her support for the agreement. Indeed, Sinema is reportedly "frustrated" and "shocked" at not having been included in the discussion and Republican Senators are stoking the fires. If nothing else, Sinema is certainly going to make Democrats sweat as she "reviews" the bill and await rulings from the Senate Parliamentarian.

I have a bad feeling that she will not only give another thumbs down (as she did with the minimum wage bill last year) but that she could cross the floor and give Republicans control of the Senate and make Mitch McConnell majority leader once more. If this comes to pass it will be yet another example of why we can't have nice things.

How Can We Be in a Recession With a 3.6% Unemployment Rate?

While it is true the GDP has shrunk for two consecutive quarters (1.6% and 0.9%, respectively), I am not ready to agree that the U.S. is in a recession.

How can the U.S. economy be in a recession with an unemployment rate of 3.6%?

Now if the unemployment rate doubles in three months then we can talk. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research defines a recession as "a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and lasts more than a few months." The NBER further states, "In recent decades, the two measures we have put the most weight on are real personal income less transfers and nonfarm payroll employment."

The former is certainly significant as it ties in with inflation which certainly reduces purchasing power. Inflation is currently at 9.1% and no doubt many Americans are feeling the pinch and squeeze. But for much of the 1970's and early 1980's, inflation was in double digits peaking at 14.6% in 1980. Now combine double digit inflation with double digit unemployment and double digit interest rates. Life wasn't so simple as you thought it was back in the 1970's and early 1980's.

Then again if Americans can be convinced Donald Trump ought to be elected President and possibly for a second time then Americans can be convinced we're in a recession. 

Yankees Acquire Benintendi From Royals

This morning, the New York Yankees acquired outfielder Andrew Benintendi from the Kansas City Royals for three minor league pitchers. Benintendi went 0 for 4 in his Yankees debut against his former team. However, the Yankees prevailed 1-0 on a walk off HR by Aaron Judge. 

Benintendi, 28, was selected to his first All-Star Team this season. Although his power numbers are down (3 HR 39 RBI) he enters tonight with a .320 batting average good enough for third in the AL behind only former Boston Red Sox teammate Rafael Devers and Luis Arraez of the Minnesota Twins. A first round draft pick of the Red Sox in 2015, he made his MLB debut the following season, finishing runner up to Aaron Judge for AL Rookie of the Year balloting in 2017 and remained with the club through 2020 earning a World Series ring in 2018. The Red Sox dealt Benintendi to the Royals in a three way trade with the New York Mets prior to last season. He is a free agent after this season.

However long Benintendi is in pinstripes, his arrival renders the much maligned Joey Gallo expendable and likely to be traded by the August 2nd deadline. The one thing Benintendi has working against him is his refusal to get vaccinated and was among 10 Royals who skipped a recent road trip to Toronto. The Yankees are due to play in Toronto in late September and could face them in the post-season. Benintendi has indicated he is "open-minded" about getting vaccinated but I'll believe it when I see it.

From where I sit, Andrew Benintendi is one of too many baseball players and professional athletes who have a $10 million body and a 10 cent head.

COVID Cases in U.S. Pass 91 Million as BA.5 Keeps Spreading

The United States has surpassed 91 million cases of COVID-19. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 91,087,404 COVID cases resulting in the deaths of 1,029,213 Americans representing a mortality rate of 1.1%. COVID hospitalizations are just under 40,000 according to Our World in Data. 

Although the surge in BA.5 cases has not resulted in a corresponding surge of hospitalizations and deaths, there is anxiety among some in the scientific community about immune escape and that two doses won't be sufficient to prevent hospitalizations and that soon we could have a variant resistant not only to our current vaccine regimen but to Paxlovid. There are calls for the development of nasal vaccines which would purportedly stop COVID at it source as well as pan-coronavirus vaccines aimed at stopping variants. 

Alas most Americans are long done with COVID and have turned their attention to a recession despite the fact our unemployment rate is 3.6%. Let me put it this way the driving force of our last recession was infection not inflation.

President Biden Gives Speech in Rose Garden After Negative COVID Test

After testing negative for COVID, President Biden gave a speech in the White House Rose Garden encouraging Americans to get vaccinated and boosted. 

When Biden was diagnosed with COVID last week, I wrote:

Yet I'm not worried because Biden has been vaccinated, boosted and given Paxlovid. All of which means is that Biden is highly unlikely to be hospitalized. In view of this, I would not be surprised if President Biden will be out and about and back to a full schedule by the first week of August. 

Biden's recovery is ahead of schedule. Of course, there is the possibility of the Paxlovid rebound and recurrence of symptoms as happened recently with Dr. Fauci. Even if that doesn't come to pass there is always the worry of reinfection. However, as before, I am concerned but not worried about President Biden when it comes to COVID.

Tony Dow's Death is Reminiscent of Tanya Roberts' Passing

Actor Tony Dow, best known for his portrayal of Wally Cleaver, on the 1950's and 1960's sitcom Leave It to Beaver, died today of cancer. He was 77.

Dow's death had actually been announced yesterday only for his publicists to later say he was in hospice care:

A post on his Facebook page signed by reps Frank Bilotta and Renee James said that Dow, who played Wally Cleaver on the beloved sitcom and has been in a battle with cancer, had died Tuesday morning, but that post has since been deleted. Calls to his manager, his wife and his son by The Hollywood Reporter have gone unreturned.

TMZ said it spoke to his manager who said “Tony’s wife, Lauren, who is very distraught, believed her husband was dead — and told his management.” Fox News spoke to his son, Chris, who said his father “is still alive, but in his last hours; under hospice care.” 

A new Facebook note posted at 1:35 p.m. PT reads:

“This morning Tony’s wife Lauren, who was very distraught, had notified us that Tony had passed and asked that we notify all his fans. As we are sure you can understand, this has been a very trying time for her. We have since received a call from Tony’s daughter-in-law saying that while Tony is not doing well, he has not yet passed. Tony’s son Christopher and his daughter-in-law Melissa have also been by his side comforting him, and we will keep you posted on any future updates.”

The circumstances surrounding Dow's passing remind me of what happened with actress Tanya Roberts in January 2021. First, she was dead. Then she wasn't dead after all. Finally, she died. Roberts' boyfriend claimed she died in his arms without telling anyone until he talked to the media and then got a call from the ICU that she was alive after all before passing the following day. 

At the risk of being too hard on Dow's widow, I don't understand how a mistake like this could happen. Yes, I understand that a person who is in a distressed state doesn't always think clearly, but other family members were present. Either you're dead or you're alive. Should the day come when a member of my immediate family passes away (and assuming I'm present) I would like independent medical verification of that fact before telling people of a death in the family and not cause undue alarm. R.I.P.

Norman Lear is 100 and Still Busy

The most remarkable thing about TV producer Norman Lear turning 100 is the fact that he is still working. 

Lear produced (or co-produced with the late Bud Yorkin) some of the greatest sitcoms in American TV history - All in The Family, Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, One Day at a Time and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman. That's a career right there. Lear could have retired long ago. 

Instead Lear is still working. Granted his focus is on revivifying his greatest successes such as the rebooting of One Day at a Time on Netflix in 2017 and is currently at work relaunching Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman on TBS. If that wasn't enough, in the wake of the Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade, Lear is planning on recreating the Maude episode "Maude's Dilemma" for ABC's Live in Front of a Studio Audience. Lear really takes Bob Dylan's adage, "He who isn't being born is busy dying," to heart. 

All I can say is Mazel Tov.

Rhode Island Restaurant Serves Anti-Semitism With Anne Frank Meme

A friend of mine drew my attention to this Daily Beast article about an establishment in Tiverton, Rhode Island called the Atlantic Sports Bar and Restaurant which evidently features anti-Semitism on its menu.

Commenting on the recent heat wave in New England, a post on the Atlantic Sports Bar and Restaurant's Facebook page featured a meme with Anne Frank with the caption, “It’s hotter than an oven out there… And I should know!” 

Good Lord!!!

The post got the attention of talk radio host named Jessica Machado based out of nearby New Bedford, Massachusetts. When Machado contacted the restaurant's owner (who has not been identified) he defended it as being funny and that he was too busy to talk to her. However, when the meme drew international condemnation, the owner subsequently apologized and acknowledged he knew who Anne Frank was but claimed didn't recognize her picture. This seems utterly implausible, but I suppose it isn't impossible. If that is the case then ignorance is hardly an excuse. 

On a side note, my friend had some dealings with this establishment a few years ago and they were less than honest in their practices. He was enjoying their comeuppance. 

I take a dimmer view. With every passing year the horrors of the Holocaust fade from public view as those who survive leave this world. How many generations will it take before the Holocaust is treated like a meme by the majority? I have a bad feeling it won't take that many.

Thoughts on Joni Mitchell's Surprise Appearance at The Newport Folk Festival

Those in attendance at the Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island yesterday were the luckiest people on the face of the Earth.

The closing act was billed as Brandi Carlile and Friends. But one Carlile's friends was none other than Joni Mitchell and to the shock and delight of those assembled Mitchell performed her first full length concert in over 20 years. 

Nobody (and I mean nobody outside of Brandi Carlile) had Joni Mitchell performing live on their 2022 bingo card. After all, Mitchell nearly died in 2015 of a brain aneurysm. While she has made public appearances in recent years there was never an expectation that she would perform much less headline the Newport Folk Festival.

Mitchell, now 78, not only sang "Both Sides Now" and "The Circle Game" with a voice which now resembles the late Nina Simone, but also managed a guitar solo on "Just Like This Train". Needless to say, everyone on stage with Mitchell was visibly moved. No one more so that Wynona Judd who fought back tears. It has been less than three months since her mother Naomi took her own life. No doubt Judd has admired Mitchell as much as Carlile and many other musical peers but seeing someone her mother's age perform who was never expected to perform may have helped serve as a cathartic and healing experience. 

Seeing and hearing this gives me hope for Jean Millington of Fanny. While Millington did sing with Fanny last August at the Los Angeles premiere of Fanny: The Right to Rock, she has been unable to play bass since her stroke in 2018. But wonders never cease.

As for Joni Mitchell, was this a one off performance? If it was then it was one hell of a send off. Perhaps though this might have set off a spark. Now I don't envision a world tour. But I could see perhaps a dozen concerts in North America and perhaps a show in London spread out over several months and likely with Carlile and company in tow. And believe me people would be willing to pay a lot more than a dollar and a half to see her. Myself included. 

Whatever happens, Joni Mitchell's surprise performance was the most electric thing to happen at the Newport Folk Festival since Bob Dylan went electric. Those currents are sending off positive energy which hopefully won't dissipate anytime soon.

Paul Sorvino, R.I.P.

Actor Paul Sorvino, best known for playing Detective Phil Cerretta during the second season of Law & Order and mobster Paulie Cicero in Goodfellas, passed away of natural causes today. He was 83. Sorvino's death comes less than two months after the death of his Goodfellas co-star Ray Liotta. 

The film I remember him from was one of his few in a lead role called Slow Dancing in the Big City. Released in 1978, Sorvino plays a newspaper reporter who falls in love with a ballerina (played by real life Canadian ballerina Anne Ditchburn) who will soon dance her last step. I saw the film only once over 30 years, but the way he held her at the end of the film has always stayed with me.

Sorvino was also an accomplished sculptor and opera singer. He was also a proud and protective father to his daughter actress Mira Sorvino. The elder Sorvino had some very choice words for Harvey Weinstein back in 2018 when he blackballed his daughter for refusing his advances. Weinstein is lucky he is in jail rather have to faced Sorvino. 

I leave you with Sorvino singing "Mamma" to his mother at a concert back in 1996. R.I.P.

Bob Rafelson, R.I.P.

Producer and director Bob Rafelson passed away on Saturday of lung cancer. He was 89.

Rafelson attained national prominence as the co-producer of the TV show The Monkees along with Bert Schneider. The Monkees was not inspired by The Beatles. Rather it was by Rafelson's days as a young musician in Mexico.

Rafelson would direct The Monkees in a feature film called Head was which was co-written by his close friend Jack Nicholson. Head would fall on its face, but a year later Rafelson would cast Nicholson in a film he was co-producing with Schneider and Stephen Blauner called Easy Rider. The film would send Nicholson into the stratosphere. Rafelson would direct Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces (earning Rafelson a nomination for Best Original Screenplay), The King of Marvin Gardens and the 1981 remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice. Rafelson also co-produced The Last Picture Show directed by Peter Bogdanovich who passed away this past January. 

I leave you with Rafelson discussing his directorial influences in a 2005 interview. R.I.P.

Josh Hawley's Presidential Ambitions Have Fled Along With Him

 

Until a little over 24 hours ago, if one mentioned Missouri Republican Senator Josh Hawley one would think of the picture in which he raised his fist in solidarity with the January 6th rioters.

But that changed on Thursday night when the January 6th Committee showed footage of Hawley running away from the Capitol and away from very people who cause he supposedly supported. 

Images of Hawley running away elicited howls of laughter from the committee room during an otherwise somber proceeding and have rendered him an international laughing stock. 

When I saw the footage I thought of Brave Sir Robin from Monty Python and The Holy Grail and as it turns out I was far from alone. 

Hawley has frequently been mentioned as a Republican presidential contender. But in those few seconds Hawley's presidential ambitions fled along with him. This image and the laughter which accompanied it is going to stick with Hawley forever as much Ted Cruz's trip to Cancun as Texas was freezing over last year. Here is someone who portrays himself as an alpha male without fear, but flees when trouble comes to his door. 

Whatever my worries about what the January 6th Committee will accomplish when it comes to holding defeated, former President Trump to account, it can be safely said that the January 6th Committee has put Josh Hawley's presidential ambitions on ice.

Macron Hosts Abbas & Blames Israel For Everything

On Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Mahmoud Abbas, the man who holds the title of President of the Palestinian Authority although his term expired 13 years ago. 

Despite Abbas' lack of legitimacy never mind the authoritarian nature of the Palestinian Authority, Macron reserved his anger solely for Israel in calling for renewed peace talks:

We all know that a new spiral of violence can start at any moment. To avert this threat that is present daily and undermines the lives of both Palestinians and Israelis, we must act. We must act. We must address the deep political causes of a situation that has been deadlocked for too long.

Short-term, as we know, this means first putting an end to unilateral measures on the ground. I am thinking particularly of the evictions of Palestinian families, of the demolitions, of the policy of colonization that is contrary to international law and that makes the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state living in peace alongside Israel more remote.

By colonization, Macron is referring to settlements. But this is little more than a red herring. There hasn't been a Jewish resident of Gaza since 2005. Has this Israel any goodwill by the Palestinians? The dissolution of settlements in the West Bank will not yield different results. The BDS movement views all of Israel and seeks the return of all Arab lands. The Palestinians are not now and never have been amenable to compromise when it comes to co-existing with Israel. And yet Israel alone is expected to roll over and play dead.

Absent in Macron's statement was any condemnation of Palestinian violence against Jews, a violence encouraged by Abbas' administration itself through its textbooks which encourage young Palestinians to kill Jews. As such I don't see how Macron expects Israel to take him with any degree of seriousness. Even if Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid were so inclined, he heads a caretaker government and Macron is well aware of it. Macron is grandstanding. After all, this is the same Macron who asked Ukrainian President Zelenskyy to surrender land to Russia to help Vladimir Putin save face. 

Although President Biden favors a two state solution, he is far more realistic about the situation on the ground noting this was "currently unattainable" in his joint press conference with Abbas during his Middle East visit last week. No doubt Macron disagrees with that assessment, but I'd like to see him explain why he thinks Biden is wrong. 

I write all this with the knowledge that Macron is infinitely better than Marine Le Pen. Yet this doesn't mean that Macron won't say and do foolish things. But when Macron says and does foolish things it increases the likelihood that Madame Le Pen will get her chance to call the Elysee Palace home come 2027. 

The January 6th Committee Won't Matter if Americans Elect a Republican Congress

Six weeks ago tonight, the January 6th Committee commenced its public hearings. Tonight it concluded its first round of hearings with more promised in September.

Over the course of the past six weeks it is clear there would have been no attack on the Capitol on January 6th if not for defeated former President Trump who summoned a mob to Washington, D.C. for the purpose of preventing the peaceful transition of power. The focus of tonight's hearing was how members of Trump's inner circle up to and including his own family begged and pleaded with him to stop the attack. 

Trump was unmoved for 187 minutes until federal officials including Vice-President Pence deployed personnel to clear the Capitol. Then and only then did he tell his supporters to go home, but he praised their behavior insisting that he won the election by a landslide. The following day when addressing the nation it was revealed that when urged to say the election was over Trump said, "I don't want to say the election is over." For Trump, the 2020 won't be over until the day he dies. For many of his supporters, it will continue will after Trump has left this mortal coil.

Yet with the facts that are known and with more damning things soon to come the efforts of the January 6th Committee will be all for naught if Americans elect a Republican Congress in November. Not only would a Republican Congress chloroform the January 6th Committee but they would very likely establish committees to investigate it, its members, staff and possibly witnesses. They will do this in between attempts to impeach President Biden.

Let us also consider Republicans have nominated gubernatorial candidates who believe the 2020 election was stolen such as Doug Mastriano in Pennsylvania and Dan Cox in Maryland. If elected will install people with the same point of view who will never certify any election their favored candidate loses and the will of the people be damned. Their presence and power would also nullify the facts found by the January 6th Committee. 

Even those Republicans who acknowledge Trump was in the wrong on January 6th will still back him if he is the GOP nominee. Pence will be on bended knee seeking Trump's approval before the gavel has struck. 

I wish I could be more optimistic about the January 6th Committee. Most Americans might acknowledge that Trump was in the wrong. But I bet most of these same Americans are more concerned about the their dollar than they are about our democracy.

I'm Concerned But Not Worried About President Biden's COVID Diagnosis

So what's the difference about being concerned and worried about President Biden's COVID diagnosis?

I'm concerned just as I would be concerned with anyone who was diagnosed with COVID and wish him a speedy recovery. As I write that statement, I am fully aware that Joe Biden isn't just anyone. Despite what Donald Trump says, Joe Biden is the President of the United States. I am also cognizant of the fact that he is 79 and that older Americans are more vulnerable to the effects of COVID. 

Yet I'm not worried because Biden has been vaccinated, boosted and given Paxlovid. All of which means is that Biden is highly unlikely to be hospitalized. In view of this, I would not be surprised if President Biden will be out and about and back to a full schedule by the first week of August. 

COVID Cases Cross 90 Million as CDC Approves Novavax Vaccine

Today, the U.S. officially passed 90 million COVID-19 cases. According to Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, there have been 90,046,834 cases resulting in 1,025,741 deaths representing a mortality rate of 1.1%. Hospitalizations continue to rise slowly but steadily nearing 36,500 as of 48 hours ago.

Yesterday, the CDC gave approval to the Novavax vaccine. Unlike Pfizer and Moderna, Novavax is two dose non-mRNA vaccine. But the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine is also non-mRNA. I doubt this will move the needle for lack of a better phrase. Those who refuse to get vaccinated won't care what the vaccine is made of. Although two thirds of the country is fully vaccinated (67.59%), when your vaccination rate is marginally better than Rwanda (67.43%) and marginally worse than Sri Lanka (67.96%) which is in the midst of political turmoil it does not inspire confidence that things will get better. 

AL Wins 9th Consecutive MLB All-Star Game

The AL has done it yet again. The Junior Circuit has won its 9th consecutive MLB All-Star Game besting the NL 3-2 at Dodger Stadium where the festivities took place for the first time since 1980. The mid-summer classic was originally scheduled to take place at Chavez Ravine in 2020 but was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NL did get the upper hand in the 1st on a single by Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts and a HR by St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to take a 2-0 lead. But HRs from New York Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton and Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton gave the AL a 3-2 lead which stuck. Stanton would win All-Star Game MVP honors.

The AL’s 9 straight wins are only eclipsed by the 11 straight wins the NL had between 1972 and 1982. However, this is not the longest drought for the NL. Their triumph in 2010 was their first since 1996. The AL’s win streak was interrupted by the infamous tie in the 2002 All-Star Game.

The NL will try to end its current drought next year in Seattle at T-Mobile Park. Seattle last hosted the All-Star Game in 2001 when the facility was known as Safeco Field.

A Good Guy With a Gun is The Exception To The Rule

There is such a thing as a good guy with a gun as demonstrated by Elisjsha Dicken who yesterday shot and killed a man responsible for shooting and killing three people at a mall in Greenwood, Indiana. There's little doubt that more people would have been killed if not for Dicken's actions.

Yet it must be understood that Dicken is very much the exception to the rule. In a situation like a mass shooting more often than not one cannot count on a good guy with a gun. Every once in a while, a good guy doesn't need a gun to disarm a bad guy as was the case at the Waffle House shooting in Nashville in April 2018 or when a high school football coach in Portland, Oregon disarmed a gunman with a hug in May 2019. James Shaw, Jr. and Keanon Lowe saved as many lives as Elisjsha Dicken. They too are exceptions to the rule. Of course, there were supposed to be a whole force of good guys with guns in Uvalde, Texas not to mention state and federal law enforcement. Fat lot of good it did those schoolchildren. 

Then there are situations when good guys with guns get shot by the authorities as was the case with Jemel Roberson in Illinois and Emantic Bradford, Jr. in Alabama both in November 2018. And yes both men were African-American. 

A good guy with a gun can stop a bad guy with a gun. But so can a good guy without a gun. Sometimes the good guys with a gun don't act or they shoot the good guys with a gun. Which makes you wonder if they are good guys in the first place.

MLB All-Star Break Notes: The Orioles Are At .500 & In The AL Wild Card Hunt

We are now at the midway point of the 2022 MLB season and without a doubt the biggest surprise of them all has been the Baltimore Orioles who enter the All-Star Break with a .500 record at 46-46. 

Although the O's are in last place in the AL East one would be hard pressed to find anyone who predicted they would be a .500 team let alone be in the AL Wild Card hunt. So far this month, the O's are 11-4 which included a 10 game winning streak. On the strength of this surge, the O's are only 3.5 games back of the Toronto Blue Jays for the third AL Wild Card spot. To put this into perspective, Baltimore finished May 2021 with 14 consecutive losses en route to a 52-110 record. They need only 7 wins to top their win total of last season. 

However, this might prove to be easier said than done. In the midst of their 10 game win streak, 9 of those wins came against teams with losing records. After starting their streak with a win against the AL Central leading Minnesota Twins, the O's swept the Texas Rangers, Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs before losing two out of three this past weekend to the Tampa Bay Rays who currently have the top spot in the AL Wild Card race. After the All-Star Break, the O's next seven games are against the New York Yankees and the Rays albeit at Camden Yards. By the end of this month, we shall see if the Orioles are going to soar or be grounded. 

After all, the Yankees have a 13 game lead on the Rays and still have a chance to eclipse the 114 wins recorded by the 1998 Yankees. After a mediocre June, the Rays are 11-6 thus far in July and aren't going anywhere. The Blue Jays have the third AL Wild Card spot but this didn't stop management from firing Charlie Montoyo last week. Thus far the Jays have won 4 of their first 5 games under interim manager John Schneider. One wonders if Alex Cora is looking over his shoulder in Boston as the Red Sox are 5-12 in July having lost 7 of their last 10 games and are now 2 games back of the Jays for the third AL Wild Card slot. 

In the AL Central, the Minnesota Twins lead the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White So by 2 and 3 games, respectively. The Guardians and Chisox are also 2.5 and 3.5 games back of the Jays for the third AL Wild Card spot. The Chisox finish the first half with a .500 record (identical to the O's) having won 7 of their last 10 games. The Detroit Tigers have lost four in a row and 8 of their last 10 games and are only game ahead of the last place Kansas City Royals. Both teams will likely be selling off parts by the trade deadline at month's end.

The Houston Astros still have a comfortable lead in the AL West with a 9 game advantage over the Seattle Mariners. No one is sorrier than Seattle for the first half of the season to end as the M's have won 14 consecutive games and are in the second AL Wild Card spot only a half game back of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Mariners entered June 21-28 and have gone 30-14 since. There is a long way to go but perhaps the end to the Mariners' 21-year post-season drought is in sight.

Then again, the Texas Rangers got to .500 at the end of May with a 17 win month. They have won 17 games since having gone 5-11 in July. The Los Angeles Angels are even worse having gone 2-12 thus far in July and are 12-25 since Phil Nevin replaced Joe Maddon on June 7th. At the start of the season, the Angels were competing with the Astros. They could soon be competing with the Oakland A's for the worst record in the AL. 

In the NL East, the New York Mets lead the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies by 2.5 and 8.5 games, respectively with the Braves holding down the first NL Wild Card spot with the Phillies in a virtual tie with the St. Louis Cardinals for the third NL Wild Card spot and a half game ahead of the San Francisco Giants. The Miami Marlins had a shot to reach the .500 mark but were swept this weekend by the Phillies. Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals are 27.5 games back of the Mets and own MLB's worst record at 31-63.

The Milwaukee Brewers lead the St. Louis Cardinals by a half game in the NL Central with the Cardinals in a virtual tie with the Phillies for the third NL Wild Card spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates are 11 games back of the Brew Crew and on their way to their sixth losing season in the past seven years. The Chicago Cubs are only a half game ahead of the Cincinnati Reds who at the beginning of 2022 bore a strong resemblance to the 1962 New York Mets. 

Since the start of July, the Los Angeles Dodgers have expanded their lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West from 2.5 to 10 games. Nevertheless, the Padres still own the second NL Wild Card spot with the San Francisco Giants only a half game behind the Phillies and Cardinals for the third NL Wild Card spot despite not having a winning month since April. The Colorado Rockies have won 7 of their last 10 games and could be a sleeper team. The Arizona Diamondbacks who were flirting with .500 on Memorial Day Weekend have won 15 games since June 1st after winning 15 games in May. The D'Backs will likely have another last place finish in the NL West though I don't think they'll lose 111 games like they did a year ago.

So where will MLB be in a fortnight? Can the Orioles beat their AL East rivals? Can the Twins hold off the Guardians and White Sox? Can the Mariners maintain their momentum and expand their 14 game winning streak? Can the Braves catch the Mets? Will the Brewers or Cardinals take charge of the NL Central? Will the Dodgers still have a double digit lead in the NL West? As always, we'll find out at the end of the month.

Gabby Giffords is Alive, Well & Won't Back Down

On Saturday night, I went to the Kendall Square Cinema here in Cambridge to see Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down. As it turned out, I had the theatre entirely to myself. In the age of COVID, I've been in some sparsely attended movie houses but this was a first.

Mind you my singular presence does not reflect on the quality of the subject or presentation. I suspect that people going out on a Saturday night want lighter fare and that is fair. Yet despite the grim subject of gun violence in America, Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down is a largely uplifting film.

It is a miracle that Giffords survived a gunshot wound to the head which left her with significant brain damage. Beyond that there was no guarantee that Giffords would walk or talk again. Giffords is not only walking and talking she is studying for her bat mitzvah and running her own political action committee promoting gun control. Surviving was a miracle. The rest is her sheer determination to overcome struggles she knows she will have to deal with for the rest of her life and doing so with a smile. 

Of course, this cannot be done without support. Giffords' greatest support comes from her husband, former astronaut and now Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly. Their marriage is one of devotion and unconditional love. The two have truly lived up to their vows of in sickness and in health and the support goes both ways. Perhaps the most compelling scene in the entire documentary was Kelly practicing his Senate maiden speech and Giffords critiquing his body language and cadence. While Giffords might never be healthy enough to hold elected office, her political instincts have not left her and will serve Kelly well.

Speaking of politics, when I decided to see the documentary I wondered how they would handle the subject of the man who killed six people and very nearly killed Giffords. At the time of the Tucson shooting, there was the claim advanced by The New York Times that the perpetrator was inspired by a map with gun crosshairs targeting Democratic controlled seats in Congress put out by Sarah Palin's political action committee. While Palin can be criticized for many things this was not one of them. The Times would belatedly issue a correction in 2017. This did not satisfy Palin who unsuccessfully brought libel litigation against The Gray Lady.

The documentary did not cast blame on Palin nor any other Republican for Giffords' shooting. To the extent the film did criticize Republicans was for their ongoing opposition to gun control legislation. The toughest criticism was reserved for Kentucky Senator Rand Paul who crassly described the parents of the children who were slaughtered at Sandy Hook Elementary School as "political props." The NRA was also targeted for both its corruption and the fallacy of "a good guy with a gun". Indeed, a good guy with a gun did come to the scene of the Tucson shooting and very nearly killed one of the people who subdued the perpetrator. Let us also consider that in a situation like this when things move so fast how can anyone, much less police can tell the good guy with a gun and the bad guy with a gun apart? 

For the most part Giffords emphasized moving forward with supporting expanded background checks and red flag laws. The documentary was completed prior to Congress passing modest gun control legislation last month in the wake of mass shootings in Buffalo and in Uvalde, Texas. 

Moving from the political to the personal, it is also worth noting that impact music has had in Giffords' recovery. Although speech does not come easily to Giffords, she sings nearly effortlessly as demonstrated with her rendition of the late John Denver's "Country Roads (Take Me Home)" while on her bike at the conclusion of the movie. She also retained the ability to play the French horn.  

Mind you, Giffords had the good fortune of having Congressional health insurance. Most gunshot victims do not have access to the kind of care that Giffords received though Giffords and Kelly have long supported expanding healthcare access to all Americans. Still, Giffords' main objective is preventing gun violence from happening in the first place. This is her life's work and perhaps it is the reason she was spared. 

If you did not get the chance to see Gabby Giffords Won't Back Down, it will air on CNN later this year.

The Libertarian Party Should Rename Itself The Authoritarian Party

I came across this article by Andy Craig in The UnPopulist titled "How the Libertarian Party Became The Reactionary Arm of Trump and Trumpism" via Jonathan V. Last of The Bulwark. Craig, a former Libertarian Party member who had run for office under his party's banner, writes:

Aside from (Gary) Johnson’s candidacy, the party had mostly drawn attention for antics ranging from the mildly amusing to utterly cringe-inducing, such as running an Elvis Presley impersonator as a perennial candidate, nominating someone who accidentally turned his skin blue by drinking colloidal silver, entertaining the presidential aspirations of the mentally unstable alleged murderer John McAfee, and treating C-SPAN viewers to a man stripping nearly naked on the national convention stage. But now, as Ken White, a criminal defense lawyer and respected commentator known by his online moniker Popehat, aptly observed on Twitter, “bigoted shitposters” have now wrested control from these “mostly harmless cranks.”

Under the direction of the so-called Mises Caucus, the LP has become home to those who don’t have qualms about declaring Holocaust-denying racists “fellow travelers” and who don’t think that bigots are necessarily disqualified from the party. They even went out of their way to delete from the party’s platform its nearly 50-year-old language stating: “We condemn bigotry as irrational and repugnant.” The caucus is also reversing the party’s longstanding commitment to open immigration policies in favor of border enforcement. The new chair, Angela McArdle, proclaims that the party will now be dedicated to fighting “wokeism.” People with pronouns in their Twitter bios aren’t welcome anymore, but, evidently, white nationalists and Holocaust deniers are.

But that’s not all. Various members of the new leadership have averred that: Black folks owe America for affirmative action; Pride Month is a plot by degenerates and child molesters aiming for socialism; and a country with zero taxes but more trans murders would be more morally acceptable than the reverse. Though some Mises Caucus figures insist they want to offer solutions to the culture wars, in practice, that means obsessively weighing in on the side of the far right.

After the Mises Caucus took over the New Hampshire state party, it endorsed the Big Lie, Jan. 6 rioters and Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the election. But in an in-depth report, the Southern Poverty Law Center traced the links between the various LP officeholders and Trump’s aiders and abettors. For example, it reported that Michael Heise, the Mises Caucus chairman who is the leading strategist behind the group's takeover of the national Libertarian Party, has actively courted Patrick Byrne, former Overstock.com CEO, receiving advice and donations from Byrne. Byrne spoke at Trump’s Jan. 6 rally and financed Arizona Maricopa County’s audit. Byrne also wrote a book claiming that election fraud cost Trump the election.

I remember watching part of the 2000 Libertarian Party Convention on C-SPAN. I remember delegates dressed up in bee costume, a speech by the late American Indian activist Russell Means and a performance by Melanie (yes, the same Melanie who wrote "Brand New Key" and "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain" and had performed at Woodstock). A case can now be made that there's nothing libertarian about the Libertarian Party and that it ought to rename itself the Authoritarian Party.

Indeed, they are a far cry from the party which nominated the ticket of Gary Johnson and Bill Weld in 2016. I gave some thought to voting for the ticket but came away less than impressed after they spoke in the Boston Common on a late Saturday afternoon in August. I had some similar thoughts in 2019 when it appeared onetime Republican Congressman Justin Amash would a make a White House bid under the Libertarian banner in 2020. 

But I knew Amash's bid was doomed from the start. After all, Amash became the first Republican Congressman to call for President Trump's impeachment. But when I attended a watch party of one of the first Democratic presidential debates sponsored by New York City Libertarians I was astonished by the degree by which Trump had captured them:

What truly surprised me was the level of support there was for President Trump among the Libertarians. Now this could be because it's New York City although there were several Libertarians in attendance from outside the city. But what is so libertarian about Donald Trump? After he is a man obsessed with tariffs and wanting to regulate social media critical of him. Given the possibility that Justin Amash will run for President as a Libertarian one would think they would hold Trump in contempt. Yet all the Libertarians I heard from thought Trump got a raw deal on the Mueller Report. This is most curious given how Amash's departure from the Republican Party was triggered by his call for impeachment of Trump in the first place. If this is representative of Libertarian thinking then that tells me that Trump has captured Libertarians every bit as much as he has captured Republicans and conservatives at large. All of which made for a very long night.

Given that experience almost three years ago, I am far from surprised the Libertarians have only gone further down the road of Trump and Trumpism like virtually every other right-wing organization in this country. Under the circumstances, I am glad I did not see fit to join their ranks much less make common cause with them as their cause has now changed.