John Auchter

We are usually better off just keeping it simple. So putting myself in a union worker's shoes, I think I'd go for a presidential candidate who didn't have a well-documented history of stiffing workers (and customers and creditors and...).

I think the biggest tell that the current Republican Party is no longer the party of Ronald Reagan is its complete lack of positivity.

I'm so rested and relaxed I'm complimenting government agencies! So you can understand why I'm looking to avoid anything that will harsh this particular mellow. Say, for example, salty old Republican politicians who want to fill me with fear and anger.

Is it just me or have you, dear readers, also seen a considerable uptick in politics-related email and texts these past few months? It may be related to this editorial cartooning gig, but I don't think so. 'Tis election season, of course, but then when is it never not election season?

So a week ago, the buzz was about Kamala Harris and floating the accusation that she was a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) hire. This has now been superseded by Donald Trump's rant about Harris that, in his esteemed assessment, she is somehow not Black. This, of course, from a person and a party (they are really now the same thing) who often profess not to see color and are annoyed by all this racial stuff. Yet they keep weaponizing it.

We no longer receive news as something to learn about but as something to opine about. We are all pundits, supposed experts, talking past each other. We leave what is too soon so we can be the first to have a hot take on what might be.

Somewhere between describing Donald Trump as "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin" in his first presidential campaign and accepting (after rabidly seeking) the offer to be his running mate in the current campaign, J.D. Vance had a transformation. I've seen it described as a "Road to Damascus" moment for him.

We've been doing a fine job of chasing teachers and nurses out of their professions. Are scientists and researchers next?

I've commented before about the challenges of dealing with hyper-fast news cycles. The presidential debate last week took place a few hours past my deadline, so I missed that. Then earlier this week was the bombshell ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court on presidential immunity.

If we're honest, we tend to paint the supposed good times with broad brush stokes that cover over those who were having a bad time. Nostalgia, rose-colored glasses, call it what you want.