Two Hundred and Ninety-Sixth Entry, Coronavirus Poetry Diary
a pile of gifts
under the mistletoe
we air-kiss
the masked smile
of triple-vaxxed Grandma
Joy to the World ...
Added: Two Hundred and Ninety-Seventh Entry
a sandwich man
at a corner of the mall
singing loudly
the pandemic isn't over
even though you're over it
FYI: A sandwich man is a person who wears a sandwich board. The human billboard is the cheapest and sometimes most effective/personalized walking advertisement.
Added: Two Hundred and Ninety-Eighth Entry
Boxing Day Deals
in the mall a busker singing
jingle jabs, jingle jabs ...
Added: Two Hundred and Ninety-Ninth Entry
Trump's praise of vaccine
booed, booed, booed by MAGA fans ...
omicron surge
Notes:
1 The Week, Dec. 23: Trump pushes back on Candace Owens: "People aren't dying when they take the vaccine."
the vaccines work, but some people aren’t the ones. The ones who get very sick and go to the hospital are the ones that don’t take the vaccine. But it’s still their choice. And if you take the vaccine, you’re protected
-- Donald Trump, Interview with conservative media personality Candace Owens
2 . Daily Beast, Dec. 24: TrumpWorld Becomes Unglued Over Trump’s Praise of Vaccine and Booster Shots: The former president is losing hardcore supporters over his support for COVID-19 vaccines
3 The Week, Dec. 27: Trump takes on the fringe?
It may be one of the few things he and I agree on..."People with booster shots are highly protected. Join them. Join us.
-- Joe Biden, White House speech
Trump has made a political career out of stretching the Overton Window to its breaking point. It was the source of his appeal to MAGA Republicans and the reason most everybody else disliked him. It's also why demagogic loudmouths like him usually burn out: Their shtick loses its novelty, and the crowd wanders off, either bored and ready for something less intense, or numbed to the usual outrages and needing ever-higher doses of vitriol to maintain their enthusiasm. With his new vaccine pitch, it's possible Trump is finally becoming a victim of the second dynamic.
That would be a stunning development. Trump has held on to his support by never apologizing, never letting anybody else on the political stage appear more ferocious, more ready to fight, more alpha than him. Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) once articulated the phenomenon to the Washington Examiner. Right-wing voters who supported Massie and similar politicians like Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) "weren't voting for libertarian ideas — they were voting for the craziest son of a bitch in the race. And Donald Trump won best in class, as we had up until he came along."
