Saturday, June 19, 2021

You All Suck (#46 - Scum Rises To The Top)

 "...in government, the scum rises to the top..." -- Friedrich Hayek



Of course, Freddy wasn't telling us anything we didn't already know or suspect.

The purpose of this screed today, My Minions, is to discuss an interesting -- if minor -- kerfuffle that has a risen here on the Isle of Staten that involves not so much The Scum as it does the Wanna-be Scum.

Two morons are running for the republican (small 'r' intentional) nomination for the city council seat in my district. Mind you, these are but two of about 20 idiots all vying to be the sole republican, for all intents and purposes, on a City Council of 51 members.

One I have had the questionable pleasure of actually meeting and speaking to one-on-one. He struck me as a clever but ruthless individual who admitted that he went to great lengths to fabricate a phony-baloney Green party (in name only) and to get it on the ballot, with he as it's only endorsement. His intent, he explained, was to trick lefties into voting for him by appealing to their low intelligence, shallow feelz, and eager willingness to attach themselves to anything "green" as a matter of virtue signaling. He does not, rightly, I think, expect them to look too far behind the mere label.

"A" for effort, certainly. I'm also certain he's not the the first to try this.

The second is something of a mystery. He is yet another in a very long line of a new entitlement class laboring under the mistaken impression that all one has to do is tell everyone that they once wore a uniform and this, above all other considerations, makes them the right man for the job. Because he was a Marine, he's entitled to be elected, you see. The fact that he's never seen in public, does little beyond stuff my mailbox (and by extension, everyone else's) with propaganda where that uniform is front and center, and makes little internet videos where he looks all serious and stands in the middle of a puddle in a neighborhood with no sewers just to be photographed in a way that makes him appear "concerned" and "connected to the Little Guy" is nothing more than Marketing 101. You still don't know who he is nor what he's running on.

Well, it appears as if these two doofuses have gotten into a little snit over the question of Voter Fraud.

Idiot-who-scams-votes-with-a-fake-party accuses Idiot-in-a-uniform-who-stands-in-puddles-to-take-pictures of "illegally harvesting fraudulent ballots" (or something) after a single ballot supposedly submitted by a dead man turns up from a previous try for office. Idiot-in-a-uniform hides behind his uniform (because "Marine" automatically equates to "integrity", no questions asked) and then accuses Idiot-who-scams-votes-with-a-fake-party of living in deathly fear of losing, thus prompting the accusation.

A complaint is made to the District Attorney, who -- being a democrat (small 'd' intentional) -- would just LOVE nothing more than to investigate two republicans running for city council over an investigation into voter fraud, conveniently neglecting to investigate any of his party's ballot harvesting and assorted cheating shenanigans in the process. It "fits the narrative", as they say, in which voter fraud is largely an invention (and specialty) of the right.

Next crisis in the queue is a former Congressman who left office in disgrace now running for the Office of Borough President, which is like being elected President of the Glee Club, only with the ability to hand out patronage in the form of taxpayer grants and government jobs, who is accused of spending money. 

Yes, you've read that correctly. A politician is accused of spending money on his election and somehow this has become something of a crime and not a modus operandi. Mostly because the amount of money spent doesn't seem to correlate to the amount of money reported on disclosure forms. What set off this sudden aversion in the local press to campaign spending? Some "reporter" for our fifth-rate local newspaper had too much free time on their hands, apparently counted lawn signs, figured out how much they should cost and then compared the reported figure to the assumed figure, and shouted "Eureka! Smoking gun!. He's spent more on lawn signs and billboards than he's reported taking in".

The local reporters (I know some of them personally and have had written duels with a few others) are to good journalism what eating dung three meals a day is to good oral hygiene. If they weren't writing for the local fishwrap -- akin to your high school newspaper -- they'd probably be employed asking you if you wanted fries with that at the drive-thru window.

Pulitzer-winning stuff, indeed.

On top of this, we have a mayoral competition on the right which has devolved into a contest between a publicity-seeking former radio host whose main claim to fame is that he rose to some mediocre prominence by becoming, effectively, an Al $harpton for the White Working Class, and some fool who is already calling himself "THE Mayor" in his campaign ads who can do little else but trumpet that he is "the only authentic Hispanic immigrant" in the race.

Both have as much chance of winning as Hillary Clinton does of telling the truth on purpose. They're gong to get creamed in the Modern Gotham which has become so dominated and overwhelmed by identity politics, imported libtards and people given free reign to riot because its Tuesday, so that the effort is wasted. But, hey, the political consultants still got paid, right?

I have as much use for all of them as I do for Lyme's Disease.

The problem is "The Bench" is not very deep behind any of them, being a motley assortment of other entitled pricks who believe they're owed elected office because COVID destroyed their business, they're "empowered" womyn, they have an interesting ethnic or racial background (Obamas of the Right, unite!), or because they've held on to some sinecure post in City Government like a limpet to a rock face since Christ worked at the Department of Losing Important Paperwork.

And there seems to be much in the attitudes of the ones we DO get to see and hear (which is not many, since local press for republicans is very much confined to word-of-mouth and Facebook) which reminds one very much of the condescending fucktardity one expects from "liberal" ticket-punchers and panderers.

This attitude seems to be that it doesn't matter what these people say or do; they are mystically IN THE RIGHT, and therefore, entitled to positions of leadership, no matter what their past fuckups, their present misbehavior, lack of message, inability to gain attention, or personal awfulness.

Should any of them actually be elected they will find themselves rendered ineffective by virtue of being outnumbered and/or obstructed by The Other Side, so that the prize merely becomes a title and a parking space. The COMINTERN in City Hall will continue, unchecked.

But there's something else going on here, all part of the attitude and the belief in their righteousness, that needs to be pointed out and seriously addressed.

I've just told you about a guy who invents fake political parties to fool voters; another who uses his former service as a crowbar or a shield, as the need arises, an adulterer who can't do math, a former street thug-turned-minor-celebrity who hasn't done a damned thing of note in 40 years, and "A Dreamer" of sorts who has a severe case of narcissism and nothing to offer except his ethnicity.

This is a problem.

I have said it before, and it bears repeating, the National GOP will NEVER get it's house in order until it cleans up the dire mess that it appears to be at the local level. Specifically, in the larger cities, where the coastal elite and the liberals-for-show proliferate, and in unison with the Welfare Class, destroy the great urban centers.

Demographics will get the GOP only so far: yes, the people are leaving the cities for the more-rural parts of the country, but isn't it worth at least putting up a fight for the cities?

And in doing so, is it really serving that purpose when you get a slate of candidates like the ones I've just mentioned, all barking about their "conservative" bona fides (between choruses of "I Love Trump!") and shouting "Values!" from the rooftops, but behaving in such a manner as to leave one thinking "is it really worth voting for this?". 

If one is to make the case that The Other Side is worse, and worthy of defeat at the polls, then the message falls flat when your standard-bearers leave much to be desired in the intelligence and honesty departments, themselves.

5 comments:

Horatio Lust said...

Good morning…I just came across your site the other day. As a former NYer (I left in the mid 70s and never looked back) given the insanity of the City, why do you continue to live there and subject yourself to it? No disrespect intended, but it strikes me as nuts for conservatives to live in any Blue State, let alone Blue Cities. Hang in there

Matthew Noto said...

None taken.

To answer your question: I would have been out of here quite a long time ago, except that Mrs. Overlord suffers from Muscular Dystrophy (specifically, Myotonic Dystrophy) that has affected her by weakening the muscles in her torso, making it difficult for her to both breathe without an external oxygen supply and mechanical assistance, and very susceptible to respiratory illnesses.

She has the absolute BEST medical team available to anyone on Planet Earth at both The Hospital for Special Surgery and neighboring New York Presbyterian Hospital. Not to mention the Burke Rehabilitation Hospital in nearby Mamaroneck.

Between Neurologists, pulmonologists, and cardiologists and the vagaries of the insurance system that differs from state-to-state (we pay for private insurance and she also receives Medicare; even in the worst of times, like sometimes months-long hospitalizations, we hardly ever see a bill for anything).

Why mess with a good thing?

At this point, she is not healthy enough to travel very far, like, say, moving to another state (this is a major logistical consideration, in any case).

In addition, the Overlord spent his previous working life in the IT trenches of Wall Street: I have extensive business contacts in the financial industry here and contracts with many major financial firms, no matter where they are or where they go.

Unfortunately, this means we have to suffer through really bad political and tax policies.

Life is often about trade-offs. Mrs. Overlord's health and remaining life (for the eventual outcome of Myotonic Dystrophy is, sadly, always the same) is more-valuable to me than most anything else, and while the expense of living here (mostly due to high taxes) is prohibitive, we can manage. We're still living well -- not Bill Gates well, certainly, but better than most people are.

Horatio Lust said...

Good morning…thanks for the reply. I get it and were I in the same situation, I’d do the same thing. Hang in there. Mrs. Overlord as well. Don’t let the bastards get you down

Susie Malon said...

I grew up on Staten Island. Left to go to college and only came back to visit family. All immediate family members are now dead and buried on Staten Island.

Your post here is full of complaints but offered not only helpful idea on how the GOP could do better. The vibe you give is that you think you are superior in every possible way than everyone else. A real prize.

The only thing that impresses me about your column is your writing. You give off the arrogant New Yorker attitude without resorting to curse words. Perhaps I have not read enough of your columns and have an incorrect impression. But in any event, keep up the good work of being superior to everyone else!

Matthew Noto said...

I AM superior to everyone else. ;)

I've offered plenty of helpful hints. Maybe you should read it again?

I grew up in New Dorp (1980's)? You?