One Picture, A Thousand Words (Take IV): Some Last Blasts From The Home Stretch

 <Kamala Harris Continues Making Her Case...>

<A Harris flyer with a specific mission, namely, give the last-minute voters whatever nudge they still need, to get to the polls -- and, of course, cast their ballot for her. All the necessary details are right upfront (above), with the final kicker of encouragement on the back (below).

As strange as it sounds, there are still people out there who haven't committed themselves either way, as they wrestle with the various issues preoccupying them -- the cost of living, the slaughter in Gaza, whether Harris can muster the necessary juice to capitalize on her campaign promises, and so on.

As one comic (whose name escapes me) said, on "The Daily Show," "What could there possibly left to find out about these people, how they stack the inside of a dishwasher?" But I honestly wouldn't dog people who identify that way -- when it comes to politics, we all have varying levels of comfort, and/or discomfort. Everyone has to decide what level they can live with, in their mind.

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<Michigan Supreme Court, Reproductive Rights>

<Nowhere has the Democratic ground game seemingly invested more effort on any issue than -- surprise, surprise -- abortion, which paid such dividends in the 2022 midterms after the infamous Dobbs decision. 

The pundits, as they often do, seem dismissive of a repeat, but the comments that I've read -- of articles focusing on uncommitted and undecided voters -- lead me to think otherwise.

After all, images of Republican-leaning women getting just as queasy as their Democratic counterparts about the idea of an America committing itself to forced birth don't seem that much of a stretch, right? In any event, this mailer showcases Harris's efforts to link herself with reproductive rights, via Michigan's Supreme Court candidates who embrace them, while throwing plenty of shade on their counterparts (O'Grady, Fink).

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<Example of another mailer, this one making a more explicit connection between the Republican nominees for the Michigan Supreme Court, and their counterparts on the national stage (Mike Rogers, Donald Trump). The implication here is obvious ("They're all on the same team, so -- AVOID!")>

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<State Representative (38th District):
One Positive, One Negative Snapshot>

<Example of a more upbeat flyer from Democratic State Representative Joey Andrews, complete with the obligatory family shot (above), followed by a quick rundown of his more relevant policy stances on the rear (below). What a contrast this effort makes from the one that follows, as you'll see...>

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<Once again, this mailer hammers Andrews's Republic opponent, South Haven area money manager Kevin Whiteford, for taking an overly punitive stance against abortion, and -- as the other bullet points suggest -- a bit too much enthusiasm for other aspects of his party's program. Add a photo made to look distinctly unflattering, and you're good to go, or so it seems. Another snapshot of how national issues find expression at the down ballot level.>

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<Jill Stein Returns For An Encore>

<For all the fuss made over third party candidates this year, it seems fair to say they haven't made much noise, presumably due to so many locking in with the major party nominees (Harris, Trump), and a conscious desire, perhaps, to avoid the fallout of 2016 -- when some blamed Stein, the Green Party's nominee, for helping to siphon enough votes from Hillary Clinton, enabling Trump to slither across the finish line.

This time around, like her cohorts (Cornel West, Oliver Chase), Stein's return is playing out to a more muted response, while RFK Jr. is faring slightly better, due to his full-throated support of Trump (having dropped out, where else could he go, right?).

How much drawing power Stein still commands remains to be seen, but this mailer clearly shows where she expects to try and find an opening, taking dead aim at Harris's stance on Gaza.

This being the only one I've seen from her, it's fair to say that Stein is running a shoestring campaign -- well, maybe more like a shoelace, perhaps -- so give her points for trying, I suppose. I have yet to see mailers from Chase, West, or any of the other third party upstarts.>

<Coda: Randall Terry, Eyebrow Raiser>

Now that the big day has arrived, I felt tempted to write some type of suitably apocalyptic, seemingly all-encompassing editorial, most likely as an addition to our "Tomorrow And Tomorrow And Tomorrow" creeps series, but ended up ditching the idea, for the usual boring reasons.

First of all, considering all the angst over the darkness of a potential Trump restoration, anything I'd say would seem repetitive, and not terribly useful. It's not like there's an upside to the potential imposition of a Trump police state, right? That is, unless you count numbered uniforms and the lack of needing any to-do lists -- because those will come straight from the Dear Leader, right?

Second, you can only outrun so much, handicap so much, and futureproof so much. Although it's natural for the commentariat to draw whatever parallels it can, between the latest race and the last one, every election ends up differing -- sometimes, in small ways, other times, with a more significant twist. At times, there's no rhyme or reason (for further reference, see "How Is It This Close?", below).

As a friend of mine pointed out recently, even if Trump and his shock troops attempt another all-out assault on the Capitol, "there's plenty of people doing time in prison because of it, (over the January 6, 2021 attempt), and the cops and the military will be ready for it." True enough, I agreed; I think it's more likely that Trump's legal team tries to send some sort of made-up case to the Extreme Court (excuse me, the Supreme Court).

After all, they've already carved a potential glide path for him to dictatorship, out of thin air; what's a little constitutional origami among friends, right? Especially when Trump appointed three of them. Or maybe, just maybe, the pollsters are wrong, and Harris's showing will prove strong enough, that the Extreme Supremes sit by their phones, waiting for the call that never comes. We'll see soon enough.

Lastly, though, is the notion thar real life apocalypses are way scarier than anything we could ever second guess, or conjure up. I got a reminder Sunday night, as I sat here, pecking away, when a voiceover cut in, after the 10 o'clock news. I'm paraphrasing from memory, but it sounded something like this:

"The following presentation contains extremely graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised. WXYZ is obliged to give air time, to whatever candidates request it, and takes no control over their content. The following views aired do not reflect those of management, or staff, at WXYZ."

For those reading between the lines, the inference isn't hard to miss: It's a political ad, okay? This wasn't our idea, either, so don't flood the station with calls, if you toss your cookies, or get really upset. Whatever happens, don't blame us. Before I could ponder the point any further, the political ad flickered to life, flashing image after image of dead, mangled babies, each one seemingly more twisted and misshapen than the last.

Constitution Party candidate Randall Terry was making his case for a presidential promotion with all the subtlety of a brick upside the head -- though I imagine he lobbed a few, during his '90s heyday as the leader of Operation Rescue, as it carried out its relentless intimidation campaign against abortion clinics, doctors, and women nationwide. 

Terry's face flickered into view amid all these disturbing images -- shaggier and hairier than I remembered, from his '90s heyday, yet brimming with all the determination that only the truly unhinged can muster, as he gravely intoned: "This is the last bastion of free speech. The only place that you can still have free speech is on a licensed station as a qualified federal candidate."

Then, he went right into his pitch: "A vote for Kamala is a vote for continuing the apocalypse against these babies." And so on, and so forth, wash, rinse, repeat. Nothing that we haven't already heard before, but will undoubtedly some disturb some, just the same (see the WTHR link below, to find out how you can weigh in on the ad).

Seeing Terry's ad reminded me, though, that for all the relentless gazing directed toward Trump, there's always a fresh nightmare lurking around the corner, ready to take his place. At some point, Trump will eventually, finally, mercifully, fade from the public square. For the two major parties, it's an outcome that will undoubtedly scramble the script - yet, as the likes of Terry make amply clear, there's always someone who may leave us wishing, "Hey, remember when Donald Trump was all we had to worry about? Boy, those sure were the good old days."

For me, the biggest takeaway of this particular election cycle comes down to one major realization. We've all heard the oft-quoted cliche, "We have met the enemy, and he is us." That same verdict, it's safe to say, goes double for our allies, though.

As I've told people, over and over and over again, throughout this campaign season, Batman, Superman, and James Bond aren't coming to our rescue, to make things right. Only we can save us, from us, even if that doesn't happen to be the advice we want to hear. Like it or not, heavy lifting isn't optional, if we really want a functioning democracy.

In the end, we are only as good as the vigilance we exercise -- and if we rise to the occasion, there's no telling what we can do. If we check it at the door? Then we have no one else to blame but ourselves, for whatever chaos that such a dereliction of duty unleashes. Let us hope, after today, that it does not become the epitaph that eternally defines us. --The Reckoner

Links To Go (Hurry. Hurry, 
Before All Those Fake Electors Scramble Your Brain):

The Atlantic: How Is It This Close?:
https://archive.ph/Dk6qT 
(Read the other relevant pieces on the page, too, for additional context)

The Guardian: Nostalgic Trump Wheels Out The Hits:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/nov/05/donald-trump-us-election-2024-last-day-campaign

The Verge: Why You're Seeing Those Gross Political Ads:
https://www.theverge.com/2024/10/30/24283757/world-series-political-ads-anti-trans-abortion-dodgers-yankees

WTHR: WTHR Is Legally Required To Air Graphic Ad:
https://www.wthr.com/article/news/politics/elections/decision-2024/wthr-is-legally-required-to-air-graphic-ad-purchased-by-presidential-candidate-randall-terry-anti-abortion-advertisement/531-0ebf997d-eab6-4126-bc64-4b43f3aee910

Life's Little Injustices (Take XXV): Hey, If "Nobody Wants To Work," Why Are The Lines So Long?

 

<"My name is Grace Slick, and I'm a tad dissatisfied
with the state of America today...":

Welcome To The Wrecking Ball!, inner gatefold sleeve>

Lines -- long, long, long lines...

Lines -- long, long, long lines...

Pushing in, shoving in, butting in -- cutting up some lines...

Lines for the rat race, you get wasted

All these traces, lines on your faces...

Breadlines, bloodlines,
Standing in the back of unemployment lines...


<Grace Slick, "Lines"
Welcome To The Wrecking Ball! (1981)>

Old records pop into your head at the funniest moments. The above citations came to mind while the Squawker and I endured one of modern life's grisliest rituals, namely, the weekly grocery store outing that you know exists to Hoover as much money as possible out of your pockets. It's basically like visiting that ninth circle of Hell, only without the medieval woodcuts to dazzle your eyes.

For those who don't know, Welcome To The Wrecking Ball! (1981) marked Grace Slick's third solo outing, before she returned to her Jefferson Starship day job, so to speak. It came as a surprise to people, amounting to an about face from Dreams (1980), its moodier, orchestral-driven, ballad-oriented predecessor/

I'm suspecting that the contrast was intentional, with crunchy power chording carrying the day on Wrecking Ball!, whose key players (producer Ron Frangipane, engineer Ed Sprigg, and guitarist Scott Zito). Although it's somewhat favorable, I take issue with Allmusic Guide's characterization of Wrecking Ball! as Slick sounding like "she's fronting Genesis vocally while the band dwells on hard rock."

Actually, the results sounded closer to much of the AOR hard rock of the era, down to the token moody ballad ("Shooting Star"). The results peaked at #48 in Billboard, so somebody liked it, right? Still, with Grace Slick working the mic, the results will sound a notch or two above what the Foreigners and Journeys were doing back then. "Lines," though, is the real gem here -- essentially, Grace free associating whatever connotations of the word pop into her head, most of them negative (surprise, surprise, right?).

All I know is, the song made my best friend in high school and I laugh our asses off at the audacity of the whole thing. For two teenage boys, Welcome To The Wrecking Ball! served its purpose - provide an enjoyable way of passing a Thursday afternoon, waiting to see what the weekend would bring. What I wouldn't give back to go there, considering how fucked up so much of our world seems today, eh?

And, while it probably won't win any positions on those All-Time Greatest Album lists, it does what it says on the tin, as they say in the UK. Sometimes, that's enough. At any rate...

...something else stuck with me on this particular shopping trip, which came right at the end. As the Squawker and I pulled our carts into the checkout lanes -- of which there were just three, with cashier and one bagger apiece to work them. The self-service machines were humming, jammed with the legions of people using them, which is why we glided past them, though that wasn't the only reason, as I'll explain shortly.

What struck me were these long and winding lines, created by the simple act of sticking as few people behind the counter and the cash register to work. At least Squawker and I could sit down, but I saw a lot of visibly irritated people shifting from foot to foot, as they rolled their eyes, and looked straight ahead, waiting for that ninth circle to end.

Grocery stores, in particular, seem to really enjoy pulling this scam. Big box or small one, it doesn't seem to matter, because I see this phenomenon everywhere I go, with the inevitable long faces and weary sighs of resignation providing the perfect counterpoint. What else is new, right? So many businesses, I swear, have adopted "Customers are cattle" as their new working motto.

And yet -- and yet -- over and over again, the captains of industry continue their lament: "Nobody wants to work." It's repeated like some perverse variation on the Rosary, as if one more mumble of the relevant Scripture might finally change the game.

So, I'll serve up a few questions, for the sake of public service, which go something like this:

If nobody wants to work, why are the lines always so perennially long, and why are we still stuck with so many of them? And why are we being herded into them, even now?

And for those do end up working -- or "wanting to" schlep the cash register for that minimum wage, in RichPeopleSpeak -- why do I see so many of them walking to work? I bring this up, because Matthew's, our local grocery store, is only two miles down the road from our complex. Driving past there, on any given day, I see many of those who man the registers heading there, on foot, dressed for work. 

So, let me repeat the question, for the overdogs who somehow missed it -- can we finally, simply, and realistically admit, that one job is nowhere near enough to pay the bills anymore? Because however many hours they're getting, it's clearly not enough to afford a car, right?

And, last but not least: who decided this was AOK, and why do we continue putting up with it? As the saying goes: answers on a postcard, please. The sooner, the better, because the picture's not getting any prettier. --The Reckoner

One Picture, 1,000 Words (Take III): Harris And Trump Trade Punches, Counterpunches

<Example of Harris-Walz campaign's Spanish language outreach, though this flyer is actually the title one of this four-page effort, as you'll see below...>

<Pages two and three spell out the nitty-gritty of this mailer, which is probably among the more elaborately-crafted ones that we've seen crossing our mailbox...>

<...And, last but not least, a Spanish language 

dunking on Project 2025, and Trump's links to it -- 

just in case anyone's missed the message>

<Apologies in advance for the quality, but the main point of interest here lies in the headline -- as in, the same veterans he called "losers" and "suckers," presumably (per his former Chief of Staff, John Kelly)?>

<Rear page of above Trump campaign mailer, targeting what his campaign perceives as a weak spot on veterans' issues...>

<Two different Trump mailers targeting Harris's ties to the Biden administration, attempting to cement her association with the cost of living issues that have soured perceptions toward the White House -- and, indeed, most likely played a role in hounding the President out of the 2024 race...>

<Another example of a Trump mailer, this one taking a more positive tack in emphasizing his belief that, whatever else people say about him, he had a hand in the positive aspects they remember. Cynics say that he's trying to take credit for the groundwork laid by his predecessor, Barack Obama. We'll know soon whose view will carry the day. --The Reckoner>

One Picture, 1,000 Words (Take II): The Slotkin-Rogers Senate Slugfest

 

Continuing with our current theme, here are some flyers and mailers from the U.S. Senate slugfest between Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, and her Republican counterpart, Mike Rogers. In many ways, this race typifies what we're seeing nationally. Both are among the more notable faces of Michigan's Congressional delegation, looking to move up into the bigger job that opened, when veteran Debbie Stabenow ruled out running for a fourth term.

Since 2019, Slotkin has represented a district, variously numbered as the Seventh and Eighth, that stretches from Lansing, to Detroit's outer north suburbs. In contrast, Rogers served the Eighth Congressional District from 2001 to 2015, notably as chairman of the U.S. Permanent Committee on Intelligence (2011-15). Since then, he's put his credentials as a former law enforcement officer to good use, as a national security commentator on CNN, and executive producer of the network's program, "Declassified: Untold Stories Of America's Spies."

Unlike his more flamboyant former colleagues, Rogers isn't a screaming bomb thrower, nor a partisan performance artist. His lower-key style simply doesn't inspire the same animosity or pure gut level disgust as Scott Perry's election denying antics do. Yet Rogers's attack approach seems wearily familiar -- blame Democrats, in general, and their nominee Kamala Harris, in particular, for everything major and minor.

Cost of living going up? All roads lead back to Wilmington. Is the road closure that bottlenecks your complex taking weeks longer to unravel? Team Harris is leaning on those orange barrel guys. Got dinged by 50 cents, for an overdue library book? One call to the front desk sealed your fate. You get the idea.

The only problem, of course, with all this finger-pointing is that it doesn't offer any new insight, unless it's to suggest that Trump didn't get enough to work the magic tricks that eluded the adults in the room. And that's the basic problem with people like Rogers, who seems reasonably intelligent, but nevertheless, voted with Trump 95 to 100% on the time (FiveThirtyEight). 

It's a factoid that raises a reasonable concern, should we end up stuck with a Trump restoration. Slotkin has taken her share of knocks from progressives, which hasn't hurt her at the electoral box office. So far, polls show her clinging to a narrow lead (3-3.5%), a marked contrast from the picture painted in this recent Politi.com story:
https://www.deadlinedetroit.com/articles/32405/politico_internal_republican_poll_shows_slotkin_with_sizable_lead_over_rogers_in_michigan_senate_race

If the story is accurate, and Slotkin really has opened up a wider lead against Rogers, it might explain the flood of literature we're seeing from him lately. Carpetbombing your mailbox doesn't seem like the sign of a candidate who's on a winning track, but maybe Rogers is trying to make up for lost ground and time, having lagged consistently in fundraising throughout the race. (Current figures show war chests of $80 and $62 million for Slotkin and Rogers, respectively.)

At any rate, here are some relevant images from the flyers and mailers we have seen, with relevant comments, as needed. With just over a couple weeks left till Election Day, the frenzied carpetbombing of all those mass mailings is likely to only heat up -- as ever, we'll present the most notable ones that catch our eye. And yours, too, perhaps. --The Reckoner

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<An atypically sunny, positive ad from the Rogers camp, serving as a reminder of what candidates --- particularly incumbents -- used to do, before the "ready, aim, splat!" approach took hold as the go-to campaigning mode nationwide...>

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<I don't see my overdue library book nor clogged local road among the list of failings enumerated here, but give Mr. Rogers time -- I'm sure that he'll lob one, soon enough, to a mailbox near you...>

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<Back to Mike Rogers Playbook 101: Vote for those, like him, who marched in lockstep with the "Swamp Drainer." That should fix everything that ails us, right? 

The verbiage here ('big spending Democrats...like Slotkin") makes us wonder if there's some fill-in-the-blank computer program, deep in the dark heart of the Republican National Committee, that helps candidates whip out these sorts of mailers -- like some twisted political game of Mad Libs, isn't it?>

==========================================================================================================================

So far, the only Slotkin mailer that's crossed our threshold (maybe our fellow tenants have pitched theirs), aimed from the other side of the equation, with a knock against Republican hegemony firmly in the crosshairs ("We deserve to buy a home, build wealth, and start a family, just like every generation has been able to do before now").

One Picture, 1,000 Words (Take I): The Latest Campaign Mailers

 

It's no surprise that lately, I've been hearing people saying, "I'm so f#cking sick and tired of living through historic events." No surprises there, as we either sleepwalk towards disaster, or prepare to snatch America back from the kudzu weed grip of MAGA Inc., depending on which forecast you're reading at the moment.

Which is why, in that same spirit, we're posting whatever distinctive campaign mailers land on our doormat -- precisely because of their soon-to-be historical nature. I mean, let's face it -- campaign literature is some of the planet's most disposable reading material, something meant to be skimmed quickly on the bus ride home, or the toilet, then forgotten. 

But that doesn't mean it lacks interest, especially when you consider what the particular piece of literature is trying to accomplish, which is why we led with the above image. The artist obviously went to great lengths to make Trump look as cartoonish, yet menacingly over the top, as he does here. 

It's the same tactic as you'll see on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update" segment -- pick the most unflattering photo you can find of the subject whose piss you're taking, and run with it. What follows below is a fair sampling of the snapshots that darken our doorstep, as it were, with relevant commentary, wherever it applies. Let the games begin, as they say. --The Reckoner

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Flyer for the Michigan Supreme Court race, pitting the Democratic Party's nominees (above) against Republicans Andrew Fink -- who joined a local "Stop The Steal" protest on that infamous day, January 6th (2021), among other career lowlights -- and Branch County Circuit Judge Patrick O'Grady, who vows to follow a hardline textualist, originalist slant toward the law, in keeping with someone who views Clarence Thomas as an "incredible man."

For a quick rundown of his lowlights, click here, since we won't have a link section this time around:
https://gandernewsroom.com/2024/10/02/5-things-to-know-about-conservative-michigan-supreme-court-candidate-patrick-ogrady/

We've all seen this movie before, though, right? As John Roberts studiously reminded his Senate questioners, on getting his promotion to the US Supreme Court -- just the facts, ma'am. Just an umpire who calls balls and strikes, if I recall his wording correctly.

We know what that means in practice: the umpire who only calls balls and strikes for what the Republican Party's wingnut faction wants crammed down our throats. And we all know how that movie ends, as well.

===========================================================================================================================

<State Rep. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph),
taking his Republican opponent to task...>

===========================================================================================================================

<Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris
takes aim at Trump's links to one of the far right's most notorious passion projects...>

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<More greatest hits from Project 2025, which may well become the gift that just keeps on giving -- and giving -- and giving...>

<Yes, a gift that keeps on giving...and giving...>

<...And giving! Peace out:
We'll see what else the mailman drops.>

By Popular Demand: Vice Presidential Debate Bingo!

 

Well, now, doesn't look like a barrel of fun? With less than three hours to go before the sole vice presidential debate of this campaign, your friends at the AFL-CIO have released a "bingo card" -- the better, presumably, to keep track of the latest verbal outrages that Trump's poodle of a running mate, J.D. Vance, will unleash on the nation.

Childless cat ladies, beware! Men in skirts, take cover, and put your hands over your ears! Stockholm-destined sex changers, screen all your calls! Fellow atheists, Druids, Wiccans, and alternative believers of all stripes, run for cover, before J.D., the man's man, smashes a styrofoam display of the Ten Commandments over your ungodly heathen head! 

Watch out, godless commie lovers! He's taking names, but he's not taking any prisoners...so let's hear it, for the man who wears poverty, like others put on makeup! Put your hands together...for -- Mr. -- J --  D -- Vance!

Oh, yeah, right. We're talking about the same J.D. Vance who posed, not so long ago, with an AR-15 rifle -- in front of a stack of firewood that obviously looks like it's been planed and machined by non-human hands. It's as genuine as those so-called Amish craftsmen ads I'd see late at night, with actors whose fake bears seem...well, glued on.

And yet, he wants you to believe that he's not weird. Yeah, right. Anyway, you can read the basic PR rationale from the union below, and while you're at it, don't forget to download your own card here -- who knows, it looks like a readily convertible piece of art, for other occasions, and it might make a great conversation topic opener some day:

https://betterinaunion.org/system/files/2024-09/VP-BINGO.pdf?link_id=2&can_id=4e6c8046819e1ba183f676fa03eddc7a&source=email-vice-presidential-debate-bingo&email_referrer=email_2473835&email_subject=by-popular-demand-vp-debate-bingo

"We’re looking forward to the country getting to know our union brother, Gov. Tim Walz. Walz is the governor of Minnesota, as well as a former public school teacher, football coach and union member.

"Walz has a track record of standing up for working people, our families and our unions, and he’s helped working families in Minnesota and all over this country. He knows the power of a union and the strength of working people standing together to fight for what’s right.

"We also hope you’ll learn more about Donald Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, a corporate lawyer turned Silicon Valley venture capitalist who has spent his two years in public service catering to corporate interests.

"While he pretends to respect workers and our unions, Sen. Vance is the lead co-sponsor of the Teamwork for Employees and Managers (TEAM) Act, Sen. Marco Rubio’s anti-worker bill that would allow employers to create sham unions that would undermine worker power. And Vance opposed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the labor movement’s landmark bill to protect workers’ right to join a union."

As far as the PRO Act goes, I have some doubts about it, from the self-employed/IC (independent contractor) standpoint, but I'm on board with the rest of this statement. It would certainly feel odd --given Trump's refusal to entertain a second debate with Harris, an understandable reflex, given the verbal drubbing that she gave him -- ends up being the last word in that arena.

But then, as we all know, nothing about this campaign season has looked, nor felt, remotely normal. In any event, don't forget to tune in at 9 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time), and bring the popcorn. Oh, and a cat, if you happen to have a feline keeping you company. --The Reckoner

Bitchy Bitch Vs. Donald Trump (Two New Roberta Gregory Cartoons)

 

<By Roberta Gregory>

"Seriously, I am trying to avoid political stuff lately, and post more uplifting content, but there is too much cra-zeeee…. I drew this on Tuesday for the DUNE event, in Seattle, and was happy to just post on their feed, but I gotta share. This is all getting so surreal…. And scary."

<By Roberta Gregory>

"And here’s a scribble I followed up with.

Drawn at my La Conner Art Circle group."

Roberta Gregory's artwork, especially her groundbreaking Naughty Bits comics -- which ran from 1991 to 2004, over 40 issues -- have long been a favorite around here. The Fantagraphics series starred "Bitchy Bitch" Midge McCracken, a fortyish, unmarried working woman "whose behavior is seldom sweet or generous, and one gets a strong impression menopause won't even put a dent in her permanent state of PMS," claims the now-defunct toonpedia.com site:

"When she gets angry, which is often, she undergoes what looks like a physical transformation. Her snarling lips and gritting teeth sprawl beyond the boundaries of her face, and the curves of her body — what few there are — become hard and sharp. 

"From this lump of rather one-note clay, Gregory has fashioned a three-dimensional character, sympathetic enough to have held the attention of readers for more than a decade."

One-note clay? Ehh, speak for yourself, mate, and let those perky Dave Matthews tunes wash over your frontal lobes, 'cos watercooler poets and barroom philosophers are a dime a dozen! (As the author confirms, incidentally, in his closing sentence: "Apparently, her simple message — that there are things in this world that are worth getting really, really steamed about — strikes a responsive chord wherever humans are human.") 

All I can say is, when the Squawker introduced me to Bitchy's world, I was hooked, and I never looked back! It's the same feeling I experienced when I first heard The Clash, stumbled across Roque Dalton's poetry, or saw The Battle of Chile. That sort of manic thrill doesn't wash over you often, but once it does, you know it. And you never forget.

So it went with Bitchy, and Gregory's later work, such as her Artistic Licentiousness series. However, sightings of Bitchy haven't been as common in recent years, so when Chairman Ralph, our ever-alert man on the ground, tipped us off about these Gregory 'toons on Facebook, we had to see if we could share them here! So Ralph asked, got the OK, and here they are, with comments from the artist.

As you can see, there's a tense dynamic going on here, between Bitchy, and a certain rogue orange ex-President. We'll say no more, get out of the way, and let you enjoy the proceedings. Does this signal a Bitchy revival? Time will tell, but I leave you with one last thought, from one of my favorite blogs (see link below):

"Art, after all, often requires and encourages critical thinking, introspection and empathy-- traits anathema to authoritarian regimes, which thrive on conformity, suppression of dissent and rigid control over thought. Artists, musicians, and writers frequently challenge dominant narratives and question the status quo, fostering environments where free thought is valued over dogma. Music, literature and art have long served as outlets for political dissent." The cartoons appear here, by courtesy of the artist. For more information, see below. Thanks, Roberta!--The Reckoner Links To Go

Roberta Gregory's Site: https://mail.robertagregory.com/Robertagregory/Home.html

Down With Tyranny: Artists Abhor Fascism...: https://www.downwithtyranny.com/post/artists-abhor-fascism-almost-all-musicians-painters-film-makers-writers-reject-trump