Freedom Studies - Pre-Inaugural Sturm Und Drang

Jon Reisman

The events in New Orleans, Las Vegas, and the Swamp have quickly turned post-election optimism and confidence to pre-inaugural Sturm Und Drang fear, uncertainty, and turmoil. I am, and have been certain, Joe Biden was never “sharp as a tack” or “in charge,” despite having been told that repeatedly over the last four years. A wide swath of the left and the media chose to ignore and cover up Biden’s decline.

I fear there is a significant risk of malign action before Jan. 20. All manner of bad actors, both foreign and domestic, have strong incentives to act before Trump takes office. Those domestic bad actors include the Biden crime family and whoever is really in charge — all manner of specious and questionable actions, awards, and pardons will continue to fill these final days.

The foreign bad actors include Iran and their proxies, as well as Russia, China, and North Korea. Biden appeased and enriched Iran, enabling the Ayatollahs to rearm their Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi proxies. Trump had sanctioned Iran into a box, and he will do so again. Iran has every incentive to strike now, while the appeaser remains and before the sanctioner-in-chief returns. Israel might take out the Mullah’s nuclear infrastructure in defiance of Biden rather than wait and ask for Trump’s assent.

I hope we do not have a reenactment of the War Room scene in Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. It is true that Gen. Milley and George C. Scott have similar haircuts and mannerisms, but unfortunately, it is as Gen. Buck Turgidson in Strangelove as opposed to George Patton. The suggestion that Hunter could mimic Slim Pickens’ falling bomb ride is just a cheap fake; besides, they never connected him to the cocaine, and he has been pardoned anyway.

To paraphrase Hillary’s 2008 presidential campaign ad, who is answering the 3 a.m. phone call? It is not Joe (even when he is not on vacation) or Kamala (even when she is unburdened). 

Given his senile malignity and corruption, and her vacuous incompetence, I guess we should be somewhat grateful that they are leaving, but all manner of grift, mischief, and real national risk attends their final days.

On top of that, our lead Federal law enforcement, national security, and intelligence agencies have deserved credibility problems, so much so that the 1960s TV, spy genre, comedy send-up Get Smart’s famous descending gag line “Would you believe….?” comes to mind (https://youtu.be/bA-UPrK_x-k).

Except it is not fictional KAOS we are dealing with, and nobody is in CONTROL. Thank you, Buck Henry, Mel Brooks, Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, and Fang.

As I write this, the House is preparing to elect a Speaker. Nothing can happen until that majority

CONTROL is determined. I do not know what is going to happen. I am fairly certain that Jared Golden will not be representing the Presidential and Policy Preferences of the 2nd Congressional District when he votes for Hakeem Jeffries. I am completely certain that Chellie Pingree will be representing the Presidential and Policy Preferences of the 1st Congressional District when she votes for Hakeem Jeffries. I am certain that the Republicans have an opportunity to save the Republic and cement a generational majority. I am also certain they have an opportunity to squander that opportunity. Then we really will have KAOS.

My reaction to this pre-inaugural turmoil Sturm Und Drang is real concern coupled with wiseacre humor as a storm and stress coping mechanism. Trump has learned a lot, and this 2025 pre-inaugural transition is an order of magnitude (or more) improvement over his 2017 effort. Learned experience could and should lead to a productive term, but not if the Trump/GOP coalition cannot figure out how to lead and govern as a coalition — unfortunately, there is not a lot of time to figure it out.

The first test of that will be the Speaker’s vote. The best start would be Speaker Johnson getting 218 votes on the first ballot. A second or third-ballot victory would be something to build on. More than that is the start of a squander.

I found an appropriate quote for each potential outcome:

First Ballot Decision: “We must all hang together or we will all hang separately.” — Ben Franklin

Coalition Building Decision Ballots 2 and 3: “A Republic, if you can keep it.” — Ben Franklin

Start of a Squander Ballots 4 and beyond: “…missed it by that much…” — Don Adams, Agent 86, Get Smart (https://youtu.be/oPwrodxghrw

And the winner is… “We must all hang together or we will all hang separately.” “A Republic, if you can keep it,” gets “it ain’t over till it’s over” messy-counting, honorable mention. “Missed it by that much” remains available for budget and tax adventures to come. 

 Jon Reisman is an economist and policy analyst who retired from the University of Maine at Machias after 38 years. He resides on Cathance Lake in Cooper, where he is a Selectman and a Statler and Waldorf intern. Mr. Reisman’s views are his own, and he welcomes comments as letters to the editor here or to him directly via email at [email protected].

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