Hey! Have you heard about Kamala Harris?
She’s the first a) woman, b) African-American, c) Southeast Asian to be vice president of the United States.
If you haven’t heard, you must have been under a rock for the past three months.
I’m not mocking her. Hers was quite an achievement and checked three boxes for identity-obsessed Democrats.
It speaks well of Joe Biden’s temperament to select a woman who basically called him a racist (“That little girl was me”) and a rapist (Harris always believes the woman making the accusation, and Tara Reade did say she was assaulted by Biden).
But I don’t want to get into all that.
The topic is “firsts” and President Biden wants to be the President of Firsts, even if he can’t, like George Washinton, be first in hearts of his countrymen. Countrypeople, I mean.
Today, we are so shattered, no one can be a true “first” in the hearts of Americans.
A year ago, I asked faithful Democrats if it were even possible that the national ticket would be two white (straight) men.
Not one Democrat said yes. You didn’t need a Magic 8 ball to see that one coming.
In the campaign, Biden promised to select a woman as his vice president (and a Black woman for the Supreme Court, if he gets the chance. You can bet it won’t be Condi Rice.)
His promise was multi-functional: It (finally) broke the glass ceiling for women, for Blacks (we already had a Black president, some of you will recall), and an Indian. (The kind that run 7-Elevens and Dunkin’ Donuts, Biden once notoriously remarked). The choice of Harris was designed to help him with her triple entity, plus those who dislike Wawa and Starbucks.
But that was just the beginning.
Uncle Joe had a lot more “firsts” up his sleeve. (But first, he is the first Delawarean to be elected president, and the first 78-year-old.) You get a Blue Ribbon for first and Biden’s handing them out like gum drops. It does get a bit tiresome, I must admit..
This is a parallel to the new cliche, that people want to see elected officials “who look like me.” This is a phrase you never hear in a police lineup, but I’m looking for a senior citizen white Jew with a bum leg.
In an early wave of appointments, we had Deb Haaland, the first Native American to be Secretary of the Interior; Janet Yellen, the first female Secretary of the Treasury (but no, not the first Jew): Xavier Becerra, first Latino Secretary of Health and Human Services (but the fourth Californian).
Wait — there’s more. But it’s a little boring, so I will create a few “firsts” of my own. You can try to separate reality from fantasy.
Marcia Fudge, first African-American Housing and Urban Development Secretary to be named after a candy.
Merrick Garland, first U.S. Attorney General to drive a Volvo.
Pete Buttigieg, first openly gay Secretary of Transportation.
Marty Walsh, first Labor Secretary to have headed a Laborers Union.
Rachel Levine, first known trans person to be appointed to any federal post.
Jennifer Granholm, first Energy Secretary to be the daughter of immigrants. (OK, it was only Canada, but still….)
Alejandro Mayorkas, the first Cuban-Jewish man to lead the Department of Homeland Security.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the first Ambassador to the UN to wear Spanks.
Williams Burns is the first CIA Director unable to keep a secret.
White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain is the first man to serve in this capacity who formerly had been a croupier.
Lloyd Austiin is the first African-American Secretary of Defense.
Antony Blinken is the first Secretary of State to wear a toupee.
John Kerry, Presidential Envoy for Climate, is the first person to hold this job who has more homes than toes.
Michael S. Regan, first Environmental Protection Agency Administrator who likes “clean coal.”
Gina Raimondo, first Commerce Secretary to have been governor of Rhode Island.
Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veterans Affairs to not “first” serve in the military.
Avril Haines, first Director of National Intelligence, to have been a backup singer for Taylor Swift.
Jake Sullivan, first National Security Advisor to confess membership in the patriarchy.
Neera Tanden is the first leader of the Center for American Progress to hold a real job, Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Jen Psaki is the first White House Press Secretary with red hair and a silent “p.”
Katherine Tai is the first U.S. Trade Representative with a 3-letter last name.
Vivek Murhty is the first Surgeon General to do a pitch perfect impression of Clint Eastwood.
Dr. Anthony Fauci is the first Medical Adviser on COVID-19 from Brooklyn to outlast his former boss from Queens.
And there’s lots more to come.
HAPPY TUESDAY !!!
Stu,
Let’s hope that President Biden is the first President of the 21st century to unite our beloved country, not destroy the country and the people !
Tony
Amen!
👍
A plan to unite us:
1. Tear down the wall and open the borders to anyone who wants to come in.
2. Make all illegal immigrants already here instant citizens.
3. Castrate the military
4. Tax the rich and give their money to everyone else
5. Forget that 70 million people voted for DT, keep beating the dead horse by way of a nonsense impeachment.
6. Unionize all non-union businesses; anyone who doesn’t want to join should not be allowed to work.
7. Move far away from friendship with Israel.
8. Do away with gender; everyone should be an ‘it.’
9. Keep focusing on our differences, ‘E unum pluribus’ should be our new motto.
10. Forget the word ‘equality’ and start using the word ‘equity.’ If equal opportunity doesn’t produce the desired results, government should impose ‘equity’ on the nation,
Will the last person leaving the United States please turn off the lights. Oh, I forgot…there won’t be any lights once JB and his minions destroy the power-producing companies.
Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. 😀
Just disgusted with the undoing of many of DT’s better actions. The Left has Biden in a death grip.
and main-lining Sean Hannity….
Elections have consequences, as you well know.
Well said, Vince! Keep it up!
Why do leftists always insist we on the right always parrot some TV person? It is the Left that has an agenda, a playbook, from which one dare not deviate. The list I provided of what is to come from Herr Biden was gleaned from the thoughts of various Democrats. ‘No one loves the messenger who brings bad news.’
(Sophocles, for those with a Philadelphia public school education)
Or think you get your ideas only from Fox news and Rush
Not one actual FACT in your list.
Hey Vince, good list… Stu spelled it out right below the aptly entitled picture “Which first are you?”…. it’s the “identity-obsessed Democrats.”
Ironically, and IMHO, very un-American, it seems many of the identity obsessed, regardless of political leanings, want to cancel the “identity” of others they do not like or agree. So much for unity…
Cancelled in 3…2…1…. 🤪
Wow, Stu, that is one helluva list! Your list reminds me of how much worse Cabinet Picking gets with each succeeding administration. Are we running out of qualified people for the various posts? Or have we truly become a “…you’ll fit right in there because you’re this or that…”? I guess I answered my own question.
I can’t wait to see the rest of the list you’re still assembling. Or will it become more ad nauseum? LoL.
Naw, I’m one and done. The point has been made. (And you are the first person to say what you said.)🙂
You are saying that Biden’s cabinet picks are worse than Trump’s? WOW… Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education never stepped foot inside a Public School. The folks Biden has picked for his cabinet thus far have been well qualified. Diversity and qualifications are NOT mutually exclusive.
Spot on Naomi. You beat me to it. I was about to post the same thing. DeVos, Perry, Carson, Barr, Pompeo, Azar, Pruitt and on it goes.
WOW, Stu…NAILED IT!! If anyone on the planet wants a primer on identity politics, all they gotta do is read your list! Did we miss any boxes?
Funny how we’ve been preached to about not seeing race as a disqualification for anything but now race IS the qualifying characteristic.
Totally agree with Vince Benedict.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY !!!
Naomi,
I would really like to sit down with you and have a one on one conversation about this great country of ours. Surely, you must remember way back when, or heard about the start of the purge of the middle class. Stu mentioned it several times in passing. ( it would be a great piece today ).
Again. Ever since the Korean War, the middle class arose and the democrats have been slowly, steadly trying to get rid of us. Surely, in your education, you have seen where the dems give you a gift and then tax the heck out of you. The republicans joined forces with them in the ’60s, and the SWAMP was born. Now, it looks like socialism is really coming after us.
As for cabinet picks. Read back through the ages. Politics always placed the cabinet member, rather than expertise. The bigger the donor, the farther that person was an ambassador. Trump tried to change it. He brought in big business tycoons, who understood their job. They were very good at what they did, unfortunately, business and politics don’t mesh and some of the hand picked cabinet had to be replaced. The results are staggering and can not be denied. As I often said to my city co-workers, “go sit down and stay out of my way. I’ll bring this project in on time and underbudget. ( That was a dumb thing to say as a Philadelphia Water Department employee. )
Tony
Tony,
Thanks for offering to have a “one to one”…. I’ll take it as a compliment, but that probably won’t work out. I liked what you said today, and a few other occasions, but more often I disagree with your opinions, although I admire the way you present them. I’m pretty far left, and despise Trump. So, may I suggest we continue to agree to disagree, and find common ground when we can.
Naomi,
It is always honorable to take a deep breath and agree to disagree. I understand ( more than most ) why people hate President Trump’s personality. I’ve never met a millionaire that wasn’t matter of fact. Obviously, those with more are more pointed. Back in the casino days, Trump didn’t usually take kindly to wasting time ( money ) and therefore, he didn’t need or want opinions from the peanut gallery. Sorry to say, had President Trump had a harda** like me around him in D.C., I would venture to say, things would have been a bit different.
Stay well, enjoy looking out at the snow.
Tony
Go Vince and Tony!
Thank you for articulating so well the thoughts that I have been thinking.
And as for Naomi, why is it that the dems think it is ok to use the word despise (or worse) to describe their feelings about our former President? I was brought up to respect the position, and no matter what, support the person who was legally elected.
I never hear Republicans throw such derogatory adjectives out there in connection with President Biden or Vice President Harris. I guess we just have a better upbringing than some others.
Candace,
Thank you for your kind words. I have to give credit and respect to Naomi. She, unlike most democrats, will have an intelligent conversation ( debate ) with you. Obviously, I don’t agree with her politics, but we can communicate and possibly, compromise.
Tony
You make a lot of valid points on the choices of Biden filling any and all of the many open positions of Government service. There are not many of our citizens left that can qualify for an opening unless they bring some unique talent or a long-suffering standing of being ignored. So far he has not reached out or down to little people. There is a large following for astrologers, and palm readers who could help with future planning. A full one hundred percent Sioux Indian who can defend why the Keystone pipeline should go through California where consumption is the highest. On the other side of what you stated should be the “We are an equal opportunity employer” to at least show a list of at ten members of our society that are more qualified than every one of his choices.