Here at KTK the unspoken consensus seems to have been to avoid taking overt sides in the Bernie vs Hillary wars, if only to preserve a cordial, laid back atmosphere and avoid permanent, lasting damage to longstanding friendships and associations. But after weeks (really hours...OK, minutes) of reflection I came to the realization that we can no longer sit on the sidelines while our compatriots devour each other. At some point one simply has to throw down the gauntlet and choose a side, if only to maintain one’s integrity. At some point discretion ceases to be the better part of valor. This is that day.
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The Case for Hillary:
It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.
People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things.
Major Distinguishing Achievement: First person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Also only person to do that, and also reach the North and South Pole.
Caveat: No one else had enough time on their hands to do this.
Honors And Awards: Named by Time Magazine as one of the most 100 most influential people of the 20th Century.
Caveat: It’s Time Magazine. Remember, the one that named “You” as Person of the Year?
Common Touch: “He was initially smaller than his peers in high school and very shy so he took refuge in his books and daydreams of a life filled with adventure.”
Caveat: Join the club.
Celebrity Resemblance: Lyle Lovett, Samuel Beckett
Caveat: Not the best looking guys in the world.
Famous quote “Well, George, we knocked the bastard off.” (first words to lifelong friend George Lowe on returning from Everest's summit)
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The Case for Bernie:
Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
Most Distinguishing Achievement: Wrote 60+ plays, rated second only to Shakespeare among British Dramatists. Won an Academy award for the screenplay to Pygmalion.
Caveat: Shakespeare had a much better publicist: 410 Feature length film and TV versions of his plays exist.
Quirky endearing quality: Insisted on being called Bernie.
Weird Views (good): Opposed organized religion. Espoused interracial marriage and racial equality.
Weird Views (bad): Anti-vaxxer. Promoted eugenics. Admired Hitler, Mussolini and Stalin at various times in his life.
Caveat: The guy was obviously a hot mess of contradictions.
Celebrity Resemblance: Freud, Santa Claus, and in his earlier years, Pete Seeger.
Famous quote: "In every country you can find rabid people who have a phobia against Jews, Jesuits, Armenians, Negroes, Freemasons, Irishmen, or simply foreigners as such. Political parties are not above exploiting these fears and jealousies."
Clearly either one of these folks has something to bring to the table. Choose wisely!
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who aren’t throwing pies at one another. So bring your stories, recipes, pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links to diaries or news stories that you think this community would appreciate. (We’re not doing rox/sux here.) Or just drop by and tell us about your weather. Newcomers may notice that many who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but we welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.