Walked in and it was philosophy instead, and not even a 101. I talked to them and said I’m not a philosopher, but we can do this. The last part is true sure. Doubtless there’s a book, and lots to talk about. I complained to the chair but it was really just about being warned next time. In truth it’s quite the dream.
***
Coming out of the break it’s a lightish day and then the fourth debate. I’m hoping to watch via Krystal’s channel.
Eight candidates have already qualified for this debate and the next in November.
Sanders
Yang
Warren
Booker
Buttigieg
Steyer (I have no real idea, but no real trust either. Will watch close tonight.)
Harris
Biden
Four more are in this evening, but not (yet) for the fifth one.
Castro
Gabbard
O’rourke
Klobuchar
Also running …
Williamson–the only one in this category who has a qualifying poll, but it’s only one of four.
And … Bennett, Bullock, Delaney, Messam, Ryan, Sestak. Okay.
Maybe a bit of edit to this as things develop.
In the pregame, one guy passed along a thought I’d had earlier in the day, roughly. Sanders needs a team mate, and a young one–Gabbard, Yang, Castro–to take over on the important stuff if he’s incapacitated or kicks the bucket. This is all highly theoretical–every four years there’s talk of someone picking a running mate early, and it never happens. Also, I thought: when he wins, he oughta put Warren someplace she could do the most good. Attorney General. Or, based on her Zuck-slamming of late, head of the FCC (even though the latter is beneath her station).
During the debate, I got mad at CNN, because apparently they locked the feed down pretty tight. Places like The Hill and the Young Turks were promising “Live Coverage!”, but they were lying. I couldn’t find a free feed from CNN themselves, and I missed the first twenty minutes or so. Finally I found a reliable pirate channel that went the distance for me. I do not love you, capitalism.
After it was over, TYT and the Hilly types ‘resumed live’ for the post-mortem. The only resonant observation I heard was that tonight really changed nothing … it didn’t for me, anyway, except my low expectations of Steyer were met.
***
The other notable thing that happened today was a long chat with the deposed chair from last year.
She told me some horror stories about the Generalissimo, specifically about his rabid attitude toward making people work Fridays when he wants them to.
Apparently some lil ol lady-teacher with thirty years of service was so cowed by his snarls that she forfeited the deposit on a Mexico trip to be at his pointless meeting.
The ex-chair’s attitude wasn’t all that angry, just sad. It didn’t used to be this way, she said.
I could so relate to her.
Except that I was pissed off on top of my sadness, mad on behalf of someone I don’t even know, because I’ve been there so often in the past few years.
I could go a lot deeper on the machinations and my reactions, but it doesn’t even make a good story, so I’ll spare you, and spare myself. The big world and my little dusty academic working one are worse and then worser, and the trend has held steadily down for a decade and more.
Two point seven-five more years of serving some tinpot bureaucrat dictator somewhere, and then I can go back to living as a real human again. That’s the theory. Maybe I’ll be the one running for FCC chair under President Bern.