Frank Sinatra reportedly LOVED the color orange. At a certain point in his life he reportedly and almost constantly wore orange sweaters.
I love the Chairman of the Board, and adore his contributions to the American Songbook.
However, this will continue to be something on which we disagree.
But that is part of the beauty of America...civil disagreement. Not a civil war.
I am a UGA Bulldog, and I grew up in a newspaper family. I bleed red and black. These primary colors help shape my world and again being a Georgia football fan, seeing the color orange, is for me like a bull seeing the color red. It’s triggering.
Perhaps that helps explain my recent comment causing so much furor. Who knew there could be so much fuss over obviously badly applied bronzer?
We live in anxious times, a long-standing pandemic, an increasingly fragile economy, leaders particularly in Washington, D.C. seemingly more concerned with the next election and ‘gotcha politics’ than solving the many challenges facing our nation.
There is plenty of blame to go around on both sides.
I’m very aware of protocol and appropriate titles, due respect and giving deference to those who have served us in our nation’s military, or in elected office and public life. Each means long hours, low pay and sacrifices at home and in family life, with increasing risk of injury, to your income, your reputation or your life.
I am admittedly challenged to understand someone who has received so much, has been given and earned to some extent, access to most everything on the planet...and still feels obligated to so frequently denigrate, insult and take down others. I admit, those frequent habits, endless ‘mean Tweets’ and assault on American sensibilities have made a lasting impact on me.
But even acknowledging that, my weapon of choice to respond is a smile, a quip or pun, and attempts at light humor. Admittedly again, sometimes in politics, not everyone gets or appreciates the joke. Some feel that a slap is only funny when it is made against figures and individuals whom they oppose.
For those unaware, I recently referred to our former President Donald Trump, who is not on any ballot which I am aware of in 2022 as a primary motivator for Democrats to get out and vote against. President Trump will not let loose of his fantasy that his loss in 2020 was a stolen and rigged contest. He almost exclusively has endorsed and supported candidates who mirror his cries of Stop the Steal, if not his hue.
Having met Donald Trump in the late 90s and doing work for Trump enterprises during the early 2000’s, I met a man with a huge ego, thinning brown hair and a reasonably normal complexion. I have noted since that time some interesting shifts in appearance. Normally, I would not reference or comment on those, but THIS president, while in the office and since, made so many such physical references toward his opponents, during Presidential Primary elections and others – Little Marco, Low Energy Jeb, Sleepy Joe and more – so beneath the dignity of the highest office in the land, that he set some new standards by lowering the bar. While supporting or agreeing with many of the policies of the Trump Administration, more frequently on a personal or human level, again with good humor, all that bombastic orange rage at times makes and has made me see red.
Not GOP red, not UGA red and black, not American patriot red, white and blue...just anger that we all deserve better red. And so, admittedly this has come to skew some of my views of a certain orange hue regarding a fellow who for now will remain nameless.
My intent was not to offend, deride nor insult his supporters, demean the discourse, or reduce reverence for any former occupant of the White House. However as a political analyst I would be doing my readers, listeners and viewers a disservice to not note that a primary tactic and strategy of the current election cycle, as we approach Halloween, is to use a certain Great Pumpkin as the Boogeyman, to scare up and scare out voters...when that Great Pumpkin, as with Linus of Peanuts fame and his epic myth, never actually showed up.
Yes, the Man of Orange may run again. That too is his right. And you, dear reader, may choose to turn the page going forward without reading, as you perceive my political views to now be permanently tainted or colored. They are not. Orange you glad I didn’t say banana?