The Boss Sends a Message to the Voiceless Middle

When it comes to idol worship, I resolutely confine mine to entertainers in industries like sports, publishing, and music. At the same time, I equally resolve to limit my favorite political leaders to mere admiration, not idolatry.

So when The Boss, with the support of an auto manufacturer, sent a message to those of us in the middle, I paid rapt attention as others tuned out as soon as he referred to a desolate spot in Kansas as the heart of the nation.

I recognized the voice; I remembered his heart; I knew where his message was headed.

You see, those of us in the middle, the ones with the quiet and too-often unheard voices, demonstrated in November our grounding rod value. The obvious sign is that we rejected the cultish authoritarian approach of the former leader. The not-so-obvious was the rejection of authoritarianism at the other end of the spectrum.

Just as the former president’s dull-witted son-in-law didn’t recognize the Republican-leaning voters in the Atlanta suburbs, the Progressives didn’t recognize the middle class Moderates, and still don’t, as Democrat-leaning voters. As a result, that unlikely cabal of “leaners” spoke forcefully to both wings.

And you know what? The wings still are not listening!

Huge numbers of Republicans still quake in fear of the authoritarian who managed to be the only single-term president since Hoover to lose the popular vote twice, lose the White House, lose the Senate, and lose the House. Wow, what a strong track record, right!?

Meanwhile, the Progressives haven’t caught on that declaring war on Moderates was and is a foolish political play. As a case in point, Progressives may perform admirably as legislators, but immaturity in the larger political arena only fuels the right-wingers. Burning Portland and cancelling Washington and Lincoln are not good looks for the Democratic Party.

Biden seemed to be the only one not pandering to either extreme.

So here’s an alert to both worn-out major parties.

Dems: While you were distracted, the Rs stole the working class away from you. Please recognize that economic policy planks that move the needle for the middle class do more for racial justice and equity than the tantrums of young white libs begging for acknowledgement of how much they care, all the while appropriating, and diluting, legitimate causes. (Yikes! A 44-word sentence!)  

Republicans: It’s much simpler. A commercial real estate guy hijacked your party – so take it back! If you don’t … well, don’t bother knocking.

Oh, and by the way … maybe I need to check on whether Jeep makes an SUV hybrid.