Spiders

Mark Twain famously did not say, “There are lies, damn lies, and statistics.”

Lately there have been a couple random factoids and polls that smack of outright whoppers and damn lies.

I read that the average person eats nine spiders in a year while sleeping. How this is measured, and why mankind has not rid itself of every last spider in the world I don’t know, but with this gem I’d like a little follow-up, please.

Are the spiders dropping down from the ceiling like Green Berets, or are they kicking down the glass door in a frontal assault? What if I’m not the average person? If I’m an Eskimo, just go with this, please, and living in a spider-less frozen tundra, does that mean my doppelganger in Kansas actually ate 18 spiders last year? Is that calendar or accounting year? Or just all of them in one night?

As my father told me over 60 years ago: “Son, don’t believe everything you read.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his not-so-secret candidacy for the Republican nomination for president this week, as did US Senator Tim Scott. I wish them both well, as I do Nikki Haley. I love all three of them. Certainly, others will enter the mosh pit.

The poll statistic that catches my attention is the one that says Donnie Trump has almost 60% of the likely Republican primary voters’ approval, with DeSantis far behind at about 20%. That has to be a spider whopper.

Trump gets a lot of sympathy from many for the extra-judicial attention, but he has brought a lot of that on himself, whether through boasting about nonsense, and, yes, it’s all nonsense, or acting stupidly or just plain icky. But that doesn’t men he should be continuously and absurdly targeted. All this attention does is fuel his ego and media presence. Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity.

And that is the likely goal, in lockstep with the Democratic party and all its fringe craziness, desperately needing Trump to be nominated, believing that either he can’t possibly win, or he’ll be jailed if he does miraculously prevail. In the latter case it could spell the ruin of the Republican Party.

It looks like the media and the Democrats could succeed.

I do not believe Trump can win the general election. He had some successes, yes (putting a stake in Hillary’s ambitious heart and three good USSC justices), but his persistent agency of chaos and unprofessional buffoonery will send Trump voters, like me in ’16 and ’20, running for the hills. I will not vote for Trump, again. I must be able to look in the mirror.

Look, Biden is worse. He’s borderline evil and permanently poisons the public discourse calling his foes racists, etc. Forget his serial whoppers and personal incompetence. Harris will be #47 unless the earth swallows her up, but Trump has got to go, as I have said consistently since November of 2020.

I believe that the poll stats in support of Trump are distorted and manufactured to achieve an end: Trump’s nomination by the opposition party. It is a proven and deplorable strategy. There’s still plenty of runway, though. Everyone is speculating, and every new R that enters the race for the nomination only helps Trump. It’s a shame, really. I’d rather eat spiders than see Trump prevail.

He is innocent of much of what he is hounded for, at least in respect to the low bar of legality. He is not innocent of any moral implications, and for a president, I think that should count.

If Biden/Harris win in 2024, it will be because of Trump.

Some advice for Governor DeSantis… when asked about Trump, and you will be, tell the world that his time has come and gone. We need unifiers, not rabid dividers like Trump and Biden. But his first act as president will be a full pardon for Trump and an immediate investigation of former President Biden and his family. That should drive everyone nuts and give the Trump bootlickers a reason to vote for DeSantis. It beats eating spiders.

If DeSantis, and take your pick of Scott or Haley, can secure the nomination, the Biden family and the cabal of crazies will get the boot. Maybe we can find a way to hold the media accountable, too.

One true fact caveat to May 25th. On this day 40 years ago my father, Daniel W. Horgan, passed away at the age of 52. He was a man in his prime and new grandfather to our oldest who was born just 6 weeks earlier. Also on May 25th, three years ago, we were blessed with a grandson, named after me. Yes, the Lord moves in mysterious ways.

A shameless commercial… My sister-in-law and I collaborated on an illustrated children’s eBook on grief titled SOMETIMES IT RAINS. Stephanie brought the story to life with her beautiful art. It is about a little girl and her grandmother. I think it is best to read to a child about five to seven years old, and it will begin the conversation on the emotions and mechanics of loss. Ebook only, right now, exclusively on Kindle, which is no problem as the Kindle App is free and downloadable on all devices from your phone to your desktop and all points in between.

Even better, if you are an Amazon Prime subscriber the eBook can be viewed for free. An outright purchase is only $2.99.

Steph’s artwork is magnificent, poignant and vivid – please check it out -- the eBook SOMETIMES IT RAINS can be found on Amazon or the kevinhorganbooks.com site. Thank you, and

Peace. Out.