I went to bed with Meteor Blades. And Marcy Wheeler. AND JONATHAN CHAIT. I went to bed with all three of them, on my mind. And woke up with Joe Biden.
This is what he said ...
Joe looked me in the eye and said, with his voice, and with his Joe Biden smile ...
Listen to me. You gotta just listen to me cuz this is very important.
I listened.
You're gonna hear a lot of things from this guy tonight that sound good. He might tell you things you want to hear, he might give you a lot of fancy numbers.
So I knew he was talking about Paul Ryan or his running mate.
But his numbers won't add up and there's no way he and his running mate can keep all the pretty promises they've been making.
So remember this ... whenever you hear something from this guy that sounds right, that sounds too good to be true, or that seems better than you expected from these guys ... it's probably not true.
This sounded right to me. The last four years have been hell for me. I started out believing that most conservatives were basically decent and reasonable but simply had
concerns, often valid ones, about the unintended consequences of change and progress. I started out believing that many Republicans, including elected officials and leading voices, would tolerate and at times work with a liberal President who was willing to take their concerns seriously and embrace policies that conservatives and Republicans had themselves suggested.
So when I heard Joe essentially tell me that Ryan and Mitt and all the rest were essentially gonna phony up instead of ponying up ... it sounded right. But I didn't expect to hear him actually say it so I turned to my wife and asked her to pinch me. Before she could, Joe stopped her, smiled, and said, "Listen sweetheart, you don't have to pinch anybody, this is for real and if anybody's gonna do any pinchin', it's gonna be me. And let me just add that if anyone's gonna get pinched, it's not gonna be you or anyone else in the middle class--it's gonna be them."
Now I know he's gonna give you an answer for everything. He's got numbers and facts but just remember that whenever an independent authority looks at them, their numbers never come close to adding up. Their supposed "facts" often don't check out. And when they're asked to account for this they say it doesn't matter or we'll tell you after the election or they just make something up.
Joe had that twinkle in his eye but now he got that slightly more serious look on his face--the one where his lips get a little tighter as if to make certain that exactly the right thing comes out of his mouth, the one where all the muscles around his eyes pull together a bit as if to turn that twinkle into a beam of energy connecting you to him. That look that he uses when it's time to put all kidding aside because what he's got to say next is deadly serious.
Just remember whenever these guys say something that sounds good, just remember whose side they've ALWAYS been on and remind yourself there's a good chance it's the opposite of what they said before, when you weren't looking or before, behind closed doors, at the $50,000 a plate fundraiser you weren't invited too. Just yesterday they were for massive tax breaks for the super rich and pennies for you. Yesterday they were for ending social security and medicare -- they called it socialism and dependence! Just yesterday they were for gutting education and a woman's right to choose and safety regulations that keep the workers and the food we eat and the air we breath safe. Just remember who pays their bills, who owns them. Who they'll be pallin' around with after the election is over. It aint you or me or probably anyone you know.
It's the same crew that fought everything you care about -- public education, social security, medicare, clean air, women's rights, voting rights -- tooth and nail. It's the same crew that knows they can't win, they won't win, if they come clean.
It's the same old crew that got us into this mess and now they want to go back and they will -- if you let them.
Joe seemed to be at a natural stopping point so I cut in, pointed at the clock, and told him I had to get ready for work but that I would be watching the debate and maybe he could finish then. He grinned and said, "you betcha I will."