I USED TO SHINE MITT ROMNEY'S SHOES

Long ago and far away, I worked as a "clubhouse boy" ("Hey, Boy!") at a very upscale private club.

To be clear, I served some of the finest men I have ever known there, many of whom became role models and mentors.  But I also served prototypical Mitt Romney a number of times.   No, not this particular guy but still this same guy attitudinally.  The little, cutesy choppy steps, the "boss laugh" (It is not a sign of mirth, it is the grant of permission to all those around him to laugh--no, actually, it's a command to laugh.)  Everything about this guy shouts, " I am big time, you are little people."  Most of all, this guy (times 100) is absolutely entitled to whatever he wants or thinks suits him.

Somehow, THAT guy never, ever serves his country in the military.  It's amazing.  He just never has his nose in harm's way.  That's really strange.  When you consider that the history of the 20th Century was that eastern educated, super rich people populated the submarine force and the forerunner of what is now Special Ops.  Look at how many of the crazy Military Intelligence guys in WWII were Yalies and from prominent families.

But Mitt and his prototypes are a different kind of elite.  They are a non-participatory elite.  They just make money and trash the forty-seven percent., far different from the Kennedy men or the Alsops and so many others who took their gifts and applied them to the good of their country.

I tell you all this to explain why I am comfortable supporting Barack Obama.  Those who know me, know I have not been thrilled with much of this Presidency.  I won't detail my issues now.

But I fail to see how electing smug locker room guy who failed to serve his country at a critical time in her history is an improvement in the flawed but earnest administration we have now.

Elections are always between to finite and fallible human beings.  I would have appreciated some other meaningful choices.  Given the menu we now have,  Obama looks better every day.

THE BENGHAZZI ANTI-CHRIST: PICK YOUR POISON

I recognize that there are quite a few Obama haters out there, crazed and irrational.  Many of them go way beyond mere policy disagreement.

Here is there story:  Obama watched the whole attack in the situation room and refused to send help AND attended a fundraising gala in Las Vegas at the same time.  The slogan has become "He lied, they died."

Many of these specimens really don't understand that both things can't exist at the same time.

Please note I'm not including the people who point out the contradictions and dissonance among the Obama people shortly after the events.  I'm certainly not disagreeing with the folks who feel there ought to be accountability when consular staff and their guards die.

But, Guys, don't make contradictory arguments and perhaps even demonstrate you know the difference between an Embassy and a Consulate. 

OPINION UPGRADES, LITTLE VIALS AND TRITE COMMENTS ON AVERAGES

Be still, my heart.  Colin Powell endorsed Barack Obama this morning.  It changes how I feel about him.

Oh, by "him" I do not mean Barack Obama.  I mean Colin Powell.

Let me be clear.  I think Colin Powell is a craven lone wolf with few real core values beyond "whatever makes me look good."  Locked in my mind forever will be the picture of that little white vial in his hand with the CIA director perched over his shoulder, prattling on about conduit being evidence of WMD's.  The moral corruption and intellectual dishonesty  in that is as real to me today as it was that day.  By recognizing that the President did hard things in hard times, he goes from a two on my personal ten scale to maybe a 2.5.

On another topic, you probably already know that RealClearPolitics is running the averages of all the polls in the Presidential Election.  There are so many things wrong with this approach, a skilled stathead could write a long book on just this topic.  The only new thing to be said in that regard is that as we introduce tracking polls, they are already, by their nature, averages.  Thus RCP is now giving us averages of averages.

Polling average is a crude tool.  I compare it to OPS in baseball.  Nothing more than a good first look.

Yes, any discussion of average polling data is........trite.  I'll go breathe into a brown paper bag now

"RHODE ISLAND IS IDAHO'S ROUTE TO THE SEA"

This is my best effort at a domestic equivalent to what Romney said last night.

It wasn't the only stupid thing said (by either side) last night but it was the prizewinner.