20170317 (reasoning)

High school debate where, if you made stupid arguments, you lost but you learned.

Ever try talking across the

Chasm in American politics?

Any time I try to cite Trump’s

“Locker talk,” I am quickly

Confronted with Clinton’s

Promiscuity (as if I had ever

Defended it). “I’m not talking

About Clinton,” gets you 

Nowhere, since they are 

Convinced, as opposition,

You thereby have more 

Demons in your closet 

Than they in theirs. Should

You cite the unfairness of

Blocking every piece of 

Legislation ever proposed

By the Obama administration,

They are ready with examples

Of W’s attempts to privatize

Social Security being scuttled

By similar steadfastness.

Is this an argument in middle

School? He did this. Well, she

Did that. What does this have

To do with that anyway? Can’t

We talk about just one thing?

Bring up McConnell’s censure

Of Warren with the cheapest 

Of shots. They come back

Saying Warren used her slight

Native heritage for advancement

In academe via affirmative

Action. Huh? When I concede

Slick Willy was a creep and

His wife not all that admirable

Either, having surrendered

Even one point to them, in

Their view I’ve collapsed 

My entire position. Gleefully

They prattle on confirmed in

The righteousness of their

Cause. Lest I lay blame solely

On that class of defectives 

Supporting the maniacs currently

In the White House, let me 

Mention my effort to move

A Clinton loyalist to the 

Sanders camp. He was so

Certain history flowed in

His direction, one might as

Well have tried to convince 

The waters of Niagara to rise 

Back to Lake Erie while standing

Amid the rocks and crashing 

Cataracts below. Her coronation 

Was assured. This was no time

To weaken one’s influence by

Promoting an old man lacking

Worldwide credentials. The 

Power structure would remember

My mutiny at the critical moment.

Why can’t they stay on topic?

Did none of these people ever

Take part in high school debate?

c. J.S.Manista, 2017