There has been a lot happening lately and some things have been on my mind.
Biden Approval Rating
Is anyone really surprised by the rating? See the graphic below.
Let’s be honest. President Joe Biden was not the best the Democratic party had to offer. There is no way I will ever believe that. President Barack Obama was the best the party had to offer in 2008. Where is that presidential candidate?
Biden was the compromise candidate and it shows.
CBS “Sunday Morning”
Yes, I love this show. It records every week for me and I get to pick which segments I watch. But it is becoming way too political for my tastes.
I was watching a feature piece on a small town in North Carolina that uses the fact that Andy Griffith was born there as its claim to fame and has transformed itself into the ficticious Mayberry from “The Andy Griffith Show.”
There are tours, a museum and businesses that mimic the ones seen on the show that aired from 1960-1968.
Sounds adorable, right?
I thought it was a clever way to save a town that was suffering after mills closed.
And then Ted Koppel showed why he was really there.
He made it about former President Trump, the January 6 attack at the Capitol and the fairness of the election.
The whole segment was ruined. Why did Koppel have to make it political?
Was he trying to say that people who support Trump want to believe in a Mayberry more than reality? I thought it was about a town capitalizing off of its tenuous connection to a Hollywood legend.
It was frustrating as I have only seen about five minutes of “The Andy Griffith Show” and was enjoying learning about the town. I don’t always want politics mixed in with everything.
Christmas Shopping
I am determined to do the majority of my gift shopping by November 4. Yes, you heard me or in this case, read me. There has been so much chatter about the issues with the post office and having packages delivered on time, it has made me cautious. We have family across the country and want to make sure our gifts arrive before Santa.
So if you have any ideas for great gifts, please let me know. If you enjoy wrapping gifts, text me ASAP.
Political Mailers
My mailbox has been jam-packed with mailers for candidates on the state, county and local levels. And ugh, I am not a fan. But I have been enjoying some laughs at the careful graphic manipulation and attempts to disparage the other side. And if we spot a grammatical error, we chuckle and make a mental note.
The Debt Ceiling
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t agonizing over this. The shutdown of the government didn’t bother me but the debt ceiling does.
According to WSJ.com, “Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress on Tuesday that the Treasury would be unable to pay all of the government’s bills if the ceiling isn’t raised by Oct. 18.
“At that point, we expect Treasury would be left with very limited resources that would be depleted quickly. It is uncertain whether we could continue to meet all the nation’s commitments after that date,” she said.
According to CNBC.com, “the U.S. currently is $28.4 trillion in debt, nearly $700 billion of which has been incurred since President Joe Biden took office and chose [Treasury Secretary Janet] Yellen to head the Treasury. The budget deficit through the first 10 months of the fiscal year stood at $2.71 trillion.”
This would be horrible for our reputation and our economy.
Also, it is time we as a nation stop spending money we don’t have and won’t have. The pandemic cost a ton of money. We, as a nation, need to cut back our spending in many areas.
Afghanistan
So what is happening in Afghanistan nowadays? Are there no more American journalists there? Is it just not important anymore? Did we forget about this nation? Congress did just approve $6.3 billion to help resettle Afghan evacuees.
But what is happening in the nation itself? How are the people faring? Women? Girls? Non-Muslims?
Are we that fickle as a nation that we don’t care anymore? Or is it just not beneficial to show what’s happening currently?
Local elections
Many people ask me and our team about the candidates for council, school board and other races. They want our honest opinion.
We encourage people to do their homework. Scout the paper, ask your friends. Read letters and articles. Sometimes it is what is not said that is more important.
I encourage all residents who are able to vote. It is a serious responsibility. Plus there are cool new machines and multiple opportunities to vote this year.
Gina Rullo is the editor-in-chief of The Hammonton Gazette.