The Burrow

You know that you're in the running when people start picking at you because you're in the running.  Axios was taking interweb hits for promoting Mayor Pete's emergence on the scene.  They ran along the lines of there are other people running too, y'know. He's just the latest shiny new thing. Smells like sour grapes to me.  Because, really, it's not just hype.  I've been watching the clips all afternoon, because that's what I've been telling others to do.  What others, you wonder?  Quite a few in the last few days, it seems. I was at Penzey's, where the salesclerk printed out a recipe I could easily find in my Gmail.  I protested.  She smiled and said "It's okay.  It's what Bill Penzey would want me to do,"  and from there we went to the founder's politics (Progressive and Practical and filled with love) to Mark Kelly, passing by Mayor Pete on the way. It was a lovely interlude in the middle of the day, one in which I ...

(TBG spoke.  I typed and lightly edited.) Dear Cuters, The conversation as we warmed up before spin class this morning came around to Mayor Pete. Some of my fellow Medicare recipients, while admiring his intellect, were concerned about his age.  Could they trust someone that much younger?  Had he lived enough to be relied upon? And I sat there, on my bike, feeling enabled, enabled to reach the right decision about an impressive guy.  He does have good experience; the only thing slowing me down would have been his age. But that is so easily overcome-able when I have the example of my own children, who, in their mid-30's, consistently exercise great judgment, fine intellects, and unquestioned integrity.  Thank you. Dad

Anand Giridharadas, Time Magazine Editor at Large, tweeted this yesterday: Verified    "Instantaneously........ like a magic trick" ---- that's how I want to write! Thanks to Allison, a long-time denizen of The Burrow, for forwarding this to me, knowing that it would make my heart sing.  Six trenchant paragraphs leaving a lasting impression of both the author and the hero.   The tweet strikes to the core of what is most attractive about Mayor Pete - his brilliant, curious brain, wired to dig deep and do the work, in search of a workable solution - and gives you an easy story to tell when people wonder about his qualifications.  "He learned an entire language to read more books." Yes, I think he's ready to step into the Oval Office and do the job. He already knows the language.