Don's Tuesday Column

THE WAY I SEE IT   by Don Polson Red Bluff Daily News   6/16/2015

     Fictional truth on Hillary’s run

The Tea Party Patriots will host Mike Holtsclaw, Chairman of the Tehama Co. Republican Central Committee and holder of numerous present and former titles and positions in Republican and Tea Party circles.

I learned, second hand from Assemblyman James Gallagher’s staff member, Gary Merlo, that Tulare County has prevailed over state water officials. They’ve held that their water should not be subject to mandatory restrictions, as it does not serve, via the Sacramento River, either farmers or Southern California residential water users. The state was forced to agree.

Are any Red Bluff officials or leaders aware of this? Red Bluff’s municipal water comes, not from the Sacramento River, but rather from deep wells, the use of which has no impact on the users of river water. When people look at a brown Oak Hill Cemetery and hang their heads over the indignity of dead lawn surrounding their loved ones’ final resting places, will no one fight for the water secured for our use by past city leaders, not by Sacramento politicians and bureaucrats?

A fabulously wealthy Hillary Clinton (re-) started her campaign, blathering about economic unfairness while she relies on hundreds of unpaid staff; castigating efforts to assure honest elections through voter ID laws; and railing at the “get rich quick” 1 percent while she and Bill have amassed hundreds of millions of dollars faster than any former First Couple in history. The New York Post labeled her "Rodham Hood" and placed her face in Robin Hood’s costume.

That same day, election hijinks were part of a Superman episode, "The Big Freeze." Crime boss, Duke Taylor, is discussing his plans to steal the election with henchman Little Jack.

Duke: By summer, I'm gonna have this town in the palm of my hand.

LJ: Yeah, provided Buckley wins as mayor tomorrow.

Duke: He's gonna win; come here, look at this. I've got every one of these voting places marked off. I'm gonna have one of my boys stationed at each one of the joints. And besides that, I've hired a couple of thousand skid row characters and they're gonna vote just the way I tell 'em.

LJ: Yeah, but some of the people in this town like Wilson—you know, the square-headed mayor they got now.

Duke: So what, them is all good citizens, and besides, most of these people, they don't even bother about voting.

LJ: But Duke, I just thought of something you oughta consider.

Duke: Like what, for instance?

LJ: Superman! He don't like messin' around with the city election.

Meanwhile, crooked Dr. Watts plots to freeze Superman, leaving him impotent to stop it.

Newspaper Editor Perry White discusses the election with Jimmy, Lois and Clark Kent. White: Now, that's the situation. We all know that Duke Taylor's going to railroad Buckley into office; and his own city council. If he succeeds, it will throw this town wide open for gambling and rackets of all sorts. Now, Lois, I'm expecting you and Kent to do something about tomorrow's election.

Kent: Well, chief, the way I see it is to fill the paper with editorials to urge the people to get out and vote. Lois then says, “There's nothing to worry about because Superman isn't going to let anything happen.” Clark Kent, Superman's alter ego, simply says: “Sometimes, Lois, it's not wise for people to depend on Superman to keep their own house in order.” Kent's final editorial line is: “And so, Mr. Voter, it's up to you—it's your city; let's keep it a clean city.”

Another election-themed super hero story came later that same evening.

In the Batman episode, "Hizzonner the Penguin," the voting machinations of the tuxedo-clad, cigarette-in-holder and umbrella-in-hand villain, the Penguin, are a tongue-in-cheek farce.

As the Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB.com) summarizes it: “The Penguin appears to have gone straight. Not only that, he has emerged as the leading contender for mayor of Gotham City, thanks to a little-known provision of the city charter that permits felons to run for elective office. Mayor Linseed, facing almost certain defeat, convinces Batman to run for mayor. This displeases the Penguin...”

His campaign involves a series of shenanigans, starting with Penguin staging a stickup in front of the annual Gotham City charity fundraiser. Penguin conveniently stops the robbery by popping out of a car arriving in timely fashion and delivering a "WHOP!" to the bad guy via a boxing glove on his umbrella, in front of a policeman and a waiting photographer.

Penguin's (Hillary’s?) entire campaign involves an endless parade of phony events and rallies ("bread and circuses"?), designed to endear him to easily-swayed, superficial voters. Free stuff and entertainment establishes Penguin’s (Hillary’s?) flashy but deceptive image.

Meanwhile, Batman presents a no-nonsense, while boring, candidate's image with substantive, insightful addresses on the issues before Gotham City's voters. Not content to let his artificial antics stand alone, Penguin lures Batman and Robin into a trap, of course.

IMDB.com: "After escaping the Penguin's death trap, Batman still faces an uphill run to defeat the Penguin in the race for mayor of Gotham City. The Feathered Fiend (Hillary?) uses every dirty trick he can think of to ruin Batman's reputation. But the Penguin (Hillary?) discovers opinion polls aren't what they are cracked up to be." How do you think it’ll turn out?