​I spotted an article the other day where someone lamented the quickest way to shut down a discussion on the pandemic was to refer to “the new normal.”
 
How true, though I would argue “out of an abundance of caution” is a close second.
 
Any way you slice it, we are tired. Just how tired likely depends on where you live and how close to home COVID-19 has hit.
 
Here in West Virginia, we began to reopen the economy in late spring. Many were apprehensive, but it went fairly smoothly. I’m not a big fan of Gov. Jim Justice, but I do think his handling of the crisis has been above average. Right down to “F****** follow the guidelines.”
 
I am no denier. I am a firm believer in the science. And, while many were not personally touched by this thing in the early days, within my six degrees of separation, I was. It’s a lot easier to accept that something is dangerous if it touches your life, so I can understand, even if I can’t condone, those who thought it was overblown.
 
I’d like to think that I was a lot more proactive about COVID-19 safety than some. But I also felt we needed to get businesses as open as possible to preserve our livelihoods. So, we supported local businesses, and when restrictions eased, we took daytrips and weekend trips. I’m sure some may have disagreed with that decision, but you have to do what is right for you. 
 
That’s an easy decision if the only person you put at risk is yourself, but that is not the nature of this deal. With COVID-19, you can be a spreader without even being aware of it. That’s why wearing a mask is such a simple thing for me to accept. I believe in personal freedom, but to borrow from Stan Lee, it comes great personal responsibility. That mask is a small price to pay to open things back up.
 
There is a certain irony to the fact that, just as some very promising vaccines are on their way, we are seeing a dangerous surge. Even in my own circle, the sickness and death are hitting a lot closer to home. Perhaps you have witnessed that, too. Contrary to popular belief that this thing would “just go away,” perhaps specifically on Nov. 4, numbers are shooting up, hospitals are feeling the brunt and some states are locking back down.
 
We are a resilient people, we Americans. Even though it went against the fabric of “who we are,” we, for the most part, accepted that first round of sheltering in place. It was our “public duty,” a sacrifice to relieve the pressure on our front-line workers until we got things under control. We didn’t like it, we complained about it, but we accepted to the best degree we were able the cancellation of school events, graduations, weddings, vacations, sports and so many other things.
 
But, when it comes to public trust, our nation’s governors had limited credit to spend. That has been used up, particularly in states like New York and Pennsylvania, which took far longer to ease restrictions. Even in California, as businesses are forced to close again, and people are told they can’t even socialize outside — masked — at a distance, people are asking, “why?” They are beginning to say, “no.” 
 
And as numbers surge and businesses are forced to shutter again, our folks in Washington would rather play political games than reach consensus on aid. Fiddling, while Rome burns.
 
We are tired. Thanksgiving was an impossible ask. Christmas? Who are we even kidding? Nothing about this is “normal.” 
 
Do what you are going to do, but now is not the time to let our guard down. To that end, here are a few wishes on my Christmas list:
 

• Wear a mask, even if you question the effectiveness.
• Don’t take out your anger on others.
• Get tested if you have symptoms.
• Take yourself out of circulation if you test positive or if you fear you might have been exposed.

This is a season that is supposed to be about kindness for our fellows. Embody that spirit.  
 
We are all tired. Fighting this thing until it is in retreat gets us back to normal. Wishful thinking and denial do not.

 My first political memory was a song. You may remember the old Oscar Mayer jingle — it was sung to that.
 
“My baloney has a first name, it’s J-I-M-M-Y…”
 
It was the late 70s and one of the kids on the school bus must have heard it somewhere. We all had a laugh about it, but I couldn’t say at that age I was any kind of political animal. I remember the day Reagan was shot, I was more upset that it preempted a Bugs Bunny special. Hey, gimmie a break. I was nine.
 
That all started to change for me in the mid-80s. 
 
I was fascinated by the 1984 Democratic primaries. Walter Mondale, Gary Hart, Jesse Jackson, John Glenn, George McGovern, Alan Cranston. They had candidates coming out of the woodwork like I’d never seen before or since, at least until the last two election cycles.
 
Throughout the decade, the Republicans were steady as a rock. This was the Reagan era — 12 years —an entire generation coming of age who never knew anything but Republican leadership. Think Alex P. Keaton, the jacket-and-tie-wearing young conservative son played by Michael J. Fox on “Family Ties.” The character may have been played for laughs, but for Generation X, he embodied the spirit of many.
 
I must have been born a natural contrarian. I was drawn to playing the role of the loyal opposition. My friends and I would argue and debate, laugh and joke. For fun, we all read Hedrick Smith’s “The Power Game” and watched McLaughlin and “Firing Line.” My friends eyed “Nixon in ‘88” T-shirts (“He’s tan, rested and ready!”). I opted for a “Don’t blame me, I voted for Bill n’ Opus” shirt from Berkeley Breathed’s “Bloom County” comic. 
 
We’d get excuses from our parents so we could cut class to hear congressmen, senators, state reps and vice presidents speak. We saw Dan Quayle. Sen. John Heinz. Rep. Bob Walker. Even state officials. Yeah, we were pretty rowdy.
 
We started a branch of the Junior Statesmen of America at our school, so we could go debate other people (last I heard, it still exists! We have a legacy!) On a trip to New York, we stood on the roof of the World Trade Center and hiked for blocks in the freezing cold to get a peek inside the lobby of Trump Tower.
 
Closer to home, we created a scandal in our political science mock Senate when I sold out my party to get a few of my pet bills passed by supported the Republican’s bid to annex Japan. It may have driven a teacher into retirement.
 
We didn’t hate on each other or berate each other. It was a time when you assumed all politicians were playing a game, and likely not one played in your best interest. Comedians like Johnny Carson and Mark Russell could make light of it all without being snarky or insulting whole slices of the population. It was a time when politics was still a slightly-smarmy means to an end, worthy of objective analysis.
 
Today, politics is a “crusade.” A battle between good and evil. Right and wrong. “Socialism” and “fascism.” Assimilation to “right-minded thinking” is required or you face ostracism. We certainly can’t be friends. If you aren’t part of the cause, ulterior motives are assumed. One can’t even objectively compliment an opposing political strategy without its supporters thinking you are playing them in some fashion. Talk about sucking all the fun out of the thing.
 
Politics should never be taken that seriously. Setting the stakes that high will only lead to bitter disappointment. Thinking the other side’s politicians are crooks — that’s not a problem. It’s healthy. Thinking yours aren’t? That they are as committed to “the cause” as you are? That’s getting played. Politicians will tell you anything to protect their phony-baloney jobs.
 
I used to look forward to election days. They were like Christmas, full of excitement and surprises. Now, we have people arming themselves in the streets for “the coming civil war” — even embracing it. It’d be just my luck to get clipped in someone else’s revolution while trying to order a flippin’ quarter-pounder at the drive-thru.
 
Yes, we live in contentious times, but as I often point out in this space, it is hubris to believe they are the worst of times. Thinking you are single-handedly waging a war against some new Hitler or Mussolini, or, that these are the opening stanzas of the Book of Revelation? Nope. Sorry. Can’t get on board with that.
 
I realize for many, my cynicism to “the cause” — whichever yours may be — makes me an enemy. Part of the problem. Probably some sort of elitist. 
 
Believe me, it’s all a matter of perspective. You should try the view from where I’m sitting.

In the 2016 election, I believe many failed to pick up on something important, and I think that is still the case. 
 
The election wasn’t a just a referendum on eight years of Obama, but rather 16 to 25 years of interventionalist policy. Of “Forever Wars” and globalization. If you only look at it by party, you are missing half of the story.
 
In 14 days, it is possible that a man running for a so-called “return to normalcy” may be on his way to winning an election. Throwing aside for a moment the disputes that will inevitably arise from that, we need to understand something. 
 
Moving back to the “way things were” — pre-Trump — is not a long-term proposition.
 
Like it or not, the elements that led to the rise of Donald Trump are not going to go away. They will continue to manifest themselves in the next Republican candidate. The Republican party is forever changed. The days of a Jeb Bush or John Kasich presidency are gone. Even a Nikki Haley is a long shot. The future may come in a more-politically-palatable package, but it will be Trumpist. Never-Trumpers who feel their party has gone astray are going to either have to get on the bus or find another ride.
 
On the flip side, let’s not lose sight of the fact an avowed socialist looked well on the way to the Democratic nomination until the party solidified in self-defense behind Joe Biden. Biden is the last firewall between anything resembling “moderation” in the party and its march toward progressivism, if — if — he can hold the line. At age 78, it's quite likely that firewall is for four years.
 
Should Trump emerge victorious, however, all bets are off. Say goodbye to the moderate wing of the Democratic party, which will be chewed up faster than moderate Republicans were after the Revolution of ‘94. They’ll find themselves in the same boat as the Never-Trumpers.
 
Considering that one of the few remaining interests both parties share is self-preservation — the two-party system — those holding out hope for a third-party option best not set those hopes up too high. So long as the debate stage and ballot access are controlled by the duopoly, you’d get better odds at a casino.
 
I turned in my political prognostication card after 2016. I recognized at that point politics had fundamentally changed and the old standards needed to be reassessed. Honestly, I cannot predict what will happen in the weeks to come. What I do know is the political environment we have known for the last 20 years — perhaps even 30 — has undergone a seismic shift.
 
For those who oppose both Trumpism and Progressivism, looking to the past is wishful thinking. That train has left the station for both parties. Those seeking a third way are either going to have to figure out how to bust the duopoly or face political irrelevance.