Media display hostility toward third party

July 24, 2023

Polls show that voters are not thrilled at the prospect of a Trump vs. Biden rerun in the 2024 presidential election. That makes the idea of a fresh third-party candidate more interesting. One might think the media would enjoy a curveball, but there’s one big problem: Democrats think a third-party ticket would sink President Joe Biden. The No Labels group held an event in New Hampshire on July 17 with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and former Gov. Jon Huntsman (R-Utah). They like the idea of a bipartisan presidential ticket, one Democrat and one Republican. There’s more than enough ...

Bloom where you are planted

July 22, 2023

We are now a few weeks into our much-anticipated summer season, and everyone is busy enjoying every sun-soaked moment. All too soon, there will be a chill in the air, the days will begin to shorten, school and dorm supplies will be purchased, and fall will be upon us. Until then, however, there are family vacations, ball games, yard sales, picnics, outdoor adventures, and now that we have received some much-needed rain, grass to mow and gardens to tend. Flowers are blooming everywhere and since my Chamber office is in downtown Lewistown, I have the daily privilege of enjoying the ...

Is Elon’s problem simply loneliness?

July 17, 2023

Why does Elon Musk have to be the center of everyone’s attention every day? Has he no hobbies? Is running an industrial empire less than a full-time job? Perhaps he’s just lonely. Perhaps social media is not filling the need for human companionship — as many a depressed adolescent can explain. At times, the richest man on the planet, Musk certainly has options. He’s already done remarkable things, such as supercharge the age of the electric vehicle and send rockets into space. Yet he chooses to pick public fights that offend his customers, while having negligible effect on ...

Time for refocusing America’s attention

July 17, 2023

America is struggling. While this country and its people have faced their share of difficulties -- including the Great Depression, several wars, terrorist attacks and countless devastating natural disasters -- we seem to be losing a key attribute of our national identity: our confidence in our ability to solve problems and achieve what was once considered "impossible." That confidence was born of at least three widespread attributes — initiative, gratitude and humility — which are sorely lacking at present. Initiative is what's behind every single aspect of America's political ...

Vice President Harris’ unknown language

July 13, 2023

If President Biden is serious about seeking a second term, he must fix the problem of his vice president, Kamala Harris. Though Biden's poll numbers are currently not much better than Harris', latest polling by the Los Angeles Times finds as of this month "41% of registered voters had a favorable opinion of Harris and 53% had an unfavorable opinion -- a net rating of -12 percentage points." One wonders what those 41 percent see as Harris' accomplishments, because there have been none, as far as I can tell. Republicans will likely make Biden's age an issue in the coming campaign and ...

Store that cultivated a community

July 13, 2023

Nestled in the rolling farmland in Ashe County is a tidy white-clad building whose wistful charm beckons you to stop. It’s the kind of place you may only spot if you set your navigation app to avoid highways. And even if you’re trying to make good time down Silas Creek Road, you will find it impossible not to stop here. Across the very top of the storefront reads “Phipps General Store,” accompanied by signs for Schwan’s Ice Cream and one noting that it is the Silas Creek United States Post Office. All around it are barns and postcard-perfect farmland. It is only upon closer ...