Random Friday Morning Thoughts

Still a weird photograph and story about J.D. Granger who was then the well paid Executive Director of the Trinity River Vision Authority and a former Tarrant County prosecutor. He is also the son of then U.S. Rep. Kay Granger.

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• Debate quick hits:
  
  
  
• Yes, that was a disaster for the President. It started with a raspy voice and reached a a crescendo about 15 minutes in when he had "the moment" of confusion and silence. It was bad. Very bad.
  
  
  
• But I knew something was really wrong when the question was about abortion -- a softball for Biden -- and for some reason the President deviated off into immigration in his answer. That was bizarre.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• Trump was a sitting duck going into the debate because of all he has done and said. And President Biden didn't even try to land a glove on him because he didn't seem capable of it.
• Biden actually got better as the debate went on, but it was too late. The first 15 minutes was, and is, all that mattered. 
• Substantively, what Trump was saying was insane. But it was completely overshadowed by Biden seeming very, very old.
• The Democrat reaction thus far has been a full blown panic with open cries to have Biden replaced at the top of the ticket.  I'm sorry, but that's not going to happen. 
  
  
  
• But let me be bold: I don't think last night matters.  Trump's "grab-em-by the p" moment -- a moment after which everyone was 100% convinced we had seen the death nail of his campaign -- didn't kill him for one reason: Republicans were going to turn out to vote against Hillary. In the same way,  last night won't deter Democrats from walking across broken glass to vote against the most hated man in America. 
• If you stuck around for all of it, the state of American politics was summed up when Trump and Biden began arguing like two old men at a country club about Biden's golfing handicap. Video.
• A man was tried in district court in Wise County this week for Sexual Assault, was convicted, but received probation from the jury. And the defense lawyer was this guy: 
  
  
  
• But for the debate, this news would be a top headline:
  
  
  
• This would probably be big news, too.
  
  
  
• Another reason to fear the small plane. Side-note: Back before local journalism wasn't gutted, we would already know the names of the passengers, where they were from, and where they were headed. Now, nada.  Edit: A faithful reader tells me the plane was registered to Hunger Relief Ministries out of Forney, Texas (N414BS).
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Oklahoma takes imposed Christian Nationalism yesterday. By edict, no less.
  

  

  
  
  
  
• The Business Second™: The franchisee declared bankruptcy so the parent company bought the theaters all back.
  
  
  
• The Real Estate Second™. This is on front page of the Wichita Falls Times Record News. I think they have a different definition of "mansion" up there.
  
  
  
• Time which has passed since the Wise County Sheriff's Office, despite having a full male DNA profile, has failed to solve the murder of Lauren Whitener in her home at Lake Bridgeport: 4 years and 359 days.