Presidential Odds Notes

The late Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder claimed to have received between 16 and 20 to one odds on Harry Truman to win the 1948 presidential election vs Thomas E. Dewey. He surveyed the women in his family and found they did not like moustaches, (Dewey had one) and “tapped out”/won on “drop a nuclear bomb, Truman.

That is as far as I know, the biggest upset in a presidential election, occurring at a time the polls (I will not kick a man when he is down and type “Poles”–I will add CNN disgracefully had “Bidon” on the screen, for at least 5 minutes around 6:30 A.M. Eastern Time, think anyone might be tuning in after sleep. As bad as that was for CNN, John King was that good, analyzing and telling us/The U.S. and for that matter, the world, to be patient) were nowhere near as sophisticated as now.

Alas, Donald J. Trump “barked”–he always does that, but this use of the verb is as an underdog— at over 5 to 1 odds vs Hillary Clinton in 2016.

In one way, Joe Biden tops them all. The about to be President Elect, was 16 to 1, just to be nominated by the Democratic Party, just before what was to be a sure win in the South Carolina primary.

This time the “Dems” went “Tamany Hall,” (not in the counting, as that was fair), but in saying show us something, not much in South Carolina, and we will make you (Joe Biden, note the spelling CNN) our candidate.

To his credit, Biden said he would and did deliver, in those states, (Michigan, Wisconsin and likely Pennsylvania) Trump had somehow taken from Ms. Clinton. This was a great “ticket,” 25 to 1 at least, if one knew that “if South Carolina, would yield nominee Biden.”

I “took care” of this in tough financial times, losing money, but getting rid of sick evil, at least to a degree, and won next to nothing, on sure things such as the popular vote.

Oh well, maybe it is without the “too” in a Carol King hit song, but “they” killed Jack (who the bleep am I to call him Jack, well “Jack”, I am a suffering U.S. citizen, who BELIEVED and repeatedly had my heart broken for doing so) and Johnson, Carter, Clinton and even Barack Obama, whom I admire greatly, disappointed on some level. I need not repeat it regarding Republicans, Nixon (although his “history stock” is a really smart “buy” right now, think Albert Einstein: “most things in life are relative”), Ford, Reagan and a pair of Bushes, each as with “6-6-6” Reagan had major “thorns.”

All of the somewhat vitriolic above, is saying or opining (you know what they say about opinions) that while it is not TOO late, as the great Bill White often said, it is “Getting Late”

It all breaks my “Hart,” as Gary Hart, while no J.F.K. as “Abe Lincoln” and others told and consoled him in a classic Saturday Night skit, had a good and legitimate relationship/knowledge regarding Russia and was truly bright.

“Greek” was much better regarding politics than picking football or horse winners.