The end of the year brings a cavalcade of analysis about what happened over the past twelve months. Here’s Politics and Other Stuff’s take on 2021.

• The four years before 2021 were full of high wire BS from the former occupant of the White House. His endless stream of vicious and mindless Twitter rants left the whole country, including many of his followers, worn out and frazzled. That is not what a president is supposed to do.
• Some Republicans do not know how to handle a calmer, more measured approach to governing. They forget that Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush operated in the same manner. It would be hard to imagine either of those presidents applauding the Trump style.
• Trump’s lack of respect for others has once again been documented as information comes out about his interactions in the White House and elsewhere after he tested positive for COVID-19.
• Unlike Trump, Joe Biden has not just talked the talk; he has done things that produce results. Less than three months into his presidency Biden produced a significant rescue package that allowed average American families and businesses to survive during the pandemic.
• Trump’s promises about “infrastructure week” were a joke. Biden produced a bi-partisan coalition (imagine that) which produced a trillion dollars for roads, bridges, airports, internet access and the like that represent the country’s largest investment in public works since the 1950’s.
• In January very few Americans had been vaccinated following the roll-out of the vaccines in December. By December 2021 71 percent of American adults have been fully vaccinated.
• In January only 46 percent of the nation’s schools were open. In December the number stands at 99 percent.
• During 2021 six million jobs were added. The unemployment rate in January was 6.3 percent. Today the rate is at 4.2 percent.
• Republicans have done everything imaginable to hide the serious constitutional and small “d” democratic threats that were given a face for all to see during the Trump/Republican inspired insurrection against this country by the Trump-led mob on January 6^th. Try as they might it is all recorded for present and future Americans to remember. How pathetic to read the panicked texts from Fox personalities and Donald Jr. during the attack on the Capitol, along with the pleas of some Republican members of Congress who begged Trump to intervene.
• Republican claims about support for police and law-and-order were exposed as false given their refusal to acknowledge the attacks and the resulting deaths of police officers who defended the Capitol during the insurrection.
• Why wasn’t Jim Jordan prosecuted for his role in the Ohio State University Athletic Department scandal? Where is the indictment of Matt Gaetz for his extracurricular activities? How can Republicans laugh off Paul Gosar’s suggestion that a member of Congress should be killed?
• For years we watched an endless stream of major Trump appointees, including most of his cabinet and Oval Office staff, involved in scandals big and small that in many cases concerned taking care of personal interests. The contrast with the Biden administration is important to note.
• How nice it was to see President Biden taking a hard line with Russian dictator and former Communist KBG agent Vladimir Putin after four years of watching Trump repeatedly, for motives yet undocumented, kiss Putin’s ass.
• The pandemic continues and is best described by Governor Kathy Hochul as the “crisis of the unvaccinated.” Biden, Hochul and County Executive Mark Poloncarz continue to promote activities that will reduce the risks of serious illness and death. Republicans promote reckless behavior that is prolonging the worst of the pandemic. Don’t they see that locally and nationally the people who are most in danger of getting seriously ill or dying are in large measure their base?
• Who could have imagined in January that Andrew Cuomo’s hold on Albany would collapse so quickly over the next eight months?
• Kathy Hochul hit the ground running in August and has never stopped. She took control of state government overnight with no transition. Governmentally and politically Hochul has shown how perfectly capable she is for the job at hand.
• What started as a minor political event in January led to one of the most amazing years in local politics. India Walton shook city politics to its core – an election like no other since Jimmy Griffin was first elected in 1977. Will her campaign team march on in other elections?
• The Bills seem incapable of playing a complete four quarter game. Did they get mesmerized by their early season press? Were the early season opponents just too easy? Will they make the playoffs?
• Will professional hockey ever return to Buffalo?

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Politics and Other Stuff will be taking a break for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. We will be back in your email in-baskets again on January 4^th. Merry Christmas! Have a safe and healthy holiday.

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