You Could Compare President The Donald (tm) to FDR. He's NO FDR.

I used to talk to my parents a lot about their childhoods, and the years before I came along. Like most in their "Greatest Generation," their early lives were shaped by the Great Depression and WW II. When I heard the tales, there was always a national hero: President Franklyn Roosevelt.

My Dad made fun of him and his family, of course. He said he used to find it impossible that the First Lady ever had sex -- she was so officious and cold. But he told me he and his family listened to the "fireside chats," which calmed and reassured a panicked nation. Last night I made the mistake of watching the daily Presidential press conference.

Normally, I just switch the channel when Trump comes on. I justified it that I had too much else going on in my life to fixate on his preposterous presidency, and I wasn't going to be sucked in to the obsessive hatred of him like so many of my friends. Well -- lately I ain't got nothing but free time, and so I paid attention.

I found myself cursing at the TV. Here we are, in full international crisis, and he's actually asking the doctors sharing the podium whether they thought there would come a time when the nasty journalists who all hate him would ever return to pack the chamber. Then he went off on some absurdity about suicides from people being out of work would kill more than Covid-19, and, oh, we ought to give more money to corporations.

My friend John, a retired CIA analyst, said Trump reminds him completely on the mayor in the movie "Jaws." The sheriff and shark experts are pleading to close the beaches, as the great white is using them as a buffet line, and the mayor just wants to talk about tourism and how the town "Amity" means "friendship." Great. Life imitates a 70s disaster movie.

I was no fan of Bush II, but following 9/11 he was mostly presidential. Carter never was - during the Mariel Boatlift, we watched as Castro played him like a phonograph record. So it's not just a GOP/Dem thing for me -- Trump is absurdly scary.

So in my prayers to the Big Man, I will hope we get through this DESPITE our government leaders, not due to anything they do. I guess that is the basic nature of plagues -- they strike, cause tragic losses, and then end.

Oh -- and it's been three days since my last drink. I need to change that tonight. It helps dull the anxiety. If I can't find a virtual partner, maybe I'll just time it to when the Donald speaks -- I can go outside with my vodka and avoid his words...