Author: Sabba Rabba

Tips on scoring the debate
All based on what they say or do
The scale is plus to minus eight
Where zero’s ho-hum, nothing new

If Trump shows up, we’ll give him three
He might have chickened out, you see
If Clinton shows, it’s zero score
She’s done this many times before

For every time Trump doesn’t lie
That’s so unusual, score him five
Since Clinton’s answers will be true
That’s so ho-hum, we’ll give her two

When Trump upstaging faces makes
Let’s score him one for humor’s sake
Should Clinton crack a joke, oh my!
That’s so unusual; score her five

If by the end, Trump’s still aware
We’ll score him eight for standing there
And Hillary?  She’ll coast right through
For old time’s sake we’ll give her two

So be prepared on Monday night
To score each candidate just right
Results can change the nation’s fate
A lot’s at stake in this debate

9/25/16

Earlier this month Richard Engel and Aggelos Petroupolos wrote an NBC News article on cyber espionage, which  The Daily Kos recently republished.  Since I had come up with a cock-a-maime idea on the subject I thought it opportune to write it in a poelitic.

Somebody hacked us
Don’t wonder who
We know just who it must be

Vlad Putin hates us
We know it’s he
Unleashed his bad bears we see

Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear are his cyber teams
Our secure computers hacked with ease, so it seems

How to protect us
I figured out
It’s really simple, you see

They can’t attack us
If off the net
If off the net, mostly we

Code and store transmissions offline, protectively
Then the pack at random instants squirt rapidly

Then when they hack us
We’ll be offline
Offline and safe we will be

9/24/16

My stomach took a sour turn
And acid caused my chest to burn
On witnessing the video stream
And hearing Scott’s wife loudly scream
“DON’T SHOOT!”

Ignored by all the law men there
Her frantic cries; gut wrenching fear
That officers, because he’s black
Would feel so threatened he’d shoot back
They’d shoot

I can’t help wonder, were Keith white
And in his car in broad daylight
Would cops have stopped to question him
Or order him about on whim
Or shoot?

But shoot they did; now Keith is dead
Because he had a gun, they said
But evidence of that we lack
And when Keith from his car stepped back
They shot

9/23/16

Drew Magary of GQ Magazine yesterday wrote a blasphemous, scathing article aimed at Trump supporters, which is the subject of this “Tom Dooley” poelitic.

Hang down your head Trump Stoogy
Hang down your head in shame
Hang down your head Trump Stoogy
If Trump wins, you’ll be to blame

You’ve witnessed Trump the bigot
You’ve heard the Trumple lies
You’ve seen Trumple favor violence
Still you’re voting for him; why?

You know that Trump knows nothing
Nothing on foreign affairs
Nothing on how to govern
Of our rights he’s unaware

You’ve seen his business actions
How Trumple cheats his guys
Shady deals with foreign factions
Still you’re voting for him; why?

Pick up your head Trump Stoogy
Pick up your head; be proud
Change your allegiance, Stoogy
And leave Trump’s deplorable crowd

9/22/16

This was hard for me since I am not prejudiced against police, and I know that this applies to a small, but significant fraction of the nation’s law enforcement.  Its in response to the slaying of Terrence Crutcher in Oklahoma, but it could apply to the many other cases of unarmed black men (and children) being killed under circumstances where a white man most likely would not have been.

For this I have borrowed from an old sea shanty: Way, Haul Away, Haul Away Joe.

When I was a little lad
Or so my daddy told ta me
Way, shoot away, well, shoot away boys
That colored folks were scary bad
His hatred took a-holt-a me
Shoot away boys

Now that I’m a copper man
You see the badge I’m wearin
Way, shoot away, well, shoot away boys
If you cross me, shoot I can
It’s me you should be fearin
Shoot away boys

Now that I’m a copper man
No more will you be scarin
Way, shoot away, well, shoot away boys
I’d sure shoot you, if you ran
They’d free me in the hearin
Shoot away boys

9/21/16

Next Monday eve the first of three debates
Between the presidential candidates
Will be performed upon a global stage
With expectations soaring, they’ll engage
In verbalized gymnastics tate á tate

If past portends the future, what is next?
What of Clinton and of Trump do we expect?
Hillary will think before she speaks
And Donald will upstage glib verbal tweaks
When over, neither one may win the day

These duels are not about what’s being said
They’re not the “got-chas” that the speakers dread
They are about composure under stress
How self-assured each question is addressed
Impressions that will linger will hold sway

9/20/16

This poelitic was inspired by an article in the 9/18/16 Daily Kos by Catskill Julie.

Past the age of visual candy
Past where sex is passion dandy
Past convenience, being handy
Older women lose in sight of men

Men by nature chauvinistic
Based on feelings atavistic
Showing in the poll’s statistics
Biasing against a Clinton win

Not all men are biased this way
‘Though enough, results it could sway
Still an uphill battle each day
She’ll need every vote that she can gain

9/18/16

A lot of Bernie Sanders’ devotees
Especially the youngsters, new to vote
Feel so betrayed; his campaign didn’t float
It’s Clinton’s fault; she beat their nominee

With Bernie’s stern remarks he set the stage
Excoriating Clinton in their eyes
She is the living devil in disguise
And now they’re being asked to turn the page

So, Bernie, time for you to hit the stump
And bring these wayward kids back in the fold
To rise and vote for Clinton, that’s the goal
Or they’ll be stuck the next four years with Trump

9/18/16

It’s time to take Trump seriously
In polls he’s closed ridiculously
But one I view quite curiously
On truthfulness he’s polling over her

One thing Trump does so artfully
Is telling falsehoods forcefully
Thus, conning people cunningly
They buy his lies as gospel, every word

Another trait insidiously
Defies all press mendacity
When after acting horribly
Trump gains slight self-control, they crown him good

It’s time to take Trump seriously
And wake your friends and family
To challenge them most vigorously
No matter what’s their party, vote for her

9/17/16

Trump, today, renounced his birthy
Nonsense; pompously pronouncing clearly
That the President was really
Born within the good old USA

But he didn’t truly buy it
For expedience he’d try it
Blaming Clinton; what a riot!
‘Though ‘twas central to his campaign’s sway

Eight years long he voiced these falsehoods
Trump’s campaign is fraught with bad goods
But supporters with him still stood
Trumple, in their eyes, was a-okay

Trump’s convinced that we’re all stupid
All his lies have left us dupid
While he plays the role of cupid
Trumple, in our eyes, will rue the day

9/16/16