Oprah And Trump -- Similarities And Differences

Ed. Note: I will refer to Oprah Winfrey as Oprah, and Donald Trump as Trump. It is easier than writing first and last names for each and I am using the most commonly recognized name for each.

First, the similarities: Both are largely self-made. More so for Oprah, since Trump inherited vast wealth. He would not be and have been, a nationally known figure for decades had he lived comfortably off of his inheritance though. Both are almost universally known, due to decades-long media exposure.

The most obvious differences are in their public personas: Trump's is brash and confident, Oprah is also confident, but her most (to me) defining characteristics are being likable and comforting.

The whole point of this is to set the stage for a comparison of their political prospects:

A while before the last election, the main push for Trump seemed to come from Democrats. The idea being that he could disrupt the crowded field of Republicans and if he won the nomination, he would surely lose. I never got a good read on what they thought or if they even considered that Trump could win. I have to suspect that he would be quickly labeled as racist, sexist, anti-Semite and dim-witted/insane--because that is how they have labeled every Republican president in my lifetime.

What I see right now from Republicans is the opposite: Oprah seems more likely to win the presidency than any other Democrat out there. And Republicans hope she runs. To us, we would rather have a Republican president; but if we get a Democrat, Oprah would be a better president than any other Democrat who could win.

Major Shift In Luck

I stuffed my hat into the cup holder at the concert...

Wait, what?

Well, there was no drink to put in there. Because $13.50 is crazy for a beer and I would rather do without. Kind of; I would feel like not buying one, but would cave and get one anyway. Except, my wife and I are observing Dryuary. January, no alcohol. So the cup holder could serve to hold my vintage Bula jester hat.

I know, it looks stupid. But, I have never had a hat as warm, or as comfortable. I feel stupid now: I almost didn't buy it, because of the stupid thing. Now I wish I had bought one in every color they had. Bygones. Like 25 years ago and no longer made, bygones.

The concert ended (The Killers and it was amazing!), the lights came up and no hat! It wasn't on the floor either. We eventually found it about 6 feet away. All the lucky bastards, not doing Dryuary and so making multiple trips for more beer, had dragged it out of the cup holder and a fair distance away.

We were waiting for our daughter and friends to come up, from their standing area on the floor, to our seats and I spied a woman's clutch under a nearby seat. I locked eyes with an usher who was working his way through that section, as to say, "here is something you should collect. He went over to it and it was a concert T shirt. We communicated wordlessly, "It would be pointless to put something which is just like a thousand others sold tonight into the lost and found, right"?

He said, "Want a shirt"?

Sure!

From losing my irreplaceable hat to getting a shirt that sells for $40 for free!

The Stakes Are Low, The Lowest

There is a place on the way to work where two exit lanes merge into one lane on the ramp and then widen back to two after the ramp. The standard behavior, for 90% of the drivers, is that the cars weave together--one from the left, one from the right, one from the left, etc. But there is always some guy, it is always a guy, who wants to not let anybody in.

Why?

Chances are, the one car length gained will not matter: The car could end up choosing the same lane you choose when the road re-widens. But even if they choose the same lane, how much time is represented by one car? Quite possibly, none--one lane goes to an exit which widens into 5 turn and go straight lanes, the other goes to a 4-lane highway which is usually wide open. How much time is saved? A second, maybe if you are lucky? For this, you are going to try and bulldoze your way in?

This is on my mind because a guy tried this with me this morning.

Tried.

And failed.