Idaho Snoozes as the World Spins Out of Control

Idaho isn’t exactly a quiet place in summer.  There are wildfires, deadly highway crashes, and behind the scenes, a lot of work approaching election season.  But, we should note most of these things happen every year, and even the worst accidents fade from memory in a couple of weeks.

Nationally, it’s a different story.  I spoke with three friends after Joe Biden threw in the towel.  One here in Idaho.  Two in Delaware.  Among the latter, one has known Biden for 55 years.  He told me Joe may have developed pneumonia and there were fears Saturday night that he wouldn’t make it to Sunday morning.  The other friend in Delaware told me this was the most consequential year since 1968.

The terrorist attack of 2001 wasn’t followed by a 9-18.  The shooting of President Reagan was, thankfully, never repeated.  We all knew in the early summer of 1974 that President Nixon would soon be gone.

I celebrated my sixth birthday in October of 1968.  My memories of the time mainly involve playing with my friends.  I was in 1^st grade on Election Day.

I’ve worked in print and broadcast media for 40 years.  I’ve never experienced a time like 2024, or for that matter, 2020 through 2024.  And I daily wake up and wonder what’s coming next, and expect we’re far from done with bombshell news.

I’m a devotee of a book called The Fourth Turning.  The writers have nailed the times we live in.

If you feel whipsawed by the news, you’re not alone.  As we say on the radio, the hits just keep on coming.

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