Do you have a creepy Uncle Tim?  A fellow who acts drunk at family gatherings.  Obnoxious is too kind of word to describe his belligerent habit of constantly interrupting and you patiently listen to his diatribes because it is just good manners.  If you haven’t seen your Uncle Tim in a while, it might be because October 4th, he was at Longwood University berating Republican VP nominee, Indiana Governor, Mike Pence.  America would be forever indebted if your family would send him money for a bus ticket home.   

This was scheduled to be a debate, but with Uncle Tim interrupting Governor Pence 70 times in 90 minutes, it resembled All-Star Wrestling.  CBS News Anchor, Elaine Quijano, the moderator, had a ringside seat allowing her to cheer Uncle Tim hysterically while marinating in the spray of his sweat and spittle.  Somehow, the left champions this fiasco as good political theatre.  Governor Pence candidly revealed his Christian, conservative beliefs by politely answering Elaine’s scripted questions.  His self-control was inspiring to us Irish who have a limited supply of this particular character trait.   

You can judge someone by observing their closest friends, evaluating the character of their children, or watching them work their horse or dog.  I was a late-comer to the Donald Trump camp, mostly because I kept stumbling over his two ex-wives.  However, in mid-May, Donald Trump published his list of potential Supreme Court nominees and this impressed me.  During the GOP Convention, the performance of his progeny prompted me to think there may be more to Mr. Trump.  I gave him the benefit of the doubt and during the VP debate, Governor Pence sealed the deal.  Character is infectious and Donald Trump will be a better president due to the core values of his vice-presidential pick.  Then came Trump’s 2005 vulgar video clip.

 In years past, have you ever said something foul while working cattle or sitting around hunting camp?  I have and have asked God to Bleach-Bit those memories from my hard drive.  Mr. Trump accepted responsibility and apologized for his locker room remarks and as disappointed as I am, I forgive him.  Had the Trump camp hired a proven expert in suppressing evidence such as Hillary Clinton, the 2005 video would never have seen the light of day.  Think about that before you start throwing stones.