Every child has strengths and weaknesses, gifts and challenges. Loving means adjusting your expectations to fit your child, not trying to adjust your child to fit your expectations.

~Dr. Benjamin Spock/Baby and Child Care

You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting.  This is not logical, but it is often true.

Mr. Spock/Star Trek, “Amok Time,” Season 2, Episode 1

The current divisions in America are much less based on a cancellation of culture as they are a clash of cultures represented by the above quotes.  Democrats and liberals are criticized for coddling behavior, or as Dr. Spock suggests, letting each person set his or her own agenda and priorities.  In contrast, Republicans and conservatives, more consistent with Mr. Spock’s philosophy, argue progressive goals may sound good but will lose their sheen in practice.

The irony, of course, is this applies to everyone but (drum roll) Donald Trump.  Consider the story posted yesterday by the Associated Press, “Debate commission considering ‘changes’ to structure of debate after chaotic first.”  Instead of telling the petulant man-child who occupies the Oval Office, “Play by the rules or we’ll put you in time-out,” they must have consulted their copy of Baby and Child Care.  Their response could not be more Dr. Spock-like.  Since we cannot get the child to adjust to our expectations, let’s lower our expectations and adapt to the child’s behavior.

In contrast, the proponents who have been saying “let Trump be Trump” got exactly what they wished for.  And what is their morning-after assessment?  Even though spineless Republican senators danced around Trump’s responsibility for the fiasco, they found, as Mr. Spock warned, the debate was not as pleasing as they wanted.

• “It was awful.”/Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski
• “It was exhausting.”/Nebraska Senator Deb Fischer
• Trump needs to “restrain himself a little” in the next debate./Oklahoma Senator James Inhofe
• “An embarrassment.”/Utah Senator Mitt Romney
• “It was the least educational debate of any presidential debate I’ve ever seen.”/Maine Senator Susan Collins

Of course, Trump “psychophants” (term coined by former GOP strategist Steve Schmidt),  played the both sides card.  Yet, the record does not validate their opinion.  Joe Biden had previously appeared in two vice-presidential debates (2008 and 2012) sponsored by the commission.  And neither of those events were described with the same level of disgust expressed above.  The difference on this occasion?  The opponent.

But the Dr. Spock approach is not practiced solely by Trump apologists.  In August Real Time host Bill Maher closed the show with the following “New Rule.”

If Trump’s going to try to scuttle the Post Office, we need to fight back.  Don’t use the mail for anything but ballots until the election is over.

I agree we need to fight back.  How about demanding Congress provide the postal service with funds to upgrade services throughout the election cycle?  Or impeaching postmaster general Louis DeJoy for perjury?  Instead, Maher, a self-proclaimed bachelor-for-life with no children of his own, became a product placement for Dr. Spock’s Baby and Child Care.

Let’s not expect the post office to do it’s job as it has for 244 years.  Let’s inconvenience everyone else because the crybaby-in-chief is doing everything he can to suppress the 2020 turnout.  Maher would rather deny a birthday card from a grandchild to an elderly shut-in who has already suffered enough during the pandemic .  Or discourage an Ohio voter from sending a letter to Rob Portman demanding he grow a pair and denounce Trump’s assault on the integrity of the election.  In that case, it is time to change the title of the HBO program to Real Capitulation with Bill Maher.

If you don’t want to lie in the bed one of Trump’s undocumented immigrant employees has prepared for you, do not patronize one of his debt-ridden, bedbug-infested resorts.  Or as Mr. Spock said in “Errand of Mercy” (Season 1, Episode 26), “Curious how often you Humans manage to obtain that which you do not want.”

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP