The NPC VP: Naked and Afraid

Welcome back to my life everyone.

I just watched Harris' concession speech and it seems to me that she is as relieved as the rest of us that she lost. Did you feel that too? There are some people, I think, that have this thing in them. People who are working on, but never completing, a novel. People who have done half of a PhD (or EBD - Everything But Degree). That is, people who get involved just enough to claim an awesomeness ultimately thwarted by circumstance. If only...

As I catch bits and bobs of analysis, I'm struck by how much focus is placed on data and strategy. Americans' top concerns were economic and Harris didn't address that. Trump ran a bro campaign and that tells us something—etc. etc. blah, blah, blah.

None of that matters. She lost because she is unbelievably stupid.

For four years she has been an NPC VP. (NPC meaning non-player character. In video games the pre-programmed characters that move the story along.) Stand here, say this, do that, get off stage. Her aim was to level up to NPC President. But an NPC can't play. Only a player can play. And she is no player.

She is, however, incredibly stupid.

And she knows it. And worse yet, she thinks we don't know it. Or hoped so.

Her primary concern over the last 100+ days was to hide how dumb she was. Stick to the script, turn it back to Trump, survive the next 10 minutes... then the interviewer would ask a question... oh no! OH NO!

A simple question. Like being stripped naked in the coliseum.

She reminds me of a careerist soccer mom who swings by the field after work to watch the second half of her son's game and pulls the coach aside to tell him what he's doing wrong. When he puts the whistle on the clipboard and says, "Would you like to coach?" she shies away, too busy, just trying to help. Then misses the next few games.

There's a part of her that wanted to be president, I'm sure. Maybe, just maybe, she could become the Commissioner Gordon of the USA. Sitting at a big desk next to the Red Phone, ready to make the call that saves the day.

But somewhere inside there's another part. A part that says 3 hours with Joe Rogan will blow her cover. A part that thinks of the press conferences, the world leaders, the fact that there's no bat phone.

I think she's a little relieved today. She can forever claim to be an EBP.

And that's fine by me.