Auchtoon!

Okay, granted, winter did hit later than it usually does this year. And the weather we’ve experienced over the past week has been severe. But in the end, it is January, and this is Michigan, so it really isn’t that remarkable. And yet, that doesn’t stop all of us from persistently remarking, does it?

Still, if the alternative is election talk…

Did you stay up late on Monday to watch the game? I did. And my workday wakeup time is 4:45 a.m. Still, it was totally worth it.

Sure, the championship win was super nice. (And the Rose Bowl win in the semifinals over Alabama was even nicer!) But there were also some really compelling storylines. However you feel about the sign-stealing scandal, the Michigan football team did need to overcome some significant adversity — from its own conference and the NCAA, everybody’s least favorite bureaucracy (which is saying something).

And there were other, more traditionally feel-good storylines like running back Blake Corum coming back after blowing out his knee last year to score two touchdowns in the title game.

But I think on the whole, the best story was that the state of Michigan got a win. We don’t get many — especially over the past couple of decades. So even though it was college football (and all the baggage that comes with that), it’s gratifying to have “Michigan” and “the best” in the same headline.

Still, I have to admit, even as the confetti was falling, a part of me was thinking, “Oh Lord, those true-blue U of Mers are gonna be hard to live with after this.”

Word on the street is that certain members of the Michigan Republican Party are aiming to oust their current chair, Kristina Karamo. They called a meeting to plan it. Karamo supporters say the meeting was not properly called. Karamo says she has no intentions of resigning. It will likely all end up in court.

This may not be the most Trumpian thing you’ve ever read, but it is pretty darn emblematic of the GOP in the Trump era — infighting, name-calling, legal threats, money issues, possible bankruptcy, blaming the “deep state” and “fake news” for problems you created.

Well, I suppose that when you elect a Trump protégé to lead your state party, you shouldn’t be surprised by the results. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.

After years of stagnant (at best) population growth, Michigan is scrambling for ways to keep Michiganders from moving out, especially young people.

Of course it’s ridiculous to think that building walls would be effective in keeping people in — but no more ridiculous than thinking a 1,954 mile wall along the Mexican border would be effective in keeping people out.

Instead of building barriers in 2024, perhaps we should focus on problem solving the source issues. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and here’s to a world with less walls in the new year!

A typical holiday season juxtaposition for editorial cartoonists: the Holy Family as poor, desperate refugees and the current treatment of poor, desperate refugees by certain folks who worship the Holy Family. It’s kind of low hanging fruit, and I have to admit that’s where I started.

But there is so much more hypocrisy out there to choose from! So I looked further and was inspired by listening to “For Unto Us a Child Is Born” from Handel’s Messiah, which is often performed at Christmas time. The lyrics are from Isaiah 9:6:

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace

It’s the “prince of peace” that always sticks with me. I can’t think of a more perfect description of what a savior should be.

It’s well within reason to expect those who tell you what they are against to also be able to tell you what they are for. I mean, if you’re upset about inflation or the border situation and somebody tells you to vote for them because they can fix it, they should be able to tell you how, right?

And yet, by my observation, Republican candidates (local, state, national) seem to be pretty good at identifying problems but lacking in actual plans and answers. It’s not like Democrats are great at this either. But they do seem to come up with functional legislation every once in while.

It’s pretty obvious why this is — it’s much safer to gin up support by railing against an issue than proposing a plan to solve it. Plans can be checked, analyzed, reviewed — and followed up with challenges and criticism. That’s no fun. Plus, I imagine it’s difficult to develop actual plans when there is likely a chorus of campaign advisors from your party telling you not to.

The “slippery slope” argument certainly isn’t exclusive to gun rights advocates, but it has definitely been a go-to over the years. It’s usually along the lines of “this particular gun regulation or restriction is bad despite its practical benefits because it will inevitably lead to the end of all gun rights. Therefore, we should do nothing because, it’s a slippery slope.”

It’s a lazy argument. It saves the hard work of figuring out what is and what is not a good law and trying to think through the benefits while anticipating the consequences. I would dare to say that it is also an unpatriotic argument. You really have to have very low confidence in our American system of government and an equally low opinion of your fellow citizens to think that everything is fragile.

This week Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a law that prohibits those with misdemeanor domestic violence convictions from purchasing and possessing a gun for eight years after finishing their sentence. It will help protect domestic abuse victims, who are typically women and children.

The timing for this new law is good in any case, but particularly appropriate to be the same week as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which is Saturday, November 25.

College football is important. Seriously. It’s an industry of significant size that supports the livelihoods of a great many people — not just coaches and players, but support staff, media, local merchants, entire communities. It provides entertainment (even identity) for millions of people. It is legitimately important. (Just not all that important.)

As a fan, I, too, was taken aback last week when Big Ten officials summarily suspended Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh for the final three games of the regular season as punishment for the ongoing alleged sign stealing scandal. Was it poorly handled? Sure. Was it unfair? Seemingly. Was it the worst injustice ever in the history of injustices? No. But the overwrought reactions of coach Harbaugh, Michigan’s Board of Regents, and the legions of Wolverine fans would have you think it was.

Do you think that I was being particularly cynical in today’s cartoon? Perhaps.

But in the short time between drawing the cartoon and typing this, the Michigan Legislature decided to adjourn for the year. Because the Michigan House will soon have an even number of Democrats and Republicans, the current Democrat majority decided to call it quits for 2023. In the new year, the two representatives who are leaving to become mayors of Westland and Warren will likely be replaced with Democrats and they’ll be back in the majority, so they figure they might as well wait till then. So the ink is barely dry and already my cynicism is justified.

Michigan Republicans are, of course, outraged. Outraged that after decades of their majority rule shenanigans, they now have to suffer such indignities. Who could have possibly foreseen this?

The takeaway: We all suffer when so-called leaders prioritize party over people.