Abq Jew ® Blog: A Walk in the Park

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

A Walk in the Park

Can We Be Like Russia? “Bedlam,” “scandal,” and “hilarity” were among the epithets used to describe what is now considered (see Sunday in the Park) Georges Seurat’s greatest work, and one of the most remarkable paintings of the nineteenth century, when it was first exhibited in Paris.

Abq Jew is proud to announce that he has just learned that art lovers have recreated Georges Seurat’s famous painting. Actually, Abq Jew is just thrilled to announce that he is capable, at his advanced age, of learning anything.

But unlike Abq Jew, who digresses, The Mind Circle informs.

Art Lovers Recreate Georges Seurat’s Famous Painting

Georges Seurat’s 1884 painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte has remained a favorite of art lovers since its creation. This masterpiece of pointillism shows a group of Parisians enjoying an afternoon on the River Seine—an excellent way to celebrate a riverfront!

The idea all started with local photographer Mark Preuschl, who scouted the area in order to find the perfect setting for this modern version of Seurat. By involving Civic Theater Director Loren Sass, they were able to devise a system where numbered disks would be laid out on the grass.

“The wind was still there, playing havoc with the two boats and umbrellas—inverting numerous umbrellas—while crashing the canoe and sailboat into rocky rip-rap along the shore,” Preuschl told.

“If you look at the top of the tree in the center-top of the photograph, you can see how the wind severely bends its branches. We staged about three combinations of people places and re-shot, but the photo I chose to share (and we later chose to use for promotion) was just the fifth frame I shot.”

As we here in the US of A progress further and further into the Primary Season, Abq Jew has been wondering - as he is sure you, too, have been wondering -

What about the 22nd Amendment?

The operative part of which states:

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

Now that seems clear enough. But Abq Jew can tell you - there are loopholes in that statement big enough to drive a Mack truck through.

In fact, there are loopholes in that statement as big as All the Russias. As we used to say. Which brings up a delightful portmanteau political neologism:

President-elect Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin in March 2008

Remember them?

The Putin-Medvedev tandemocracy is the joint leadership of Russia between 2008 and 2012 when Vladimir Putin, who was constitutionally barred from serving a third consecutive term as President of Russia, assumed the role of Prime Minister under President Dmitry Medvedev.

While the office of Prime Minister is nominally the subservient position, opinion differs as to what extent Putin was the de facto leader during this period, with most opinion being either that Putin remained paramount or that he and Medvedev had similar levels of power.

Putin was re-elected President in the 2012 election and Medvedev became his Prime Minister.

Just to be clear: Here in the US of A, the prohibition is against any presidential third term - consecutive or not.

But Abq Jew is sure
we can work something out.

As Abq Jew progresses further and further into this fantasy, he has been wondering - as Abq Jew is sure you, too, have been wondering -

What about the 12th Amendment?

The Twelfth Amendment explicitly states the constitutional requirements as provided for the President also apply to being Vice President.

It is unclear whether a two-term president could later serve as Vice President.

Some argue that the Twenty-second Amendment and Twelfth Amendment both bar any two-term president from later serving as Vice President as well as from succeeding to the presidency from any point in the United States presidential line of succession.

Others contend that the Twelfth Amendment concerns qualification for service, while the Twenty-second Amendment concerns qualifications for election, and thus a former two-term president is still eligible to serve as Vice President.

The applicability of this distinction has not been tested, as no former president has ever sought the vice presidency, and thus the courts have never been required to make a judgment regarding the matter.

Hillary Clinton said during her 2016 candidacy that she considered naming Bill Clinton as her Vice President, but was advised it would be unconstitutional.

Still, the idea may give us -

Even though we know that
President Obama is more interested in

The Supreme Court

In the meantime ... Abq Jew is sure (how sure? very sure!) that you, his loyal readers, will be pleased as punch to learn that

Corona Beer Sales Did Not Drop Sharply
Due to Fear About the Coronavirus

False. A trope that suggests people are so dumb they think

the beer and virus are related played out in some news reports.

In the meantime ... Abq Jew would like to bring to your awarity the fact that The Washington Post's Alexandra Petri has endorsed Joe Biden!

And also the fact that Vox's Matthew Yglesias knows that Elizabeth Warren is ... out there, somewhere. Even (especially) if you find her current situation ... puzzling.