Dana Mathewson

Regular readers will know that one of my favorite writers is PJMedia's Stephen Green, the self-styled "Vodkapundit." I've sometimes thought of calling myself "Bourbonpundit," but haven't done so in case he catches me and is inspired to sue me for too-close imitation.

Here, he posits that yesterday's Clown Show in the House reminded him of the game Calvinball, from the wonderful now-defunct comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes." How I miss that strip! I'll let him explain.

Calvin & Hobbes creator Bill Watterson gave his title characters the best-ever children's game to play: Calvinball. The rules of Calvinball are simple, in that there aren't any. Players can make up or abandon rules on the spot, with or without informing the other players. The only hard-and-fast Calvinball rule is that no rule may be used more than once.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D, Calif.) is apparently something of a Calvinball aficionado. Watch as he changes rules on the fly, and without bothering to tell anyone what those rules might be.

In the comic strip world, Calvinball is a sprightly game played with gusto by a young boy and his stuffed tiger. It's gentlemanly in its own strange way, played for innocent thrills and no score. Calvinball, as played by Schiff, is a political bloodsport meant to overturn the results of a free and fair election.

Or, being a bit more generous, maybe Calvinball is just Schiff's way of appeasing the Impeachment-at-Any-Price-Crazy-Chacha-Pants Wing of the Democratic party. I mean, if he doesn't expect to actually accomplish anything, then why not play by the only-rule-is-that-there-are-no-rules non-rules of Calvinball?

I know these unfair, unprecedented, and underhanded hearings are supposed to get our constitutional hackles all up, but when I see such an obvious pantomime of justice like Schiff's, the best I can manage is a knowing laugh.

For the record: I'm knowingly laughing at Schiff, not with him.

Green is going in a very interesting direction here, and I don't want to spoil it by quoting more. Rather, I will stop and point you to his article, which is here. https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/schiff-show-impeachment-going-forward-on-calvinball-rules/ See if you agree. He may well be onto something!

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