(with apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer)
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for Republicans that day.
They’d promised for six years that they’d repeal the ACA.
But when the caucus gathered, and they looked from man to man
They knew that not a one of them had ever had a plan.
“I’d counted on a veto,” said a rep from Tennessee.
“The blame Obama always took would fall on Hillary.
Then Pennsylvania went for Trump, and Michigan the same.
And now we run the government, we can’t just play a game.”
A colleague from Wyoming was equally concerned.
Shaking his head sadly, he stated what he’d learned.
“My hopes from the beginning always had one little flaw.
I’d pictured making speeches, never thought I’d write a law.”
Neither had the others, though they often said they would.
They knew what programs shouldn’t do, but not the things they should.
Then said a man from Texas, “We’ll never have success.
We got so used to saying No, we’ll never get to Yes.”
“I know,” said Ryan hopefully, “that’s sometimes how it feels.
But Donnie wrote the book about the art of making deals.
I know agreement’s hard to find, and deadlines closely loom.
But we can still succeed if we get Donnie in the room.”
Oh Donnie! Clever Donnie! How everyone agreed.
The plan that he campaigned on was just the one they’d need.
It ended it all the mandates! It set the markets free!
And still it covered everyone, from sea to shining sea!
“It offers better treatment,” noted one committee chair.
“And cheaper,” said another, “I know cause I was there.
You should have heard the cheering. I thought the roof would fall.
And Mexico will pay for it! No, wait, that was the wall.”
But just how would he do it? That wasn’t in their notes.
It wasn’t in the speeches that he made while seeking votes.
It wasn’t on his website, and they recognized with gloom.
They’d never reproduce it without Donnie in the room.
So Ryan checked the White House, but Donnie was away.
He wasn’t in Trump Tower, and he hadn’t been all day.
Ivanka took his message, “Call me when you can.
We can’t repeal ObamaCare without your TrumpCare plan.”
When the President returned his call, he sounded tired and mean,
As he contemplated bogey from the bunker on fifteen.
“Write whatever bill you want. I really couldn’t tell.
Content doesn’t matter, Paul. It’s all in how you sell.”
“But what about the plan you had, the one in the campaign?”
“I only planned to have a plan, that’s no cause to complain.
Grasp this opportunity, and you’ll know what to do.
I sold all the voters, now you get to come through!”
So Ryan then picked up his pen, and wrote a plan so good
It didn’t do a single thing that Donnie said it would.
And as the caucus read it, they all wanted to vote No,
Both from the left, and from the right, and from the CBO.
The Speaker counted noses, and he always came up short.
And for the ones who criticized, he had no good retort.
But Ryan still was smiling as he sorted hateful mail.
For Donnie, clever Donnie, would soon complete the sale.
Trump was back in Washington with all his awesome charm.
He flattered and he compromised and twisted by the arm.
“Those whip counts are fake news,” he said, “we’ve got the votes and more.
Everyone will back me when we take it to the floor.”
Oh, somewhere in a favored land, the people get their way,
And illness leads to treatment, even if you cannot pay.
And somewhere leaders pass the law that makes their promise real.
But there’s mourning in the caucus, Donnie could not close the deal.
Afterward: Why Casey? In my generation of Americans (I’m 60) it was hard to get through school without at some point running into the poem “Casey at the Bat” written in 1888 by Ernest Lawrence Thayer. Casey, then, is iconic American figure. Carried away by his own myth and the adulation of his fans, he sets up a dramatic situation in which he can’t deliver the appropriate conclusion. (Rather than hit the game-winning home run that the poem seems to be leading up to, he strikes out.) The parallel to Trump the Great Negotiator seemed obvious to me, which is why I used the cadence and a few phrases from “Casey at the Bat” in this poem.
Comments
Pure poetry!
Hilarious, Bro. Doug! – and you wrote that, yourself? I guess the scansion is not unique, as I didn’t realise it was a knock-off of ‘Casey at the Bat’ until I got to the last line.
It’s definitely not unique. The rhythm got into my head because of a completely different poem I’m reading in church Sunday.
Thank you for taking time out of your preparations to pen this gem. I hope you don’t mind if I share it, via a link.
What an inspiration – a poem in church morphing into a poem on potus….That’s a creative stretch!
That’s Unitarians for you!
I too had to memorize Casey’s sad tale. Your iteration is entertainment of a different sort, and the smile produced is a broad one. Thank you!
The scansion is not unique — it’s written in “common (or ballad) meter”, standard for narrative poetry in English.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_metre
Kathy Brackett Fabulous! A new talent emerges! I never knew you were a poet! >
I’ll have to do one of my song parodies for you sometime.
I would love to see one of your song parodies! This “Casey” takeoff was brilliant!
Right on the nose–and well done!
Well, the GOP took a cue from Mrs Trump and plagiarized Obamacare to create their Trumpcare, but it didn’t pass muster with the rabid Freedom Caucus. Like my native Detroit single mother would say, “You go, girls! On to that tax reform you promised too!” Lol
Reforming the tax code — what could possibly be hard about that? I’m sure they’ll have it figured out in no time.
Well… it might be one thing “Donnie” is informed about. He never bothered to follow what the House Republicans were doing with the AHCA. He has no experience as a lawmaker. Zip. But he knows how to avoid paying taxes, I’m sure.
Perfect!
On Sat, Mar 25, 2017 at 5:26 AM, The Weekly Sift wrote:
> weeklysift posted: “(with apologies to Ernest Lawrence Thayer) The outlook > wasn’t brilliant for Republicans that day. They’d promised for six years > that they’d repeal the ACA. But when the caucus gathered, and they looked > from man to man They knew that not a one of them ” >
Thanks for the smile. What a happy day when people get to keep their health coverage (including those frivolous mammograms) AND stick it to Donnie and Ryan athe the same time. Seems some are realizing there is more to governing than obstruction.
I needed that! Thanks for the giggles! Brilliant. Some light to shine during these rather dark, gloomy days.
Clever! Thanks!
Reblogged this on Blue in Red Virginia and commented:
I wish I was half this clever, I love this effort and you should follow “The Weekly Sift”. Please enjoy!
What fun!
doris >
WOW.
That’s almost painfully brilliant. Snarky, but brilliant.
I lost it at “No, wait, that was the wall.” Brilliant!
BRILLIANT. Doug, I appreciate your work, beyond what I can adequately express. Thank you for helping me to sort out what I’m thinking and feeling.
You can probably begin penning an ode to lil’ Trumpie’s tax reform plan crash and burn including “Flat Tax” in the title and lyrics.
And there is definitely no joy in Mudville! Bravo!!
That is just hilarious. Thank you to the wonderful author.
Nice job, Doug, I liked it.
Yes, brilliant, in so many different ways.
Truly wonderful!
I reblogged too. A great piece of writing.
Brilliant!
This is awesome … the cadence is near perfect and the events it describes are less than 3 days old!
I expect to see it all over the web. I’ve done what I could to start the process.
THANK YOU
Standing ovation…
Superb!
Excellent analysis encased in a brilliant poetic parody !
Keep the one hoss shay on the back burner for when his tax reform fails;
I think you’ll see that this silly clown
Has a great affection for trickle-down
As his tiny fingers grab all the cash
It will all come down in a wondrous crash…
Logic is logic. That’s all I say.
Bravo!
You may have missed your calling…A+…
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