This is how it’s pronounced, and while I can’t be sure, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mike Pence was one of the first people who came to mind when learning its meaning. Yep. Your worst nightmare of a school vice-principal, a man who combines a demagogue’s cadence, the smug arrogance and authoritarianism of right-wing religious hypocrisy…and Bob Knight’s hair style…into a single face-in-need-of-a-fist. A man who makes Orrin Hatch almost seem reasonable…almost.

I dunno, obviously I’m not “objective” — I hope Trump and Pence lose the election…badly…but something about the media’s bestowing the crown of victor on this guy after Tuesday’s performance just didn’t pass the smell test. First, Pence lied.  Repeatedly. There was the cloddish “Mexican Thing.” The press even noticed that Pence regularly left the top of the ticket twisting in the wind…I think they called that “going rogue” in 2008.

Sure, Tim Kaine didn’t send punditry into swooning about starbursts and other embarrassing  nonsense (speaking of 2008) but neither did he “lose” as badly as was suggested in the immediate reactions. He did what he needed to do…and, apologies for repeating — again — but this election isn’t about persuading what has to be a microscopic pool of undecideds, whoever they might be. It’s about getting your voters to the polls (ok, and maybe about convincing a few Johnson and Stein voters in swing states that they DON’T want a repeat of 2000).

It’s about making sure the guy in the picture above isn’t sworn in as Vice-President, but instead, takes at least a figurative punch in the face next month. He’s in need of it.