LIGHT OF THE WORLD: JAMES LEE BURKE **

Once again, we visit the lives of New Orleans Sheriff Dave Robicheuax (age 74) and his buddy, Clete Purcell.  This time the novel is set in the mountains of Montana.  It's Burke's 20th novel with these two buddies, different in that both have their daughters with them this time, Alastair, Dave's adopted daughter, and Gretchen Horowitz, who Clete discovers he fathered many years ago. This time they chase an escaped serial killer, Asa Surette along with the Younger family, Love the patriarch, the evil capitalist and his effete son, Caspian.

Both Dave and Clete, and their daughter's get mixed up in religious fanatics, red necks, ex LA police and the Younger family, out to drain every last ounce of oil out of Montana.  For some reason, Surrette has survived an accident killing everyone but him when he was being transferred from one prison to another in Kansas.  After his escape, he comes to Montana, looking for Robicheuax and hist daughter Alastair, to settle debts, like putting him in jail, and writing books about him.  The plot is far fetched, though the characters are interesting with the exception of Surrette, who is made out to be the coming again of a Charlie Manson, killing and brutalizing young women when ever he has the urge.  He's finally tracked down, shot dead by Clete, I think, and both Younger's are killed by the end though Dave and Clete and their daughters survive to live another day.  Surprise.

As I have said before, I am not going to read Burke for awhile and I now remember why I stopped reading him twenty odd years ago, the same stories told over again, just different players.  This one also had Burke's attempts to rationalize the place of evil in our world, especially animals like Surrette.  There are many twists and turns that I have not summarized, which is why the book is quite a long read.  I did not hate but was glad when I was done.

A Night Of Howling Winds (40-50 MPH), Three Inches of Snow

7:27

My Grandson Mitchell Snowboarding Yesterday in Revel Stoke, British Columbia

Up early, 6:30 because Cody wanted to go outside, or so I thought.  A nice snow fall over night, warmer then yesterday's below zero temperatures, 25º, and it should be a good day to be outside with Beth and Marisa.  It was not a pleasant night, with the heavy winds, fear of tree branches falling on the house or power lines, but every thing seems fine this morning.

Marisa, First Time On Cross Country Skis

Beth Skiing The Lake

Yesterday was very cold early, so all of us stayed inside till late morning, just hanging out, listening to music, playing on our iPads, having breakfast, lots of coffee, till we decided to get out and enjoy the brilliant sunny morning.  The fishing guys were out so we though we would brave the cold as well. Evie and Marisa went over to the old Cummins house, with snow shovels, to make path down their front yard, a great sledding hill except the snow was too deep to pick up much speed.  While they cleared a path and sledded, Beth and I went for a long cross country ski trek, down to the Power Boat Club at Tom's Point and back.  It was another great day to be on the sunny lake, sea blue skies, and we were surprised at how warm it was  because by the time we returned, we had worked up quite a sweat. And we were wiped out by our efforts, especially our arms, from pulling us through the snow.  And while we were enjoying life at the lake, Beth's husband Rami and son Mitchell were in Revel Stoke, British Columbia, enjoying the two feet of powder.

Enjoying the Afternoon, Painting and Drawing and iPading It

A Serious Artist

For lunch, we pulled out the cauliflower soup and chicken salad, for sandwiches, including slices of avocado, healthy fats according to Beth.  We had plans to hike/ski Dobbins Woods in the afternoon but we were so happy to be ensconced in our living room, warm, fire going, that we decided to put the hike off until today.  We put up a card table in front of the fireplace and Beth got our her paints, and both she and Marisa spent a good part of the afternoon painting, while Evie and I watched , read and started getting dinner ready.  About 4:30, I decided to get some air, took Cody out bushwhacking through the Woodlawn woods, in snow almost up to my knees.  He was much happier when we followed a beaten path.

Facing Timing The Boys in British Columbia

For dinner, we had smoked pork chops, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and salad, and we all devoured the food, hungry from our busy morning, lazy but enjoyable afternoon, the good life, with Beth and Marisa.

Dinner With The Girls

 I spent lots of time before Marisa arrived, looking for movies she might enjoy.  So last night we watched a fairly new movie, the first ever made in Saudi Arabia called Wadjda (2012).  It seemed perfect for Marisa because it was about a rebellious 10 year old girl, living in ultra conservative Saudi Arabia, where women are virtually prisoners of the strict, to us,  Muslim traditions, forced to wear veils, avoid any contact with men not of your family, the women mostly segregated from men except in the house.  Then, along comes Wadjda, wearing Converse high tops under her robe, listening to Western music, always in trouble at school for not conforming.  The central plot revolves around her friendship with a neighborhood boy, who like most boys, rides a bike to school.  Wadjda makes up her mind to get a bike of her own, despite the fact that girls in Saudi do not ride bikes...it might compromise their virginity.  We also get a close look of life in her home, where she lives with her Mom, the husband absent because the mother had not been able to give him a male child.  He eventually leaves the family to marry another women, leaving Wadjda and her Mom to fend for themselves, emphasizing the lack of freedom and vulnerability of women in Saudi society.  Anyways, Wadjda figures out a way to get a bike, to win the prize money in a Koran Recitation competition.  She wins the prize but when asked what she will do with the money, she answers, 'Buy a bike.' totally against the role for girls.  The Judge angrily takes the prize money from Wadjda and sends it to the Palestinian cause.  Distressed and defeated, she returns home, to find her mother, now abandoned by her husband.  The mother, however, wants happiness for her daughter and has bought her the bike.  The movie ends with Wadjda and the neighboring boy riding their bikes, happy to be on their own and seemingly free.

THE LIGHT YEARS (First of a Five Volume Chronicle): ELIZABETH JANE HOWARD ***

This is the first of five novels set just before and during WWII in Great Britain, a Downton Abbey or Upstairs/Downstairs kind of book, as we follow the lives of the Cazalet's, the grandparents, their three sons, their families, as well as the lives of those who help or serve on their estate.  The novel begins in 1937, just as Hitler is beginning to acquire various countries in Europe and Great Britain is reluctantly being tugged into another war not of their making.  It covers the summers of 1937 and 1938, as the families descend on the grandparents estate in Sussex.  We follow the lives and thoughts of the three brothers, Hugh, wounded and armless , a result of WWI, and his wife; Edward, the womanizer and Villy his innocent, naive and once again pregnant wife; the youngest son, Rupert, a frustrated artist, who has remarried after the death of his first wife; Rachel, the daughter whose role is to take care of her parents, though she has fallen in love with Sid, a woman, also single but also Jewish, raising the flag of intolerance found not only in Germany but also in Great Britain.

We also follow, quite realistically, the lives of their children, the eldest fifteen, the youngest about five, and their trials and tribulations as they reacquaint themselves with their cousins each summer, relationships and interests changing, as they grow older.  And of course, to a lesser degree we are let into the lives of those who serve, the cooks, gardeners, maids, and villagers, all whom make up the world of the Cazalets.  The major event is the impending war with Germany, inexorably moving forward, despite the hopes of the family, which suffered so from WW I.  This book ends with Prime Minister Chamberlains's seemingly successful pact with Hitler over Czechoslovakia, staying the declaration of war.  Unfortunately, England is drawn into the war in 1939, having pledged itself to Poland if Germany invades.  I assume this will be the setting for the next novel, MARKING TIME.

A Morning Of Blinding Sunshine, Clear Skies, And Twelve Below Temperatures

6:40

I got up around 6:30, light enough so I could see that it was a morning of clear skies, a hint of pink on the horizon, and cold.  I let our daughter's dog Cody out, and he took off briefly, chasing a rabbit I assume, but was back at the door within a minute, ready to return to the warm house.  I don't blame him.

We basically spent yesterday waiting for our daughter Beth to arrive, with Marisa, our granddaughter, who will spend the week with us.  Midmorning, I took another drive to Wegman's, to pick up more goodies for the week.  It seems like I have been shopping everyday this week...better get a Prius, get rid of my SUV if I am going to continue.  I figure between shopping and going to yoga for me, working out at the YMCA for Evie, we drive close to 20 miles a day which, with our Pilot, is about a gallon of gas or $3.55 a day, not bad really when you consider we used to drive out to the lake almost every weekend when we lived in Hudson, Ohio, a round trip of 300 miles.  You can see I am starting to think about having to get a new car since our Accord is 14 years old, our Pilot 10 years old. My dilemma: do I buy a two wheel drive car which gets great mileage, or a four wheel drive which doesn't.  I think I will put off the decision and wait another year.

A Snow Angel

Beth and Marisa arrived around 2:45, a little over seven hours from Darien, CT, with some snow covered roads, but not terrible.  Marisa jumped out of the car and ran and gave us both a hug...nothing like a granddaughter for affection. Both are  good and excited to be at the lake, even Cody the dog.  It was not long before Marisa and Evie were outside in the snow, sledding down a couple of hills, walking on the lake, making snow angels.  It was cold, however, so they didn't last too long and today looks like an even colder day.  Earlier in the afternoon, Evie had put together a dough for fresh pasta, so about 6:00, she and Marisa made some fresh fettuccine noodles, with Marisa doing most of the work, and she's becoming a pro.  I barbecued some chicken thighs outside and Evie cooked the noodles in chicken broth, our favorite way to cook the noodles.  Dinner was great, of course, and everyone was hungry.

Granny and Marisa Making Fresh Pasta

A Winter Dinner of Barbecued Chicken

I had ordered a DVD from Netflix which I thought Marisa would like called Pressure Cooker, about inner city kids who compete in a culinary contest that promises, if they win, scholarships to a school of their choice.  The documentary follows their lives, both at home and school, and we were affected the most by their sad home lives, the conditions they lived in, contrasted to the hopes that their culinary skills offered.  Marisa was not crazy about the movie but by the end, when the kids won scholarships, some worth sixty thousand dollars, it seemed better.  But we will remember the eight ball they have grown up under, for being both poor and black, not a combination for success in our world.

A Legacy Like No Other:

The Story Of The 1963-64 Ohio University Bobcats
50 Years Later, the 1963-64 NCAA Regional Semifinal Squad Reunited On Campus For A Special Recognition Weekend

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Feb. 13, 2014

By David Holman

In a weekend filled with hearty laughs and timeless stories, the 1964 Ohio University men's basketball team celebrated its 50^th Anniversary Reunion to commemorate its Mid-American Conference Championship and ensuing Elite Eight run in the NCAA Tournament.

Altogether, eight players from Jim Snyder's squad along with two managers and a trainer traveled to Athens for a salute to the MAC's first team to reach an NCAA Regional Final. Players present for the weekend-long event included then seniors Charlie Gill, Jerry Jackson, and Paul Storey, juniors Joe Barry, Tom Davis, and Mike Haley, and sophomores Ken Brown and Gary Lashley.

Additionally, managers Milt Plunkett and Roger Pratt were in attendance. Trainer Ken Wolfert also took part in the celebration, as did freshman squad member Russ Hamilton. The team also honored three deceased players from the team in spirit - Lloyd Buck, Don Hilt and Tom Weirich.

Varsity Ohio kicked off the reunion on Friday night with a reception at the Ohio University Inn. Members of the team and their wives were joined by current head coach Jim Christianin a festive gathering. Throwback 1963-64 Ohio game programs were on display, as well as every box score from the storied season. Players delightedly glanced through game box scores highlighted by regular season wins against programs such as Wisconsin, St. John's, and Louisville.

The relics from a season long since completed brought memories flooding back from one of the most memorable post-season campaigns in school history.

Remembering The Run

Going into the final game of the season, Ohio held a share of first place with archrival Miami. There was no MAC Tournament at the time, meaning whoever won the MAC in the regular season would get the conference's only NCAA tournament slot.

In a hard fought game at the Grover Center, the Bobcats concluded the 1964 season in stunning fashion with a crucial overtime victory over Toledo to finish the regular season 19-5, giving them sole possession of the MAC Championship and an automatic bid to the 1964 NCAA Tournament.

The Green and White earned themselves a first-round date with Peck Hickman's Louisville Cardinals in Evanston, Ill. Ohio had already went head-to-head with Louisville twice in the 1963-64 season. The Cards won the first match-up while the `Cats came out victorious in the latter. Led by Don Hilt's double-double (14 points, 15 rebounds) effort, the Bobcats persevered, 71-69, in an overtime thriller to earn themselves a Sweet 16 berth. Three other Bobcats joined Hilt in double figures; Haley finished with 17 points, Jackson with 15, and Storey with 13.

In the second round, Ohio faced-off against the fourth-rankedKentucky Wildcats at historic Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn.Adolph Rupp's club boasted a 21-5 record and was prepping itself for another Final Four run. Led by guard Jerry Jackson's 25 points and 11 rebounds, Ohio handed the Wildcats their worst defeat of the season, an 85-69 route, to advance to the Elite Eight. Storey, Haley and Hilt all joined Jackson in double figures, finishing with 19 points, 15 points, and 14 points, respectively.

"Louisville was a real hard fought game. We played them twice in the regular season. They won on their court, and we beat them on ours. Really either team could have won." Forward Mike Haley said. "But Kentucky? We knew it was over at half. We were faster and we were the better team."

"After the game against Kentucky, I remember Adolph Rupp coming into the locker room and telling us how well we played. That was really something I'll always remember." Jackson said.

Rupp also applauded the Bobcats in his press conference for their tenacious defensive attack.

"There is no defense designed that I am aware of to beat a fired-up team like Ohio. They did everything too well." Rupp said after the game.

Next up was the Mideast Regional Final. A physical 22-4 Michigan Wolverines crew coached by Dave Strack opposed the Green and White in a match-up, again, at Williams Arena on the campus of theUniversity of Minnesota. Despite Hilt's 18 points and Haley's 10-point, 11-rebound performance, the Wolverines, led by All-Americans Cazzie Russell and Bill Buntin, topped the Bobcats, 69-57, thus ending Ohio's magical season.

Although it was 48 years later, some of the players quipped it was refreshing to see Ohio's 2011-12 squad upset Michigan in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. A few players even called it "friendly revenge".

When comparing the 1964 run to the 2012 run, Charlie Gill remarked how different the tournament was 50 years ago.

"It was popular, but today it's just so much bigger. When we went to the Elite Eight, I had no idea that it would be celebrated as much as it has. None of us really recognized it as legendary, but as the years passed, it really turned into a storied achievement that means a lot to this community," Gill said.

Mike Haley also was surprised in the evolution of the 1964 team's legacy.

"If you would have told me 50 years ago that we'd be celebrated on campus for going to the Elite Eight, I wouldn't have believed you," Haley commented.

Back On Campus

At the end of Friday night's reception, members of the team viewed a special presentation produced by Ohio Athletics' multimedia team. The presentation included black and white video highlights from the 1963-64 season narrated by the "Voice of the Bobcats", Russ Eisenstein.

On Saturday morning, the team met at the Convocation Center for an exclusive tour of the Ohio basketball locker room. The team was excited to see a locker dedicated to deceased teammate, Lloyd Buck.

Following the tour, team members were able to sketch their names and numbers on Ohio's alumni basketball wall. The wall features dozens of former student-athletes, managers and trainers' signatures adorned on a panel cutout from the Convocation Center's original wood floor. After the tour, the team enjoyed a gathering in the Rohr Room prior to tip-off between Ohio and Toledo.

The highlight of the weekend occurred during the first half of the Ohio-Toledo game. Just like it did 50 years ago, the 1964 Ohio basketball team took the court front and center. 9,000-plus fans roared out of their seats to give one of the best basketball teams in Ohio history a standing ovation.

Nearly 90 minutes later, the former players got their icing on the cake when Ohio prevailed to an overtime victory over Toledo, reminiscent of the 1964 team's late season win over the Rockets to take the MAC.

Life After Ohio

Throughout the weekend, teammates relished shared memories and their love of basketball. Whether it be playing, coaching, or just avidly watching, each one of the players holds a special bond with the game as well as one with the teammates they stormed the court with.

Jerry Jackson was the team's lone NBA draft pick, a 1964 seventh round selection by the Detroit Pistons. Jackson played through the exhibition season, but was waived before the 1964-65 season. Following his brief NBA stint, Jackson joined the service and then became a teacher. He served as head basketball coach for Ohio University-Zanesville for 12 years. Prior to Jackson's arrival at Ohio, he played at Corning High School with guard Charlie Gill, his fellow teammate from the 1964 team.

One of the most remarkable plotlines from the 1964 team involves the sons of Charlie Gill and teammate, guard Joe Barry. After their playing careers, both Gill and Barry passed the Bobcat basketball fever to their sons, Chad Gill and J Barry. Chad Gill played for the Green and White from 1990-93. Uniquely enough, J Barry played for the Bobcats from 1991-93, thus making the sons, like their fathers, teammates on Ohio's men's basketball team.

Following his Ohio basketball career, Joe Barry became an assistant coach for the Miami Redhawks and eventually worked his way onto the desk as Miami's radio play-by-play announcer in 1995. Barry retired from broadcasting in 2011.

In addition to his son, Joe Barry has another noteworthy connection with one of his Bobcat teammates. Barry's father worked for the Norfolk and Western Railway, where he knew Mike Haley's father who also worked at the NW Railway.

Like his teammates, Haley stayed involved in basketball long after his days as a Bobcat. Haley became a teacher and a high school coach in Dayton, Ohio. He led Roth High School to three Ohio state titles (1976, 1981, 1982) and won a fourth title with Dunbar High School in 1987.

Perhaps the longest basketball playing career produced from the 1964 team was guard Tom Davis'. Following graduation, Davis became a teacher in Hawaii and later relocated to Turkey in 1970. Once he arrived in Turkey, he began playing for Besikitas, a professional basketball team stationed in Istanbul. In 1973 Davis set the Turkish record for most points (69) in a single game.

"I got to be pretty famous there because I was the only American who played on the same team for seven years," Davis said. "TV was just being introduced to the country and, with only one channel, they would put basketball games on the TV. So I could travel anywhere in Turkey and be recognized."

After his seven year career, Davis moved back to Ohio and began teaching at Western Reserve Academy in Hudson, Ohio.

Team captain Paul Storey joined the air force after his days at Ohio. When he was stationed on air force bases, one of Storey's favorite hobbies was playing recreational basketball with fellow comrades. Storey began working in Ford's sales department following completion of his service. He's lived in nearly every corner of the United States including Arizona, Texas and Alabama. Storey currently resides in Xenia, Ohio.

50 years removed from the 1964 season, it is clear that the Elite Eight run is only one accolade among a long list of superlatives for the members of the 1964 team. However, for each member of the team, the 1964 run will always hold a momentous place in their heart as it still stands today as one of the greatest achievements in Ohio Athletics history.

Ohio Bobcats 

Anxiously Awaiting The Visit of Marisa, Beth, And Cody (Pot O Gold Dairy)

With Marisa and Cody

6:55

It was 6:30 when I got up, a slice of pink off over to the East, an empty lake so far, and very cold once again, 3 below.  By Thursday, it's supposed to be in the 40's, typical Chautauqua fickleness. At the moment, the birds are attacking our feeder, rising upwards from the rhododendrons to the feeder, then dropping back down.  NPR had a brief discussion this morning about how birds keep warm in this weather.  Because they have a higher metabolism than humans, their average temperature is 105º.  First, their feathers provide remarkable insulation and they fluff them out to create air pockets for additional insulation.  They also often tuck their feathers, to shield their legs, which are covered with specialized scales which minimize heat loss. And they often gorge themselves in the fall, giving them an extra layer of fat which will keep them warm. Finally, shivering raises their metabolism rate and raises their body heat, all amazing adaptions to the winter environment.

The Best Milk For Miles

Yesterday was one of the busiest days I have seen around here, especially on the lake, most likely because of the good weather, lots of snow, and the Mayville Ice Festival.  The lake in front of our house, mostly out towards the middle was overrun with fishing shacks, guys on buckets, with the occasional group of snow mobiles, heading either up the lake to Mayville, down the lake to Bemus Point, a carnival like atmosphere.  I did get to yoga early, at 9:00, with Chris, a good class, about six of us. After class, I drove to Sugar Grove, just across the New York line, to get cheaper gas but mostly to pick up a couple of gallons of Pot O Gold milk, especially the chocolate milk, since our granddaughter Marisa is arriving today.  I also like the small grocery, Town and Country, with its butcher shop, so I picked up six brats and four smoked pork chops that looked good.  I was home by noon, in time to take our trash to the Transfer Station, then drive to the Smith Library to pick up a book, The Days of Anna Madrigal,  the last volume of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, a series I read in one fell swoop twenty five years ago during a Christmas vacation in Florida. The novels are set among the gay community in San Francisco during the 1970's and it was also made into a popular series for TV, with Olympia Dukakis starring as Mrs. Madrigal, the landlord.  Finally, I went to the Lighthouse to pick up some pea meal bacon, our daughter Beth's favorite, thought I would drive into Mayville but was told traffic was terrible, as there a water main break near the Chautauqua Suites, creating a mess.

The Chautauqua Estate, Winter, 2014

We then spent the rest of the day inside, getting the house, bedrooms, and food ready for the arrival the Albarrans later today.  They should have good weather, finally, for driving across the Southern  Tier from CT, just cold.  About 4:00 yesterday afternoon, I decided to join the cross country skiers on the lake, a couple of groups were skiing over to Long Point, across the lake in front of our house.  I went out to the fishing shacks, talked with numerous fishing guys, all happy to just be sitting out on the lake, enjoying the afternoon.  Skiing back was much colder, as there was a fairly stiff westerly wind blowing in my face.  It was the second or third time I have seen other cross country skiers on the lake.

The Ice Fishing Life

I cooked hamburgers outside for dinner, easy to do, as long as there are no spiders to clog the propane lines.  We watched a surprisingly fun romantic comedy from 2001 called the Sidewalks of New York, which follows the love lives, mostly the entanglements, of six people, all somehow connected.  None are seemingly happy with their present relationships, all seem to move on, for better or worse, as the film philosophizes on the relationship between love and sex.  Edward Burns, who we have liked from the film The Brothers Mc Mullen (1995), wrote, directed, and starred in this film.  Stanley Tucci was probably the most famous actor, who plays a husband obsessed with other women.

A Bright White Saturday Morning

7:10

Evie Phoning It In

It's now 7:10 and I have been up for an hour.  At the moment, a couple of fishermen are pulling orange sleds out to the middle of the lake, where a blue tent is already set up, ready for the day.  It's moderate outside, at least in terms of the past three or four weeks, a toasty 19º, cloudy but a fluorescent glow to the lake this early.  No snow forecast for the day, just cloudy and highs in the teens, a good day for the ice festival in Mayville.

Cardinal

Cardinal Hanging In The Rhododendrons

Yesterday I was up early, so I went to yoga at 8:15, an ungodly hour I think, but people who work obviously like it, to begin their day with yoga.  Four of us, same as last week, but a good class. I arrived home around 10:30, and Evie was already starting on her second soup.  The first, one of our favorites, from Madhur Jaffrey, an Indian flavored cauliflower soup, the second, an Italian sausage and tomato soup, from our daughter in law Mary's mom, Rose Accurso.  We are getting ready for the arrival of our daughter Beth and her daughter Marisa, who will spend the week with us.  Because of the weather, they have put off their journey west, to the lake, until Sunday, a good idea but Marisa is not happy about it, wanting to get here as soon as possible.  The guys are flying off to Fernie, in Calgary to ski, the girls chose to enjoy the lake with us.  We are happy!

Black Capped Chickadee

Keeping Warm

Around 1:30, I drove into Jamestown, to pick up my new ski boots and skis, with the newer bindings.   I then went to Sam's, to pick up more food for our week, so we are ready for the Albarrans.  When I got home, we both wanted to get out on the lake, to try our new skis, enjoy some outdoor activity. Once we got out on the lake, it was better than usual.  However, Evie got a phone call, so she stopped to talk for a few minutes.  Then she had to adjust a slipping sock in her boot and could not get her ski back on, as the water on the track had frozen.  After cleaning off the ice, a couple of times, she was able to start up again but we had lost our mojo by then, so we just headed in, ready to relax.  Evie was already whipped from cooking much of the morning, so the idea of just relaxing, in our living room, with a glass of wine, seemed luxurious.  I had bought a rotisserie chicken at Sam's so Evie did not have to worry about dinner, so we could just enjoy dusk, then the snowmobiles lights, racing towards us in the darkness.

We ate around 7:30. a salad, chicken, and quinoa, with yogurt a la Turk, and watched a highly recommended documentary called Mitt.  It follows Mitt Romney and him family, from 2008 when he first became a candidate for President, up to November, 2012, when he lost to Obama.  He comes off as decent guy, smart if a little square, but a good man, in a political world where being a good guy is not an asset.  We see him mostly with his family, as they are close knit, his sons being his primary advisers and he seems to always be surrounded by sons, daughters in law, and grandchildren. One gets the impression that Mitt was unable to shake the image of a flip flopper that was created back in 2008 by John Mc Cain in the primaries.  And of course his 47% comment sealed his demise.  And he never could connect with the masses, lacking the charisma, the touch that show people you care.  But care he did, obvious from watching him with his family, his life informed by his religion, but it mattered not...the American people did not buy it.  In? some ways I wish he would have won; at least the Democrats  would not have demonized him like Obama (at least I don't think they would), refusing to work with him, labeling him with lies, that he's a Socialist, a Muslim, even Satan, so disgusting.  If Mitt had been elected, something might have gotten done.