Bob’s Hailstone Chronicles (7-10-25 Edition)
Curveballs and Cover-Ups
Curveballs and Cover-Ups
Wiffle Justice in the Summer of Spin
By Jim Reynolds
www.reynolds.com
Grook: The Seam of the Lie
They said it plain, and said it loud,
Then spun it round to please the crowd.
But under light and honest breeze,
A curveball breaks. It never flees.
Author’s Note:
For the curious reader: the no-hole Wiffle ball was real. Before the familiar half-moon perforations took over, the original 1950s design was a smooth, hollow sphere—light as air, with faint embossed seams. With the right spin, it curved mid-air—slicing left or diving down like it had been cursed by a street magician. It was short-lived, eventually replaced by the “easier” version with holes. But for a brief window, American kids held in their hands the greatest aerodynamic toy ever made. This edition spins in its honor.
Bob:
“That smooth, no-hole ball? That was truth in plastic. You didn’t need batteries or Bluetooth—you needed grip, guts, and a brother dumb enough to stand in the batter’s box. When they added holes, they didn’t just change the game—they made it polite. And polite doesn’t break two feet on a backyard curve.”
Jim:
“When I threw the wiffle ball curve at Jerry, it started about three feet behind him. By the time it got to the plate (garage door) it was a foot outside and a couple feet lower. Sometimes he could actually get good plastic on the ball. Now THAT was spin.”
Note: All stories referenced here come from the RealClearPolitics homepage. For full articles and original context, visit www.realclearpolitics.com.
Introduction: Wiffleball Season in Swampland
The old no-hole wiffle ball didn’t lie. You put spin on it, it danced. That’s how this news cycle feels. Ex-intel brass getting grilled. Newsom caught fabricating fire stats. Democrats losing altitude on their big budget pitch. ICE moving in, LA cashing out. And all of it swirling through a media jetstream that keeps veering left. Bob's not fooled. This ball’s got seams, and they’re starting to show. And just maybe, someone else at the plate is starting to read the spin.
1. Trump and the Peace Prize Pitch
Nicole Russell (USA Today) argues that Donald Trump’s foreign policy accomplishments—including the Abraham Accords, prisoner exchanges, and strategic diplomacy in volatile regions—should make him a legitimate contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. She contrasts the media’s dismissal of his efforts with the prize’s past winners, including Barack Obama.
Bob: "It’s a strange world where a peace deal gets less press than a school board squabble."
Jim: "Obama got one for breathing. Who cares?"
Leans: Merit-Based Recognition Right2. Comey, Brennan, and the Boomerang Files
Zeeshan Aleem (MSNBC) warns of politicized justice as the DOJ investigates John Brennan and James Comey. Gregg Jarrett (FOX) says it’s a long-overdue reckoning for the architects of Russiagate. The deeper question: is this accountability, or just reverse narrative warfare?
Bob: "If lying to Congress were a sport, these two would be in Cooperstown."
Jim: "It may become a new “experimental” Olympic competition in 2026."
Leans: Investigate-to-Cleanse Right3. Big Bill, Small Payoff
Lauren Egan (The Bulwark) says the GOP’s mega-budget lacks the voter resonance Republicans hoped for. The scope is large, the messaging muddled, and the result is political flatness. The party's strategy might impress insiders but isn't catching fire outside the Beltway.
Bob: "They threw the heater, but the crowd wants a curve."
Leans: Strategic Misfire Center4. Newsom's Wildfire Fiction Tour
White House officials blast Gavin Newsom for falsely inflating his wildfire recovery accomplishments during a South Carolina tour. His numbers don't line up with federal records or on-the-ground results. Critics see it as another photo-op presidency audition.
Bob: "When the smoke clears, turns out it wasn’t the fire that lied."
Jim: "Have you seen the Adam Carolla videos? There is no building happening in LA. Stop lying, Hair Gel."
Leans: Exposed Ambition Left5. The Steady Hand Behind the Curtain
Miranda Devine (NY Post) lifts the curtain on Susie Wiles, Trump’s low-profile strategist who has brought focus and discipline to his 2025 campaign. She’s widely credited with shielding him from chaos and steering wins in key primaries.
Bob: "She’s the pit crew chief in a demolition derby."
Leans: Functional MAGA Right6. ICE in LA: Scenes From the Front
Rian Dundon (American Prospect) delivers a photo essay from Los Angeles, showing ICE operations amid community tension. The imagery suggests enforcement intensity, while editorial framing highlights migrant fear and systemic critique.
Bob: "The lens doesn’t lie—but the captions might."
Jim: "Photos taken in LA are likely depressing. Just aim your camera in any direction and hit the button."
Leans: Narrative-Sensitive Left7. LA's Budget Singes Itself
Ana Kasparian (RCInvestigations) reports that cuts to police budgets created staffing gaps, requiring massive overtime payouts that have strained LA’s finances. The effort to please anti-policing activists backfired fiscally and operationally.
Bob: "You defunded the brakes and now blame the crash."
Jim: "Stupid is as stupid does."
Leans: Policy Boomerang Center-Right8. Middle Class, Meet the Tidal Wave
Charlie Kirk (RAV) explains how mass migration depresses wages, strains housing, and overloads schools—leaving the middle class squeezed and politically bitter. The impacts are real, and the backlash is rising.
Bob: "The ladder’s still there. It’s just buried under someone else’s luggage."
Leans: Border-Aware Populist Right9. Do Kids Still Read?
Constance Grady (Vox) argues that while test scores look grim, children today may be “reading” differently—via multimedia, digital fiction, and interactive storytelling. The concern is less about literacy and more about evolving habits.
Bob: "If decoding TikToks counts, we’re raising a generation of scholars."
Jim: "Depends on what the definition of 'reading' is."
Leans: Culture-Defensive Left10.Fries, Fries Everywhere
Salena Zito (DC Examiner) captures how McDonald’s—of all things—became a culture war flashpoint in the 2024 election. Dems and Republicans alike sought photo ops with fries, turning fast food into blue-collar authenticity theater.
Bob: "First they came for the burgers, and I said nothing."
Jim: "I remember 19-cent hamburgers in Downey."
Leans: Blue-Collar Signal Center11.The Crybaby Republic
John Halpin (Substack) suggests America needs a political detox from emotion-based policy. The growing appeal of stoicism and data-first thinking may mark a generational shift—or a brief mood swing.
Bob: "Everyone’s got emotions. Not everyone turns them into legislation."
Jim: "Without unbridled emotion and lack of a coherent thought process, there is no Democratic Party. It’s the wind beneath their wings."
Leans: Tough-Love Moderate12.Mamdani’s Migrant Theater
Daniel Idfresne (RCP) critiques Zohran Mamdani’s latest sanctuary push as reckless and indulgent. The NYC assemblyman wraps leniency in moral theatrics, risking real consequences while playing to a radical base.
Bob: "His job title says 'assemblyman,' but he thinks it says 'director.'"
Jim: "Heard enough about this loser for now."
Leans: Law-First Right
End Notes:
What links wildfire tours, budget sinkholes, and fast food electioneering? Spin. And not the good kind you learn with a no-hole wiffle ball in the front yard. That kind had truth in the seams. This spin? It’s the fog machine before the fall. Bob sees through it—and remembers when the curve was earned, not manufactured. And now, maybe, he’s not the only one keeping score. See you next inning.