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Santa Graves, Target stores and Mayor Lucas

Guy Speckman by Guy Speckman
December 18, 2024
in Ponder the Thought
Donald Trump
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I emailed Sam Graves’ office last week as part of my Christmas wish list. Normally, I’d let Santa Claus handle my gift requests but this year I’m asking for Presidential Inauguration tickets, and the Constitution does not provide those to residents of the North Pole. Instead, you have to get them from your congressman.

An aide, which I assume is the congressional office equivalent of an elf, has informed me that I am “on the list” and they will communicate with me if my position on the list is given tickets. Seemed vague, not a naughty and nice type thing, but here I wait.

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I’m not sure if Sam will deliver them down my chimney, but if so, that would be kind of cool. I’ll leave a beer out for him. He is a pilot, so I suppose it is within the realm of possibility. Anyway, I’ll be tracking Sam’s aviation tail number on Christmas Eve, while the rest of you are watching Santa trackers. Wish me luck.


Yes, the answer is a resounding yes that I would tolerate the crowds of Washington D.C. to see this inauguration. As I’ve said for years, I’m not a full blown “Trumper,” but this election and the defeat of the gaslighting Democrats of the last four years has given me more joy than I should have, and I’d like to soak it all up just a bit more.


Speaking of change, Target stores sure have done an about face as their sales and stock stumbled. Their advertising campaign has gone from woke, diversity driven type campaigns to promoting a manly man version of Kris Kringle as their spokesman that looks like a mildly aged Brawny, the paper towel guy, including plaid shirt and beard. Life comes at you fast, try to keep up.


Another change that is interesting is that Missouri Independent, an investigative journalism outlet, has begun throwing a few “information grenades” at Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas. Two stories have emerged in the last couple of weeks about the mayor’s (and his top aide) travel expenses and about his political action committee paying for a survey about the Royals’ stadium location.

Both stories just scream “is there fire where there is smoke?” The mayor and his team are claiming all of this is a “nothing burger,” but experience tells me that there may be more to these stories based on the way they are systematically releasing them. It seems as though someone in his circle has left the circle and carried out some dirt in the process.

Could be an interesting 2025 in Kansas City and surrounds.


I think this column is supposed to be my Christmas column. Foley never dictates content to me, so I just wing it most days. He’ll probably dock my bonus for being so negative on Christmas, but I’m a free spirit that way. I like Christmas and stuff, but it sill bothers me that this is not really Baby Jesus’ birthday, and it gets me all confused on how to deal with this charade that we act like it is.

Religion and facts have collided in my head, and I’ve never been able to sort it out. Anyway, Merry Christmas and such.

(Guy Speckman can be reached waiting for Congressman Graves to deliver his Christmas joy)

Tags: electionsGuy Speckman
Guy Speckman

Guy Speckman

Guy Speckman is a Landmark contributing columnist with his Ponder the Thought column. Speckman is the former owner of the Savannah Reporter, where the column appeared for nearly two decades. Speckman is a former city government manager, serving as city administrator in Maysville, Plattsburg and Savannah before entering business. He is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University (1989). He is originally from Plattsburg, Missouri. He and his wife own and operate a real estate valuation firm and a daily legal newspaper and are the parents of two grown children.

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