We forgot it was a holiday today. We should have stayed in bed.

This particular national holiday is one many of us tend to forget. Some would prefer to forget a few of the Presidents we honor along with it.

Miles looked around at the Boomers gathered at the table. Splash, Rocket, Melissa and Vic were on their third cup of coffee. Keith, tipped off by his adjunct students that nothing official would happen before nine or ten, had wisely lingered in repose. He was lucky.

Marco Rubio was an unlikely subject for the morning meeting, but his name came up after his speech in Munich. That was another thing we had not paid much attention to, but the latest session of the International Security Conference drew a notable crowd.

Governor Newsom made the trip from Sacramento to argue that the United States is being poorly managed by the current occupant of the circular office in the West Wing. Given California’s own struggles, his national ambitions for 2028 did not go unnoticed around the table.

The Zoomers, as usual, had their own angle. Some have developed an open affection for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — “AOC.” We felt a little sympathy for her early remarks in Munich. The opening was uneven, perhaps a touch tentative before an audience of seasoned European officials. But she settled in, found her footing, and finished with enough authority to spark speculation that she might be eyeing the same future office as Gavin.

That possibility startled the Boomers, who let their coffee grow cold while watching the current Secretary of State — the man the President once called “Little Marco.”

Only now are we beginning to consider the messaging that will carry us through the mid-terms, which in turn will shape the next presidential field.

If the Blue party performs well, it may strengthen AOC’s wing.
If Red performs well, it may elevate someone with a steadier, right-of-center bearing.

Marco impressed the old hands who had not previously thought much about him. In one press exchange, he listened to a Spanish-language question and translated it fluidly on the fly before responding — polished, unperturbed. With the new emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, that skill may matter more than it once did. He is showing similar composure as Secretary of State, and some around the table believe he is positioning himself carefully for whatever follows the mid-terms.

The whole political landscape feels a little like January’s snowstorm. Yesterday’s rain shrank the frozen piles dramatically. The big mound is still white at the core, but the intersection where it was plowed out has already turned gray and black. The melt will not be complete for another week or two.

So we will take this holiday with a measure of resignation — but at least the sidewalks have reappeared.

Miles suggested we actually use them and walk to Bob & Edith’s for one of their old-fashioned Big Breakfasts. There is time before lunch for eggs, coffee, and speculation about a presidential race that could produce our first Chief Executive of Spanish heritage. Male or female, you know?

It is going to be an interesting three years.
And a noisy one.

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com