Law And More

Crazy - The Edge, Dating Back to Puritan Times

Johns Hopkins professor Kay Jamison documented the correlation between creativity and mental illness. That was in her breakthrough book "An Unquiet Mind," which remains a brisk seller. Although published way back in 1996, it still ranks 1,969 on Amazon. Here it can be ordered.

Incidentally, Jamison herself struggles with a bipolar disorder and had attempted suicide. In 2002, she won the MacArthur Genius Award ($500,000 was the monetary part).

Yet, those with various sorts of mental illness can't shake the stigma. Actually, that bias against mood disorders and intermittent faulty perception often eats deeply into their own self-esteem. They drag around that diagnosis like stink on their shoe. 

Help could be on the way. Really.

As the New York Post records, the Van Gogh Museum is in the loop of certifying two things. One is that Vincent Van Gogh's self portrait is not a fake. And, two it was created by him in a psychotic state. The authenticity had been debated because the color patterns were muted, not the usual vivid hues. Some contend that reflected the artist's pulling back from being so out-there. He recognized his psychic shift at the time.

On February 21st, the Van Gogh Museum opens an exhibit with that painting in it. If the public relations is sophisticated it will hammer that the artist was producing from what could be thought as another dimension. 

Given the rigidity of capitalism, dimensions other than the maximizing of profits aren't welcome. A current commercial about insurance makes fun about that. It's labeled "being your parents." The art-student waitress is asked how she intends to earn a living after she graduates. 

Experience in professional life, though, indicates that being in other dimensions, full-time or just now-and-then, doesn't exclude being self-supporting or a big success. 

Actually, success driven by mental illness might not be reserved for the creative arts. In 2011, psychologist John D. Gartner published an amazing book. It is "The Hypomanic Edge: The Link Between (a Little) Craziness and (a Lot of) Success in America." Here it can be ordered.

Gartner starts off with that misfit group from the Old Country - the Puritans. Certainly they were operating in another dimension. But once freed from the establishment rules in the UK, they went about putting together an economy which had been for centuries the most powerful in the world. 

Ever since the Puritans, it's likely that many of the brandname entrepreneurs in America would be classified by those in the "helping professions" as, well, crazy. And, yes, like the Puritans they created a new kind of economy.

The authentic reason for concern about mental illness is that it can open the doors to suicide. A theory of suicide is that the distressed keep traveling through a series of unthinkable scenarios. "What if I simply stopped trying" could then open the next door which could be the psychotic "Suicide would help me feel better." The final door is the decision to go for it.

It could be that former partner at law firm Sidley Austin Gabe MacConaill might have travelled that corridor.

He had confided to his wife Joanna Litt his perception of emotional deterioration. Simultaneously, he had a hunch that going for professional help would tarnish his professional branding. Lawyers I have spoken to about that agreed that MacConaill was right. The sharks would have smelled vulnerability, circled, and that could have been the end of a high-powered career.

If the stigma around mental illness can be blown up and those saddled with that disease able to forgive themselves for imperfection, the "career price" paid for being treated could be reduced. In time, it could disappear. 

After all, from "Genesis" on, civilization has recorded examples of aberrant thought processes. Eve had to be out of her mind to risk what she had for a dream of more autonomy. Even more crazy was for Adam to buy in. Of course, the history of ideas punished them harshly. That included inflicting on them a son who was a murderer. However, Eve got the worst of it. Crazy women are more unwelcome in society than crazy men.

An effective constraint for moving on to the next door is to contact the deep listeners at Samaritans. The hotline is confidential, free, and operates 24/7. The phone number is 212-673-3000.

Full Disclosure: I have taken on clinical depression since age 11. Despite the family suicide gene I am still here.  

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Kim Kardashian - Future JD, Legal Activist

She stuck with it. 

Back when the legal media announced, usually with a smirk, that reality star Kim Kardashian was committed to becoming a lawyer, there was that universal eye-roll. 

Most experienced Kim's career plan as simply another promotional stunt.

But, Kim has stuck with it. As the Daily Mail reports, she had completed the first year of her four-year apprenticeship in California studying law. Every week she invests 20 hours in that. She anticipates taking the bar exam in 2022. 

In addition, she also has stuck with her legal activism. Her successful campaign to get Alice Marie Johnson out of prison was not a standalone event.

Her mission is to end the mass incarceration in the U.S.

Here is The New York Radio Hour on Mass Incarceration.

On April 5th, on Oxygen, the two-hour The Justice Project documentary will air. In it she features four cases of alleged misjustice. 

Her celebrity could be the game-changer in reforming the U.S. criminal justice system.

Even those who are politically moderate might have come to view the mass incarceration as a job-making system for the middle class. The corrections industry tends to pay well and, even in this volatile economy, provide employment security. 

It's odd that Dick Wolf, in programming such as "Chicago P.D.," doesn't push back against drug laws which result in arrest and incarceration.

If the sale of drugs like heroin and cocaine were made legal, regulated, and taxed, Hank Voigt and his team might be able to focus on other kinds of criminality. It could be the big leap forward if Kim pitches that story line to Wolf. 

Those taxes can fund solutions for homelessness. 

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Authority in Play - Lessons for Lawyers from Megxit, Iran, France, and the American Revolution

With a very American perspective in The New York Times, columnist Maureen Dowd reflects on the "corgi-and-gin-loving racket." That is, the very wealthy reign of the House of Windsor. 

Essentially, ranging from Prince Andrew's alleged sexual misconduct to Megxit, this is yet one more institution in which trust is lost.

Actually those in the new land went to through that crisis of belief and support about two and a half centuries ago. What was to evolve into the headquarters for global capitalism, the colonists' mindset was about money. The British form of taxation was siphoning off too much of it. 

Windsor's moral authority on everything and anything has blown up.

It would be no surprise if in a future Edelman Trust Barometer there is an allusion to the collapse of belief in the need for the British monarchy.

There is a push-back on the leadership in Iran.

And, in France, Everyman and Everywoman are saying "nonono" to the government's big idea about upping the age of retirement. 

Obviously, Megxit is a microcosm of an extreme paradigm shift in values. That mirrors the intensity of rebellion of not only the American Revolution, but also the French and Russian ones. Of course, lawyers have to pay heed. Law is a man-made institution. The human intersects with all those rules.

The world is bearing witness to that in how Judge James Burke has decided to oversee the Harvey Weinstein trial. Sure, his interpretation of the rules could give ammo to the defense to appeal a conviction. However, currently, it's a kind of "woke" for how judges impose common sense in the convoluted entity that the legal system has become. In time, SCOTUS could decide on the side of simplification: It's that simple that Weinstein shouldn't have been using his cell phone in the courtroom.

With the Barbarians at the Gate, all those with any authority will have to revisit what they consider their "core competence." The question is: What are you best at, what value does that create, how to communicate that, and what is an appropriate reward for all that? 

That type of comprehensive review includes lawyers, both litigation and transactional.

Law.com keeps presenting evidence of the disruptions in the legal sector. Actually, what could be happening is one of those Big Bangs. Law firms, courts, trade associations such as the US Chamber of Commerce, and clients have the opportunity to be proactive on this one.

Communications specialists such as myself are already busy bees recommending:

The new language of authority. Bring on the "we." That's why diversity is so important. With all the current challenges, it's necessary to be inclusive of all points of views and backgrounds. No secret, the legal sector suffers a diversity-challenge. 

Toned-down tone. Authority must sound like it recognizes the unknowability of so much. A Zen mantra is: Clear Thinking, Don't Know.  On "Criminal Minds," there is often an overhaul of the profile. A great moment in broadcasting had been when superprofiler David Rossi had to wrestle with ambiguity.

Confidence in the ability to try on ideas and experiment with solutions. That's how law firm Motley Rice became a respected brand. It put out there and kept refining the traditional concept of public nuisance apllied to product liability. In the California lead paint class action litigation that had resulted in a seminal win. SCOTUS wouldn't review the conviction. 

Connecting. For centuries, the model for that has been how Jesus Christ reached myriad constituencies. Harvard, Stanford, and Yale law schools can launch seminars analyzing the persausive genius of the early Christians. Lawyers have to achieve, metaphorically, eye contact in new business development and all other constituencies to generate positive outcomes for those clients. 

Meanwhile, the 2020 campaign provides a platform for wrestling with the issue of what kinds of leadership are a fit for times of such change. Lawyers should have lots to say about that.

Takeaway: Underneath all the rules is the human need to trust. 

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Lawyers Over-40, Who Aren't David Boies or Alan Dershowitz - AI Can Be Career-Extender

The findings of several recent research studies scream one thing: Workers in America are finished at 40, reports MarketWatch.

Of course, there are exceptions to that.

One had been mega celebrities such as Tom Brady, number 12 in the Patriots. When he is a free agent he will have his choice of plum opportunities.

Another group who seem insulated from the brunt of age bias are brandname lawyers. They range from David Boies to Alan Dershowitz.

But a surprising result from the research of David Neumark at the University of California at Irvine brings hope to older job searchers. That research is published in the National Bureau of Economic Research, which you can read here. 

Neumark investigated the recruitment process at a restaurant chain. When interviews were conducted in-person those over-40 were 46% to 65% less likely to be hired.

However, when they were conducted through automated decision-making systems (yes, think artificial intelligence) the age bias didn't prove out to be a factor in hiring. 

There are two major implications from Neumark's findings.

One, as more recruitment is automated, age bias could actually become less.

Two, aging workers should opt to apply for jobs in which the screening is primarily done through automation. Sometimes automation kicks in end-to-end. That extends from submitting a resume to the actual interview, which is conducted online. Then, what comes in the email are the job offer and the date when the employment starts. 

Another insight from overall research is that more of the aging who need to make income are embracing opening their own businesses or becoming independent or on-call contractors.

As just-in-time hustlers, workers can learn about myriad kinds of new ways to bring in income. In addition, they might gain the knowledge and confidence to start their own businesses. For example, the dog walker for Wag might launch a comprehensive service for canines. That could include transporting them to the vet and groomer.

Or they can land a fresh career path.

One older displaced lawyer who did a gig as a contract security guard wound up managing all the loss prevention staff at the security firm which hired him for a temporary seasonal assignment. Another unemployed over-60 generalist lawyer did a contract job at a collection agency. She hated it, but eventually she was able to be hired for a three-fourths job at a bankruptcy practice. 

Here, free to click open, is my book on making a buck, at any age Download Outwitting ageism

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.

 For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

The Next - Laterals, JD Class of 2020, Career-Changers Have to Get Their Elevator Speeches Just Right

In her 70s, Maye Musk remains a super model. 

In addition, she has become a best-selling author.

About a week ago, her book "A Woman Makes A Plan" was published. Immediately, it caught fire. Currently, it has the amazingly high Amazon ranking of 1,509. 

A central meme of "A Woman Makes A Plan" is the fresh opportunity that comes from starting over. Musk grabbed it during distressful parts of the her life and leveraged it as a platform for personal and professional success.

That's Musk's story.

Your own experience with starting over might not have been so rosy. That could even have begun when you were a 1L in law school. Or, sooner, during the unhinging of being a freshman in college. 

One major problem might have been this: You brought the past with you. Not only internally, that is, in your head, heart, and soul. You also didn't recognize the need to create a new "elevator speech." From the get-go that puts limits of possibilities.

Essentially the elevator speech is a short "commercial" which captures who you are and how that "who" can benefit others - employers, co-workers, subordinates, clients/customers, friends, neighbors, community groups, and other kinds of constituencies. That benefit can be as simple as lifting their spirits and making them feel good about themselves. Or it can inform them how you can be useful in their careers. 

Ironically, the elevator speech is not about you. It's about them, via the genius of indirect communications. 

The elevator speech is all positive.

It requires an investment of your time.

And, you bet, you must put it together, fine-tune it, and practice it before you parachute into your Next. Remember you only have about 7 seconds to transmit the right message.

Advanced preparation prevents blowing it because once you're in-place you're overwhelmed. Such stress leads to blurting, disclosing negatives, and ignoring the nuances of human bonding. According to the researchers on mirror neurons, we humans influence each other, cell by cell. It's up to you to leverage that to your advantage. Otherwise you can become downright self-defeating in the new setting. 

Let's look at effective and counterproductive elevator speeches:

Effective: Isn't Cleveland special! (That level of enthusiasm puts you in the conversational driver's seat.) It's such a blessing to have a position with Jones Day. How the kids love their school.

Counterproductive: We're having an adjustment leaving Manhattan (That's an immediate put-down of Cleveland) But Jones Day made me an offer I couldn't refuse (You sound arrogant.)

Effective:  I'm here. Can't believe it. I was 6 years old when my family vacationed in Tucson. The rest of my life I made it my business to return. I want the kind of life you have. How blessed you are. 

Counterproductive: Los Angeles was such a rat race. Too much traffic. (That positions and packages you as a complainer.) I hope this works out better.  Does the heat get to you? (Listeners get annoyed that you didn't factor that in before making the decision to relocate.)

Effective. I want to hear all about you. (There is the Dale Carnegie fundamental of showing a sincere interest in people.) Can I treat you to a latte? (Free can't be resisted). Starbucks, I found, is on the corner. (You sound like you are making a real effect to make this home.)

Counterproductive: When I get settled let's get together. (No body cares about your state of being overwhelmed.) By then, I will probably heal from being unemployed from the crash in the legal market. (You brought the stink along with you.)

Sure, new starts can be brutal rites of passage. But that transition can be transformed into the adventure of taking on another identity. Graduates of elite colleges are willing to earn peanuts just for a shot at being hired for acting roles. Trying on another persona can be equally satisfying. Plus, the return on the investment could be extreme success, in life and work. 

Experts on building power relationships - be they dramatist William Shakespeare or sociologist Erving Goffman - hammer the importance of setting a face to meet all the faces out there. That entails putting together the right elevator speech. Then continually modifying it as time passes. 

After a year in Cleveland and at Jones Day, here is how that could play out:

Effective: Cleveland has been so good to us. But you know the needs more than we do. How can we make a difference? My two boys want to pitch in, too.

Ineffective: The long hours of work. I haven't even gotten to the museum yet. I shouldn't be annoyed but I am that my kids want me to coach their teams.

Takeaway: The most efficient route to success is through other people. It's your mission to talk your way in. 

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Peter Vogt - Swiss Prison Inmate Requests Assisted Suicide

Switzerland is known for its liberal mindset about the right to die.

As long as human beings are capable of discernment Switzerland is likely to honor their request for what is increasingly being called "euthanasia."

However, Peter Vogt's suicide request to the organization Exit Switzerland has raised myriad questions.

Because his crimes involved sexual assault and he is considered still dangerous, he is serving a life sentence in a Swiss prison. His health is not good. He is 69 years old. He finds being in prison for the rest of his life too much suffering.

It might surprise some that comments to the article about this, which you can read here, show no sympathy to Vogt. There is no struggle to understand his situation. The harshness is eye-popping.

Meanwhile, Exit Switzerland has turned to the Swiss Centre of Expertise in Prison and Probation for guidance. It recognizes that if it assists Vogt that opens to door to similar requests from other prisoners. Vogt had noted that another inmate is also interested in assisted suicide. 

Factored in is the aging of the prison population. That's happening in Switzerland as well as many other nations.

Given that aging tends to diminish hope, it's anticipated that Vogt's assisted suicide could become a contagious idea among older inmates. In her book "Night Falls Fast," Johns Hopkins professor Kay Jamison documents that mindset is not only catchy. It can be romantic. There is also the ethical concern that the cost savings to the prison system from not having to maintain inmates can result in subtle or even blatant pressure for them to opt out of life. Geriatric care is expensive. 

The media attention to this issue could turn Vogt into a celebrity. Ironically, that aura could give him reason to live. A book publisher can set him up with a ghostwriter to publish his memoir before his suicide is scheduled. That could wind up delaying it. Eventually Vogt could inform Exit Switzerland to forget the whole thing. 

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Work/Life Balance - What Law Firms Can Learn from Microsoft Japan (and maybe Finland)

Work/Life balance is good for business. 

That's what Daily Mail reports. After Microsoft Japan established the three-day weekend, productivity shot up 39.9%. 

That model of working less instead of working more is catching on. Recently, the new prime minister of Finland - Millennial mother Sanna Marin - established the four-day week, with each day consisting of six hours of week. Her mission is to allow workers to have more time with their families. She has one child.

This represents a counter movement to the prevailing Dickensian ethos dominating work around the world. Stanford Graduate Business School professor Jeffrey Pfeffer's book "Dying for a Paycheck" documents how long hours are literally killing off employees globally. 

But, will law firms pay attention to this pull back from the never-off-duty employee? Wistfully, some wonder if Gabe MacConaill would be alive today had his law firm Sidley Austin instituted mandatory work/life balance policies. At age 42, that law partner, a specialist in bankruptcy, took his own life. Here is coverage of that tragedy.

There is also a takeaway for solo lawyers and law students: Work less and, in the long term, you might be more successful.

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Before Harland Sanders Became The Colonel He Had Practiced Law (quite successfully)

There was a time - and it wasn't that long ago - when it was easier and less expensive to "try on" careers.

And that was exactly what Harland Sanders, born in 1890, did. Later, when one career path worked out amazingly well, Kentucky governor Flem Sampson gave him the title "Colonel." 

Among Sanders' experiments was practicing law.

As we learn from Adam Chandler's new book "Drive-Thru Dreams," Sanders learned law from a correspondence course. An advocate for justice, he succeeded in getting favorable settlements for blacks injured in train accidents. He also made it his mission to reduce the court practice of pushing defendants to accept any settlement. 

Practicing law ended when he wound up beating up a client in the courtroom. The reason: The clients hadn't ponied up payment. Sanders had a temper. Lawyers who understand their worth can have empathy for Sanders' frustration.

Then Sanders went on to careers in these industries: ferryboats, insurance, trade association leadership, tires, and gas stations. It was in the latter that he returned to his boyhood skill of cooking. After his father had died when he was six years old, his mother went out to work as the breadwinner. Harland had to take over running the household. At top of the list of duties had been meal preparation. 

Essentially Sanders grew up in an era dominated by Car Everything. Last summer, the Toledo Museum of Art conducted the exhibition "Life is a Highway: Art & American Car Culture." Traveling by auto became a distinct form of Americana. Sanders "got it" that he could expand the usual gas station business with hospitality services. Those included lodging and, yes, food. He was 40-something.

His success with his signature fried chicken came from three sources.

One was technology. He applied a pressure-cooker method to speed up the preparation time. Travelers were tired and hungry, therefore impatient about waiting. 

The second was theatrics. Soon enough the white suit evolved into the recognized branding for KFC. There too he experimented. Sanders as human brand logo had started with a black suit.

And, third was just-the-right timing. As Chandler documents, fast food was becoming the American way of eating. Actually it was a ritual which unified the diversity of people across the U.S. 

But, his more general success with the myriad ways of making a living that he tried on primarily was due to his hustle, extreme confidence, and ability to shake off what didn't pan out as expected.

Should there be another nasty downtown and the 10,000 lawyer jobs predicted to be lost go poof, displaced lawyers should immerse themselves in the Sanders' template for positioning and packaging failure as platform for big success. 

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The Legal Sector & Wellness - 8 Alternates to Therapy In Boston and Around the World

Boston, the city of psychotherapists, is still stuck with the stigma against this formal mode of treatment for emotional distress and more.

In Boston Magazine, Tessa Yannone covers that.

That's unfortunate.

The Boston Metro area is also the setting for a top law school - Harvard. Throughout the student body of Harvard Law School, a recent survey documented, is essentially an epidemic of anxiety, depression, inability to get restful sleep, and excessive drinking.

In addition, the region houses successful legal practices. You can land a plum position in Boston or surrounding cities and suburbs.

Having on your "record" that you have been in psychotherapy can prove to be a flaming hoop you will have to jump through in order to be admitted to a state bar. There are initiatives against that but, currently, that's the way it is in too many states. 

In addition, although studies prove out that psychotherapy is effective, that doesn't mean it will be for you. There are so many variables at play.

I don't know if my three years of therapy, multiple times a week, and later on an intermittent basis with David W. Harder, Ph.D., based in Lincoln, Massachusetts, were or were not effective. Reconstructing the past is tricky business.

What I do know is that from the get-go, I should have demanded to have access to what he was putting in the clinical records. When I finally had a lawyer obtain those records I concluded, by the tone and content, we were not a good fit.

In therapy, as in just about every other aspect of life and work, fit is everything. If your insurance coverage involves managed care, you may have limited or no choice on the therapist you will be working with. You may or may not be able to interview, on a complimentary basis, several. 

Also, there's the cost of therapy. In law school, that could be absorbed in other prepaid fees. Once sprung into the real world of work, if your employer kicks in for your health insurance, the co-pay can eat into a budget. There even could be double-dipping. There could be a co-pay for the psychiatrist who's prescribing medication and also for the psychotherapist. No health insurance? A session could run three digits.

The good news is that there are no-cost or low-cost alternates to therapy. That doesn't mean they are appropriate for you at whatever phase of emotional distress you are at. If you feel you are becoming undone, those in the mental health field worth their salt mandate: Call 911.

But, if you have a hunch you can try other ways to navigate the whatevers, here are 8 tips.

Free, 24/7 confidential hotlines. Several of my clients who had lost jobs in the legal sector obtained immediate relief - and hope - by speaking with the trained human beings at the other end of the phone line at The Samaritans. In the U.S. the number is 212-673-3000. No, you don't have to be suicidal to contact those capable of deep listening. Sensing you are going through emotional distress is enough. Just let them know that's how you are feeling. Globally, through Befrienders Wordwide, there is also help.

Meditation. Research and experience indicate this is a useful way to calm the "monkey mind." Here is a free online video introduction to the basics by American Buddhist nun Pema Chodron. While meditating in a group can seem to increase its impact, there is no reason why a daily practice can't be done alone - any where - multiple times a day. Yes, before pitching to a key prospect, meditate. 

Exercise. Working out isn't just for body contours and a healthy heart. It's a natural remedy for clinical depression and anxiety. The trick is to incorporate it into a daily routine. Do that and the body will hunger for that kind of ritual.

A trusted friend 0r Fido. Those in the mental health field who understand healing will tell you that a close friend who knows how to listen and to maintain confidentiality can be SuperTherapist. The edge that person has is knowing what you're about. Other options can be the sponsor in a 12-step program, a stranger on the seat next to you during a plane flight/Amtrak trip, or your dog. Regarding the latter, because the four-leggers in your life are empathetic and non-judgmental, they can provide solid platforms back to hope.

Herbs et al. Bless the internet. You no longer need to purchase a book on what non-prescription substances can be effective. Here, for example, is a run-down of them. Some contend any effectiveness results from the placebo effect. The attitude of those who receive relief smirk and respond, "Bring it on." All forms of mental distress cause pain. Whatever reduces that could be worth experimenting with. Many of the natural treatments do not have the possible severe side effects of a number of prescription remedies.

Spirituality. Very different from formal kinds of religion, spirituality essentially entails a surrender to some force greater than yourself. That takes the burden off you for controlling every aspect of your life and work. You can get out of the driver's seat. No longer do you have to be hyperalert and compulsively focused on goals. Incidentally, this kind of "turning over" is the core of the Alcoholics Anonymous approach to sobriety. The joke there is: Being in charge of the universe is a big job and we're not getting paid for it. 

Psychics. Those with the powers to "read" a suffering human being are being embraced as the new therapists. Lawyers, listen up: To protect themselves from  lawsuits, most post the disclaimer that their services are for entertainment only. However, there is usually extreme earnestness in the encounters between them and those who reach out to them in-person, by phone, or through email. Their methodologies range from pure intuition to tarot cards to crystals. As with myriad other services, this field has its share of cons. It's necessary to ask around for a "legit." 

Coaches. More and more professionals are simply hiring coaches instead of interviewing therapists. Coaches are usually specialized. Those niches range from overall life to career. Most will provide short complimentary sessions for you to check out the chemistry. Since there is no stigma, this could be what to try first. Over the holidays, an underemployed 63-year-old lawyer came to me for help with getting more work. What we decided was her immediate need was for a life coach. 

What's labeled as "mental illness" could simply mean hitting the mid point of the continuum of stress. You could be heading toward impairment of the ability to function. So, if you perceive yourself as gravitating out of what's today's norm for stress, take action. That could be the now-traditional way of finding out what kind of therapy your medical insurance covers to lighting a candle and turning over your will to something bigger than you. Should you sense you are in crisis, call 911.

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Should Tiffany Trump JD Replace Meghan McCain on "The View?"

How long does the nation have to defer to the daughter of an American Hero?

Maybe that question is getting answered with the uptick in support of the two-year petition to oust Meghan McCain from "The View." Her late father had been John McCain.

Now, reports Daily Mail, there are 2,300 signatures. It's proposed that another female conservative should replace her. My vote would be for Ivanka Trump or even Tiffany Trump who will finish law school this spring. The latter deserves a big exposure break. 

Why that may never happen is that verbal fireworks on network television - in this case, ABC - brings in eyeballs. If a surge in the number of eyeballs occurs in the 18 to 45 demographic, then advertising revenues can increase. Network television lives for another day or two or three. At 6:30 P.M. ET David Muir can continue to conjure up his magic. 

But, salvation for the nation's eardrums may only come if Fox News offers McCain a slot of her own. That can be positioned and packaged as her taking on the on-the-air personalities such as Tucker Carlson or Lou Dobbs. Who wouldn't tune in for the daily clash of the conservative titans? A good time will be had by all during a time when so many have already wearied of Election 2020. 

America is saved because McCain won't last long. She doesn't have down cold and lacks the talent to do The Conservative Everything like Carlson or Dobbs. She won't be able to land another slot.

And we can return to the normal platitudes on "The View." Along with those, Tiffany can introduce points of law.

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