I almost called this “Kaine’s Delusion,” because it was the junior Virginia Senator, former governor and failed Hillary Clinton running mate whose fatuous remarks made me realize that this rationalization, a frequently used one, had some how been left off the list.

Yoda’s Annoyance fits neatly among the sub-rationalizations under #38. The Miscreant’s Mulligan or “Give him/her/them/me a break!” the versatile rationalization that aims to duck the consequences of wrongful conduct by making others feel guilty about placing responsibility squarely where it belongs, by arguing that the miscreant isn’t so bad, isn’t different from anyone else, that he or she meant well, or that the critic is just being an old meanie. The closely relate #38 A.“Mercy For Miscreants, ” embodies the theory that there should be cap on criticism handed out to groups and individuals no matter how much wrongful conduct has been authored by them.

38 B: Excessive Accountability, or “He’s (She’s) Suffered Enough,” previously most often heard when a parent has negligently allowed an infant or small child to perish in a locked car, has recently been repurposed to defend parents who allow their kids to get a hold of their negligently stored firearms, killing others or themselves as a result. Finally authorities are prosecuting such parents. (Good!) Next we have #38C. Biden’s Inoculation or “I don’t deny that I do this!,” which is based on the slippery theory that bad conduct is mitigated by one’s open admission and acknowledgment that it’s a bad habit. This one is a close cousin of a two others on the list, like #19A. Donald’s Dodge, or “I never said I was perfect!” and #41 A. Popeye’s Excuse, or “I am what I am.”

38 D would have been 38 A if I had added it earlier when I should have, and not waited for Tim Kaine to make an ass of himself by saying yesterday at a “block party” at a local park in Dumfries, Virginia…

I realized when I was barricaded in the Capitol on January 6 when it was under attack that the tension right now in this country, and in this world, is between those who will stand up for others and those who want to tear us down or tear us apart. You see it at school board meetings when people come and raise hell at these school board members who are just trying to do the very best they can. There is a loud energy around tear-us-down and tear-us-apart.”

Before I get to the new rationalization, I must point out that Democrats are ethically estopped from claiming Republicans and conservatives are divisive unless they condemned this…

…which none of them had the integrity or guts to do. What shameless hypocrisy: don’t even Democrats see that?

But I digress. Then Kaine impugns parents who, as they are ethically obligated to do, take an active interest in their children’s education and oppose the ideological indoctrination that in Virginia includes anti-American propaganda, race-baiting, DEI mania and active LGBTQ promotion because “school board members who are just trying to do the very best they can.” As Yoda so sagely told Luke Skywalker when the aspiring Jedi protested that he was trying as he failed, “Do or do not.There is no try.” Bingo. Trying does not excuse doing a lousy job. Kaine’s logic would remove accountability from all incompetent, misguided and otherwise destructive policy-makers.

The correct response to those woke, arrogant and reckless school board members who protest that “we’re trying the best we can” is, “If that is true, then somebody else needs to do your job, because your best isn’t nearly good enough.”