Well, that’s interesting. Donald Trump and Joe Biden have something in common besides being a couple of old white guys. According to a New York Times/Siena College poll, just under half of Republicans surveyed want Trump as their first choice in the 2024 primary if he were to try to recapture the White House. Granted, the number is 49%, but remember that Trump won 94% of all Republican votes in the 2020 election.

As for Joe Biden, the same poll found that about 64% of Democratic voters do not want him to run for re-election. I’m surprised the number was so low. Biden’s approval rating is the lowest of any president-elect at this point in his presidency since the end of World War II. Even worse than Jimmy Carter? This is totally embarrassing.

To try to make sense of it all, I called Junior E. Lee, general manager of the Yarbrough Worldwide Media and Pest Control Company, located in Greater Garfield, Georgia. Not only does Junior know his stuff when it comes to geopolitical matters such as the impact of China’s debt assistance to Pakistan in today’s economic environment, he is also a certified exterminator.

I bring this up to say that when you see Tucker Carlson on Fox and Rachal Maddow on MSNBC babbling on and on about politics, just remember that neither of them is a sooty louse (a small terrestrial crustacean of the order Isopoda) of a sow wouldn’t know (a fat female pig.) Junior not only knows politics, but he also knows the most effective way to exterminate centipedes. He is an invaluable member of my team.

Since it’s almost time for the annual release of our own political survey, Round or Square Polls (“You give us the dough and we’ll cook up the numbers.”) I wanted to see if Junior E. Lee had any information he could share. with you after conducting an in-depth analysis of the New York Times/Siena College poll. I say this with all due respect to the New York Times and to Siena College, but when your mascot is Baloo “Saint” Bernard (Siena’s, not the Times), it’s hard to take them seriously.

I caught Junior from Arveen Ridley. He told me he was dealing with a Rhipicephalus issue. Actually, what he does is spray for cow ticks, but since he has become so famous as a media analyst and a pest fighter, he likes to impress everyone with big words.

I asked him about the New York Times/Siena College results showing that less than half of Republicans polled have Donald Trump as their first choice to run in 2024. Was he surprised?

Junior E. Lee reminded me that the number was 49% and that is as close to half as it is to less than half. It all depends on how the media wants to play with the numbers. For example, he says don’t forget that you can drown in an average of 12 inches of water. I don’t know what one has to do with the other but it’s best not to argue with Junior when he’s in the middle of a Rhipicephalus issue. He can be quite crabby if he has inhaled a lot of malathion.

Junior’s biggest worry is that when Trump supporters see the results, they might march on Loudonville, New York if they can find the place on the map. This is where Siena College is located. He thinks the protesters may well storm the J. Spencer and Patricia Standish Library, occupy the Special Collections Suite and threaten to hang Baloo “Saint” Bernard before the gazpacho police can intervene. It’s a scary thought.

As for Joe Biden, Junior E. Lee expressed surprise that even 39% approve of his performance. He assumes they must be family members or White House staffers, who obviously don’t care that inflation is at a 40-year high. Junior says he doubts any of this bothers Biden. He sleeps most of the time.

With that, Junior said he had to get back to the Rhipicephalus issue. When he finished spraying the cows at Arveen Ridley’s place, he told me he was on his way to Aunt Flossie Felmer’s place. He seems to be going there a lot lately. He says he’s worried about fire ants and wants to poke around in her drawers.

I have to remember to talk to him about it.