A couple of days ago on FOX News, Greg Gutfeld postulated that, assuming a big win by Republicans on Tuesday (and what do I say: Never discount the GOP’s ability to blow it…), President Biden is going to be “Chuck Cunningham’d” by the national Democratic Party.
You have to know your TV references to get that one, but back in the early 1970s, the first season of “Happy Days” had three children of Howard and Marion Cunningham: Richie the middle kid (played by Ron Howard), Joanie the youngest (played by Erin Moran) and Chuck the oldest (played by Gavan O’Herlihy).
Only problem was that the producers hadn’t counted on the character of Fonzie becoming such a big hit, and when he did, there were too many cast members and not enough for them to do in the course of 23-minute episodes.
As result, a little ways into the second season (O’Herlihy already had left and been replaced by another actor in the role), Chuck disappeared. Entirely. Never to be spoken of again. And “Chuck Cunningham Syndrome” has been the name given ever since to the times when a TV show eliminates character but offers viewer no explanation nor any future references.
(Don’t feel too bad for Gavan O’Herlily — he had a pretty good career, much of it on the stage over in merry old England but in TV and films as well, before his death in 2021.)
What does this have to do with anything? Well, Gutfeld thinks Democrats, if they get shellacked, will pin the blame on Biden and attempt to make him a non-person over the next two years. Pretty hard to make a sitting president a non-person, agreed, but if anyone can do it, the national Democrats, abetted by the national news media, are the ones who can.
GETTING A DOGGIE? READ US FIRST: Our weekend edition coming over the transom online today has a full page of helpful tips for those who will be introducing a new dog into the family.
It’s a balancing act to ensure that all involved (new dog, other pets, kids, adults) all handle the transition well. So take a look and if you have a dog on your horizon, print it out and save for future reference.
- Scott McCaffrey