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☕ Morning Coffee: My Spring Is Broken, but the Coffee Still Works

November 3, 2026November 2, 2026BenjaminLeave a comment

If I had a tin cup, my coffee would taste just like it did when I was chasing the bandit Rob, and he was rambling!

November 03, 2026

Good morning, my fellow coffee drinkers.

If you have Election Day off and there is a little nip in the air, I hope you have found somewhere comfortable to enjoy your coffee.

Man holding “RAMBLING BOB SAYS THE ELECTION IS A MESS! DON’T GET CARRIED AWAY!” outside a polling station; signs read “VOTE,” “ELECTION DAY,” “UNSTABLE CLIMATE,” “POLITICS IN TURMOIL,” and “VOTING CONFUSION.” — _{^{He played a game called. Pinochle, whist, and euchre.
Nobody to go his bail. The judge done said that he will pay the fine}}

Somebody suggested adding bay leaves to mine to put a spring in my step. I cannot vouch for that, for right now my spring is broken. With this leg and ankle, I would settle for replacement parts.

Meanwhile, the election machinery seems to be running at full speed. Mine requires a little more coffee.

Across our nation today, good people will be doing good work. Checking registrations, handing out ballots, answering the same questions repeatedly, and helping their neighbors exercise a right that deserves our attention.

They deserve our patience, too.

I expect we will also encounter some ugliness. We usually do. Somebody will mistake being loud for being right. Somebody will forget that the person standing in front of them is a human being.

We can decide how we respond. I hope we give those working at the polls a reason to remember our kindness.

I have strong feelings about this election. You probably do, too. The cost of living, our rights, our freedoms, and the direction of this country are personal matters. They affect what happens in our homes long after the campaign signs come down.

That is why I hope you will vote if you are eligible and have not already done so.

If you are unsure about your registration or polling place, check with your state or local election office. Some states offer same-day registration, but the requirements and locations vary. Start at vote.gov for your state’s official information.

And when you have cast your ballot, give yourself permission to take a breath.

You do not have to spend every remaining hour watching somebody point at a television map. Supper will still need making. The dog will still expect attention. Somebody you love might appreciate hearing your voice discussing something besides the election.

Soon enough, we will have Thanksgiving preparations, Christmas shopping, and the annual discovery that the string of lights worked perfectly when we put it away.

I would like us to have enough energy left to enjoy some of that.

For today, be present. Be heard. Be decent to the people sharing the line with you.

And if those bay leaves actually repair a broken spring, let me know.

Steve would probably appreciate getting me out of this chair.

I had more to say. But. Our Broadcast and standards and practices (S&P) executive suggested I not. So this is where I say, don’t worry how things turn out. All we can do is hear about it tomorrow at this point. There may very well be hope. Then again there may not.

I will leave you folks today with a quick story about the Bandit Bob, who used to steal, gamble and rob. He thought he was the smartest guy in town. But I found out last Monday. That Bob got locked up Sunday, Yep they’ve got him in the jailhouse way downtown.

I told him once or twice. To quit playin’ cards and shootin’ dice.He’s in the jailhouse now.He played a game called poker. He’s in the jailhouse now!

See you guys tomorrow. Be safe!

Benjamin Groff

The Next Political Shift May Not Be Left or Right

June 12, 2026June 10, 2026BenjaminLeave a comment

Groff Media ©2026 benandsteve.com Truth Endures

June 12, 2026

What if the biggest force in American politics isn’t ideology, but exhaustion?

Every election cycle seems to arrive with the promise that this one will finally settle things.

It never does.

The arguments continue. The accusations continue. The campaigns never seem to end.

And yet, beneath the daily headlines, another possibility may be emerging.

What if the next major political movement in America isn’t driven by the far left or the far right?

What if it is driven by people who are simply tired?

Tired of being angry.

Tired of being told to hate neighbors who vote differently.

Tired of waking up every morning to discover another crisis demanding immediate outrage.

For nearly a decade, American politics has been fueled by conflict. Political strategists understand something that television networks and social media platforms have learned as well: outrage captures attention.

Anger keeps viewers watching.

Fear keeps voters engaged.

Conflict generates clicks.

But there is evidence that many Americans may be reaching a saturation point.

Poll after poll has shown declining trust in institutions, political parties, media organizations, and government itself. Yet beneath that distrust may be something more important: a desire for normalcy.

History suggests that political pendulums rarely stop at the extremes.

Eventually voters begin looking for stability.

Not excitement.

Not revolution.

Not constant crisis.

Just stability.

The nation has seen similar periods before. Following years of upheaval, Americans have often sought leaders who promised calm rather than confrontation. Sometimes those leaders succeeded. Sometimes they did not. But the desire itself repeatedly emerged.

Could that happen again?

No one knows.

Political forecasting has become a risky business. Recent elections have repeatedly surprised experts from every perspective.

But one possibility seems worth considering.

The next political shift may not be a movement toward one party or another.

It may be a movement away from perpetual conflict.

Americans may begin rewarding candidates who spend less time attacking opponents and more time discussing solutions.

They may become less interested in political celebrities and more interested in competent managers.

They may become less concerned with winning arguments and more concerned with lowering costs, improving schools, strengthening infrastructure, and maintaining public safety.

If that happens, the political landscape could change rapidly.

Not because voters changed their beliefs.

But because they changed their priorities.

Perhaps the most important question facing the nation is not whether America will become more conservative or more progressive.

“Please just let me drive to work in peace”

It may be whether Americans decide they are simply exhausted by the constant fight.

And if enough people reach that point, the next great political movement could be something surprisingly rare in modern politics:

A movement toward peace, practicality, and common ground.

The future remains uncertain.

But if history teaches anything, it is that voters eventually tire of turmoil.

The question is whether that moment is approaching once again.

The Country Inside Our Front Door

May 14, 2026BenjaminLeave a comment

The Politics of the Front Yard

May 14, 2026

I have spent most of my life trying to understand people by observing them. Watching. Listening. Gathering information. Trying to decide what was true and what was not. It is not always the easiest way to live. Sometimes it places you on the wrong side of popularity. Sometimes it means standing beside people others mock, avoid, or openly dislike. That can cost you friendships, opportunities, promotions, and acceptance. It can mark you long before you understand the price of it.

**_{^{This is reportedly the first known photo of the white house.}}**

But there is another price too.

The price of ignoring what you know is right simply because everyone else is moving in another direction.

I learned early there are always people willing to promise answers for everything. Politicians who swear they alone can save the country. Religious leaders who imply salvation can somehow be purchased through loyalty, donations, or obedience. Public figures who convince followers that happiness is just one more contribution, one more vote, or one more enemy away.

Over time, I began to distrust anyone selling certainty.

Life taught me that most people claiming to have all the answers are usually one of three things: mistaken, manipulative, or desperate to be believed themselves.

That does not mean faith is worthless. Or that government has no purpose. Or that communities should not come together. It simply means no politician, church, movement, or television personality can do the hardest work for you. They cannot build your character. They cannot create your peace of mind. They cannot decide your morals. They cannot make your home stable, loving, or decent.

Only you can do that.

As a child, I developed a strange little understanding of America during a fourth-grade civics lesson. I imagined our house as its own country. My father was the president. My mother was the vice president. My brothers were senators and representatives. My sisters and I were citizens living under the structure they created.

It made perfect sense to me.

There were rules. Responsibilities. Budgets. Expectations. Sometimes disagreements. Sometimes punishments. Sometimes celebrations. But the purpose of the “government” inside our home was not domination. It was stability. Protection. Survival. Keeping the lights on. Making certain everyone had what they needed.

We did not hold elections.

We did not need to.

In my child’s mind, my parents already held the positions because they had proven themselves capable of carrying the responsibility. They worked. Paid the bills. Protected the household. They had earned the authority through sacrifice.

Looking back now, I realize that little imaginary country taught me more about America than many adults ever understand.

A nation is only as healthy as the homes inside it.

Not the slogans.

Not the campaigns.

Not the outrage.

What matters most is how people choose to live within their own space and how willing they are to allow others to live within theirs.

The loudest voices in America keep demanding control over everyone else’s space. Maybe freedom was never supposed to work that way.

Your life is not destroyed because your neighbor is gay while you are not. Or because they worship differently. Or because they speak another language. Or because their skin is darker than yours. Their space belongs to them. Yours belongs to you.

The loudest voices in America keep demanding control over everyone else’s space. Maybe freedom was never supposed to work that way.

Somewhere along the way, many people forgot that freedom was never supposed to mean controlling everyone else’s existence. It was supposed to mean protecting the right of people to peacefully exist beside one another.

That is what I still believe.

Not because someone told me to believe it.

But because after a lifetime of watching people, I have found fear usually creates far more damage than difference ever does.

The Country Inside Our Front Door

Biden’s Time In Office VS. Trump’s.

April 21, 2024April 21, 2024BenjaminLeave a comment

Question on Quora –

Joe Biden has taken 382 vacation days off to date. That equates to over one full year on vacation out of 3 years as US president. Is he the most ineffective US president in history?

Answered by Benjamin via benandsteve.com

We take your word it was 382. I need President Biden’s schedule to confirm such details. Since the job is 24/7, 365 days a year, you never have any privacy, nor a day without less than twenty interruptions, even when on vacation. The vacation days alone don’t necessarily reflect a president’s effort. Being president is a demanding job that comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities. While the president must take breaks and maintain a work-life balance, one should consider the number of vacation days in the broader context of one president over another president’s performance, decision-making, and leadership.

Every presidency has challenges and circumstances, and comparing one president’s vacation days to another does not give a comprehensive view of their effectiveness. When evaluating a presidency’s effectiveness, it’s also essential to consider the accomplishments, policies enacted, and challenges faced.

The information provided may be more accurate or presented better to portray a specific narrative. It’s always a good idea to fact-check information and consider multiple perspectives before forming an opinion.

For a fact, here’s what Biden didn’t do:

He never only started his work days around 11 am or 11:3AM, crisis or not.

Never made an ass out of himself on a global stage.

Never has had disregards to promises made during his campaign.

He Never has been impeached.

Biden didn’t get impeached a second time.

Biden never had to survive a Senate trial that most senators later – admit that they should’ve voted and should’ve been guilty.

Biden didn’t get indicted – FOUR TIMES.

It wasn’t Biden who tried overturning the People’s Will in the 2020 *Election by inciting an insurrection!

No Biden didn’t call the Georgia Secretary of State and attempt to *Strong arm him into creating 12,000 more votes in his favor.

Biden didn’t take papers from the national archives and refuse to return them to the United States Government. Going as far as to tell employees to hide the location of the boxes that contained them from authorities. Then, he agreed to return them and never did so. Then, having the stated allegations recorded on the video camera and denying it was real, lying to the FBI (also a crime.)

The list of things President Biden never did could go on, but it would be easier if you tuned into Court TV Monday through Friday.