Reuben and Rachel

For some time now, that ditty has been stuck in my head. Especially the part where Rachel sings:

Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking
What a grand world this would be
If the men were all transported
Far beyond the Northern Sea

My guess is that the author chose "Far beyond the Northern Sea" for meter and rhyme. But the meaning from Rachel's point of view was clear... she wanted those men gone, forever removed from any influence on her life. She did not necessarily want them to suffer harm, just sent too far away to ever return.

I think of that ditty every time I think of the folks who ran the political campaigns of Bush 41 - second term, Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney. Karl Rove, et al, were great statisticians. They understood the electoral college, the political divisions among states, all the nuances of voting blocs. They just didn't know how to sell a candidate or a policy position.

Far beyond the Northern Sea sounds like a terribly cold place, so I would settle for some place like Idaho. It is a very pretty place, where they could surely find happiness. Just don't ever let them run another political campaign.