Today is October 30, 2022, one day before All Hallows’ Eve. You might have missed my musings here yesterday since I was entertaining my good friend “Jake,” from Central Islip, who spent the entire day, practically, with me until 1:40 a.m. Sunday morning. Actually, he and I cavorted for over 12 hours. Don’t ask what we talked about during that time.

However, we did see a film, Till, at our local cinema, the Midway Theater. I have to strongly recommend this powerful and emotional study of a mother’s love for her 14-year-old son who was brutally lynched by white bigots in Money, Mississippi, in 1955. The actress who portrayed Mamie Till Mobley, Danielle Deadwyler, was stupendous in such a heart-wrenching role. She has already been lavishly praised for her breakout performance of the year as a grieving mother who parlays her mighty grief into social activism which galvanizes the inchoate civil-rights movement of the middle 50s. I couldn’t keep my eyes off the remarkable performance by this not-well-known actress the whole time. She will certainly be well known now as a result of her magnificent work in this heartrending tale of unspeakable racial animus that has characterized this country for centuries. This is a must-see for those with a social conscience. I’m positive that Deadwyler will be nominated for an Oscar for her performance in this film.

Then Jake and I had dinner at the Irish Cottage, on 72nd Avenue, a few blocks from the theater. Elliot and I had just dined there on Friday, actually. This time I ordered the Shepard’s pie and lobster bisque soup, while Jake ordered a tuna fish sandwich with French fries.

When we returned to the apartment, I made coffee and served some cake slices bought at Martha’s Country Bakery.

Then I turned on a far different type of film, 2022’s horror effort called Barbarian that Jake surprisingly agreed to watch. This film effectively builds its chills incrementally as the story opens up with a young woman named Tess (Georgina Campbell) finding herself at a rental Airbnb in a rundown suburb of Detroit and finds, to her horror, that the property has been double rented to another occupant, Keith, here played by Bill Skarsgard. We’re not sure at first if Keith is on the up and up, but then things take a decidedly eerie turn as Tess goes down to the basement of the house to investigate the source of a strange noise. Then things get positively weird as the mystery of the source of that sound is exposed and Tess is dragged down to hell. Another actor who stars in the film is Justin Long as an arrogant actor named AJ who is currently facing serious charges by a fellow female actor of sexual assault and, as a result, has been dropped from his latest movie. As a result of his income suddenly drying up as a raisin in the sun, AJ has to sell some of his rental properties – one of which is, as you guessed it, the one where Tess and Keith are facing matters of life and death in the basement. I thought the film delivered pretty well on the thrills usually found in such movies, but I thought the ending was not credible.

After the film which is a little over 90 minutes long, Jake and I had a lively discussion of how many books we’ve both read on a 100 best novels of the 20th century list that I had on my iPhone. I was quite proud of the fact that I had read a pretty good number of them. Can anyone guess what is Number 1 on the list? Think of an Irish author with failing eyesight and you might guess the book. Then I showed Jake many of the pictures from our last European vacation this past July. That took some time to review all of them.

On the sad political front, former President Barack Obama provided a winning message to the wilting fortunes of Democrats in the closing days leading up to the crucial midterms as he campaigned for Democratic candidates in key battleground states of Michigan and Wisconsin. The perfect closing question he posed to voters is: “Who will fight for your freedoms?” It certainly ain’t repugnicans who are fighting to take our freedoms away. This opening salvo directed at repugnicans by the former commander-in-chief is analyzed by Dean Obeidallah for CNN Digital on my smartphone in an opinion called “Obama just gave Democrats their perfect closing message.”

Here the answer is the Democratic Party, clearly, and the ex-president delivered that message, pointing to threats to reproductive rights and same-sex marriage by a vocal subset of Republicans.

With little over a week to Election Day, Democratic leaders and strategists are searching for the most effective way to inspire voters to cast their ballots for their candidates. Some have argued Democrats should focus on the economy, which many polls show is a major concern among voters.

The always blunt Rick Wilson, cofounder of the Lincoln Project super PAC, urged Democrats to “scare the shit out of voters about what Republicans are going to do, because what they are going to do is scary as shit.” This is a more strongly worded message that I can really favor.

California Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted this theme months ago with a headline-grabbing ad slamming Republicans, especially loathsome Florida Gov. Ron “DeSant-ASS,” for taking our freedoms away. In the ad, released on July 4, Newsom told Florida voters, “Freedom is under attack in your state.” He then urged Floridians “to join the fight – or join us in California, where we still believe in freedom: freedom of speech, freedom to choose, freedom to hate and the freedom to love.” Newsom closed his appeal with the words, “Don’t let them take your freedom.” We never heard what Floridans really thought of this ad.

Thus Obama implored the crowd at the rally at his first stop in Michigan, “Who will fight for your freedom? Is it a bunch of Republican politicians and judges who think they should get to decide when you start a family or how many children you have, who you marry, or who you love?” He then added, “Or is it leaders like (Michigan Democratic Gov.) Gretchen Whitmer who believe that the freedom to make these personal decisions belong to every American, not politicians in Washington?”

Now the 44th President then put it pointedly: “That’s the choice in this election; that’s what you have to decide.”

Obama even addressed the elephant in the room, the challenges of inflation and the economy, saying pointedly that repugnicans are having a field day running ads about these two issues, but have nothing concrete about improving the situation. He then indicated that inflation is a global issue, not a uniquely American one – and has come about as a result of problems caused by the pandemic and Russia’s war with Ukraine. He said there is no easy solution because, if there were, leaders of each country would’ve reduced inflation already.

Maybe now if Democrats get hold of this powerful message right before the midterms, they could inspire people to get out to vote, and the communication is to double down on extremists in the GOP that are coming for your freedoms, which could move people to get out of the house to vote blue.

The writer of this opinion, Obeidallah, concludes with, “Make it clear to voters that Democrats will fight for your freedoms. After all, inflation is temporary, but losing your freedom may be permanent.” Case closed!

Let’s hope Democrats will seize on this winning strategy as proposed by a popular two-term president because we have nothing to lose but democracy itself.

Stay safe and be well.