Yesterday sucked on a lot of levels for those of us that stand for sensibility, reason, fairness and freedom in this country. But it also wasn't the big deal that the main stream media keeps making it out to be.
New Jersey: For those of you who don't live in or nearby, you might think that this is a big deal. John Corzine, incumbent Democrat, ousted by a Republican for a bedroom at the Governor's Mansion in Trenton. But those of us from these parts know one thing, every 4 to 8 years New Jersey goes from having a Republican Governor to a Democratic Governor and vice versa. In my lifetime this State has never been able to make up its mind as to whom should run it. And Governors of both parties have never gotten it quite right. Only Tom Kean, a moderate Republican, managed to do a fairly decent job for the state, actually beginning to make inroads toward shedding The Garden State of its reputation for being a garbage dump.
Republicans cut taxes, then the localities have to raise property taxes in order keep their basics (garbage collection, etc. going) so they get ousted for not keeping taxes down. Democrats move in, raise taxes, improve schools etc...but the taxes got raised...so they get ousted.
The Senators are still Democrats and likely to remain that way. The State generally goes Blue for national elections...it just has a split personality for its locality. The northern part is generally blue, the southern generally red, with Indies in between. The Indies generally dictate what happens.
Oversimplification, but basically that's what happens over and over again. Corzine was not a great Governor. Better than he got credit for and better than his overspent campaign managed to communicate, but his negatives were enough.
Virginia: Virginia is a purple state with heavy emphasis on the red end of the spectrum. It went blue for Obama last year for several reasons. A-youth vote B-Sarah Palin C-Changing Demographics. But that doesn't mean that the change is going to be a steady climb. For one, the Democrat ran a lousy campaign in a state that always elects a Governor of the opposing Party to the White House. For another, its mostly a Republican State...so it did what it usually does.
Neither of these elections mean a lot for either party.The next Governor of New Jersey will be a Democrat, very likely in 4 years because this guy is a clown. Virginia will continue to move toward blue, but at its own pace. Just like Georgia and Texas. (Yes, GA and TX are going blue...just watch)
New York 23: OK, this one surprised me. I really thought the conservative would walk away with this one, but here's the thing....other than 23, most of that area is blue, and it seems that 23 looked around, thought about which candidate had the better chance of doing more for them and went with the Democrat rather than the guy who was anti-abortion but had no idea what the local issues were. Parochial indeed, Dick Armey, parochial indeed.
So its one more Dem in the House for us. This is far more significant than losing two governorships. The Club for Growth and Sarah Palin and DICK Armey will tout their ability to oust the established Republican candidate, but they won the battle and lost the war. They think they will win next year, but that's highly doubtful. The district will likely feel good about their choice this year, especially since the economy will be picking up by then. Also, that area is about to be redistricted and in two years will be entirely Democratic. Its over.
Meanwhile we also did well with getting progressive into a seat in California. This isn't getting much play but its at least as important as NY-23 if its important at all.
Finally there is Maine...ahhhh Maine. But Rachel Maddow warned us. States are basically losing whenever it comes to these referendum votes. The anti Marriage Freedom people are well funded by the Catholic church, the Mormon church AND the Church of Scientology and well...people are bigots and self righteous beasts for the most part. I think that while it is disappointing, we should bear in mind that 5 years ago, the vote would not have been as close as it was. Close enough that a recount is likely.
Marriage equality is going to have to be done on a national level. As a friend at work said yesterday, it will likely have to be some kind of law saying that Civil Unions must provide the same protections and rights of Marriage and that Civil Unions are to be available in every state.
I don't see the LGBT community going for that. They seem to have decided on an all or nothing approach. But I think my friend might be right.
This is an issue of rights. It bugs the shit out of me that we allow elections that take away rights, but apparently we do. And apparently we do indeed vote to remove rights. We've come a long way, but we still have a long way to go.
We will get there. We've been moving in that direction quite a bit, and we have a generation coming up that doesn't even believe this is an issue. Indeed, most of that generation voted for Obama as their first national vote last year. Maybe this is small comfort to my gay brethren, but it is a comfort at least....I hope.
(Friday addition)
OK...seriously, I don't think I've said 2 nice things about Republicans on this blog, but the key words have attracted an ad to contribute to the Republican Governors Association.
Tone Deaf Much? Out of Touch Much?...Yes I do believe so
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barack Obama. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
A political pondering
Following is a comment I left in response to 2MorrowKnight's blog entry on Huffington Post stating why he thinks that 2010, despite pundit predictions of doom for Obama, will prove otherwise. (Yes, my ID at Huffpo is Wondering Imriel. Some of you will know what that references)
I think it remains to be seen whether the energy and enthusiasm that the Obama campaign brought to itself will translate into Congressional elections.
Will that same demographic remain as enthusiastic and involved for their local representatives and/or Senators? I don't know that there's any indication that they will.
While the teabaggers are hypocritical by definition and much smaller in number than they would have us believe, they are loud and very active and enthusiastic.
Obama's poll numbers jumped after his speech on Healthcare Reform, proving two things: 1- He is still well liked and trusted and 2-the myth that he is over exposed is just that, a myth and wishful thinking on the part of anyone that makes that statement.
Will he be strong enough to have coattails in 2010? I hope so, for the most part. I do predict that whatever gains the Right may make next year, they will be harder fought than they think. Hope is still a greater ally than resentment, and resentment is all the Right has right now. Resentment and Dick Armey's funding.
I think it remains to be seen whether the energy and enthusiasm that the Obama campaign brought to itself will translate into Congressional elections.
Will that same demographic remain as enthusiastic and involved for their local representatives and/or Senators? I don't know that there's any indication that they will.
While the teabaggers are hypocritical by definition and much smaller in number than they would have us believe, they are loud and very active and enthusiastic.
Obama's poll numbers jumped after his speech on Healthcare Reform, proving two things: 1- He is still well liked and trusted and 2-the myth that he is over exposed is just that, a myth and wishful thinking on the part of anyone that makes that statement.
Will he be strong enough to have coattails in 2010? I hope so, for the most part. I do predict that whatever gains the Right may make next year, they will be harder fought than they think. Hope is still a greater ally than resentment, and resentment is all the Right has right now. Resentment and Dick Armey's funding.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
UnCivil DisUnion
This entry is filled with links. So be ready to do much reading or save til later when you have time and patience. Also its about 10 hours later than I intended it since I lost track of time and had to run to work...here we go:
Yesterday I started writing again after weeks of writer's block..
Well, that's not entirely accurate. Writer's Block suggests having no thoughts to write. What I had were plenty of thoughts and no desire to sit down and write. The problem with writing is you have to write.
Getting wind of James Coleman's blog by way of his stepdaughter's tweets seem to have roused me out of my stupor.
It helps that is stepdaughter is someone I'm a big fan of, but in the end it was a good clear statement of what isn't pleasing about the new President and the direction this country does not seem to be going in that made me feel like scribbling again.
So....here goes.
Another great disappointment so far in the Obama administration is his near silence and then confusing statements about Don't Ask Don't Tell. I've already blogged on this so I won't elaborate further on it except to say we have lost over 15,000 soldiers in the past few years because of who they love and not how well they serve their country. This is treasonous as far as I'm concerned. And if the policy is "Don't Ask, Don't Tell", why is the military establishment investigating to find out who among them is gay and who isn't. Oh I get it, that's not asking, that's prying...so...I guess that's ok then.
Now on to the bit I have to say on "Gay Marriage"
This will likely piss a few people off, but the fact is I think we ought to take marriage off the books for everyone. Period.
Civil Unions are only available in a few states but it ought to be in every state. This entry explains why for now, Marriage is preferable, which makes sense, but were this country in my benevolent dictatorship (as it should be) here's how it would work;
Marriage is none of the governments motherfucking business. Marriage itself was originally only a contract about property that involved mating and dowry. Its only in the last couple of hundred years that marriage has become more about love than property and that's been an evolution of sorts. And since the state has no business declaring love, it simply ought to stay out of the complications of love.
Civil Unions are simple legal contracts between 2 (or more as far as I am concerned, why are we limiting adults from the number of people they choose to love and commit to?) consenting adults regarding property, financial and life and death decisions etc. The business end. Who has a right to be claimed on insurance policies, who has visitation and informational rights in case of hospitalizations etc. All this would be covered in a civil union.
Like marriages are currently, each state would have its own peculiarities, but each state would recognize any civil union. In the world we live in, this is not the case. For instance Georgia has specifically stated it will not recognize civil unions from Vermont (What was that about small government not intruding on people's lives?). That would not be the case under the United States of John.
Alright, so basically what I'm saying is simply replace the word Marriage with the two words Civil Union and leave Marriage to the church, synagogue, mosque, healing circle, yellow brick road or whatever form you choose to make a ritualistic commitment with.
It's your life, its your heart, not theirs.
Prop 8 is a travesty. How a group gets to vote out the rights of another group in this country, with this constitution, not to mention California's constitution.
In our Declaration of Independence, it is stated that our most unalienable right is the Right of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. So while that phrase is not in the Constitution, it is certainly implied in the Founder's Intent...since you know....they SAID IT.
Anyway, Obama has stated that he supports civil unions and not gay marriage...sooo...here's a thing he can think about while he is backing away from campaigning against Don't Ask Don't Tell.
Its a shame and an outrage and I hope Rachel Maddow continues to bring it up on her show.
Some people have asked me why I, a straight man in my 40s, unmarried, is so pissed the hell off about this.
Well, first of all, it always starts off with a minority, and then definitions shift...Gays on day one...blacks on day two, Jews next, then Catholics and oh yes..Muslims, etc etc.
When I was a kid in some parts of this country you couldn't vote if you were black and if GOD FORBID you want to marry someone of another race.
We just started expanding rights in relatively recent history. Its a little soon for restricting them again.
Every right that is taken away from a group is taken away from all of us, whether we realize it or not.
Life, Liberty and the Purfuit of Happineff. It's for everyone, not just us straight white guys.
As a side note; Thanks Eliza, for posting about your stepdad, your mom, Uganda, Prop 8 and all the fun projects you are doing. You've even got me rethinking my rejection of Major League Baseball. I've learned you are an even more interesting and layered woman than I ever suspected. You rock, and I'm proud to be a fan.
Monday, June 8, 2009
I guess its up to us.
I've been watching and experiencing the last few months with a certain mix of pleasure and pain.
On the pleasure front, it's great to have a President who speaks in complete sentences and has cogent thoughts. (I know the right wing meme is to go after him for using a teleprompter, but since they have so little to go on of substance from their perspective, its fun to watch that and I guess the never paid attention to Ronald Reagan.)
I also think he's been spot on with International relations. His speech this last week to the "Muslim world' was enough to send the likes of bin Laden and his ilk panicking for the first time in years. Finally a president who actually threatens their ability to recruit by crossing the divide and expressing an appreciation for Muslim history. Very smart.
I like that he's not forging personal friendships with any foreign leaders as well. I certainly don't need him looking into Angela Merkle's soul to know whether she's a good leader who can be trusted or not. I need policy and a plan.
Yes on these subjects I feel like we are indeed getting the change I voted for.
On other subjects I am not so certain.
Yesterday I read a terrific blog that happens to be by Eliza Dusku's stepfather. It covers the things that are barely different from what we went through with Bush and points out the very real stronghold that corporations still hold over our politics even after they so royally fucked everything up for everyone.
I'm a liberal, for the most part, not a socialist. And for those rightwingers that can't decide whether Obama is a socialist or fascist, I invite you to google them both so you can learn the definition.
Anyway, he seems further to the left than I am for the most part but his observations are spot on about what hasn't changed and what is really up to us as a people.
Teabaggers, corporate led or not, have one thing right...get out and be heard.
I hope you enjoy Mr. Coleman's blog and appreciate the central theme. I have to go to work, so I will continue tomorrow.
On the pleasure front, it's great to have a President who speaks in complete sentences and has cogent thoughts. (I know the right wing meme is to go after him for using a teleprompter, but since they have so little to go on of substance from their perspective, its fun to watch that and I guess the never paid attention to Ronald Reagan.)
I also think he's been spot on with International relations. His speech this last week to the "Muslim world' was enough to send the likes of bin Laden and his ilk panicking for the first time in years. Finally a president who actually threatens their ability to recruit by crossing the divide and expressing an appreciation for Muslim history. Very smart.
I like that he's not forging personal friendships with any foreign leaders as well. I certainly don't need him looking into Angela Merkle's soul to know whether she's a good leader who can be trusted or not. I need policy and a plan.
Yes on these subjects I feel like we are indeed getting the change I voted for.
On other subjects I am not so certain.
Yesterday I read a terrific blog that happens to be by Eliza Dusku's stepfather. It covers the things that are barely different from what we went through with Bush and points out the very real stronghold that corporations still hold over our politics even after they so royally fucked everything up for everyone.
I'm a liberal, for the most part, not a socialist. And for those rightwingers that can't decide whether Obama is a socialist or fascist, I invite you to google them both so you can learn the definition.
Anyway, he seems further to the left than I am for the most part but his observations are spot on about what hasn't changed and what is really up to us as a people.
Teabaggers, corporate led or not, have one thing right...get out and be heard.
I hope you enjoy Mr. Coleman's blog and appreciate the central theme. I have to go to work, so I will continue tomorrow.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Gays in the Military: Don't Ask/It Smells
So....I'm watching Rachel last night and finding out about yet another member of our military being ousted for being gay. (see video below)
It isn't enough that they lay their lives down for us, or for wars of choice. It isn't enough that they are exposed to horror, blood and death almost every day of their lives. It isn't enough that we demand that they carry with them the knowledge that as they are preserving our freedoms or fighting to preserve other's lives, that they are killing.
Nor is it enough that we repay them with degraded healthcare. It isn't enough that Veterans had to fight tooth and nail for a modernized GI bill last year (That John McCain "friend to veterans" fought tooth and nail against, only to take credit for its passing}.
No...none of that is enough. We have to tell them who they can and cannot love or they lose the "right" to protect us.
Barack Obama promised to deal with Don't Ask/Don't Tell when he was campaigning. We are still waiting for him to at least take some small action so that our forces aren't diminished for stupidity.
In this time when we need every single willing and able bodied person to serve. What the fuck are we thinking? Who the fuck are we and what the fuck do we stand for when we actually FIRE people from the military?
As has been asked before by John Stewart, "So...we can waterboard a guy 187 times but the other guy that can interpret and understand what the hell that jerk we're waterboarding is saying can't have a boyfriend?"
As a near middle aged straight male I am beyond offended by this. I am outraged. I don't give a flying rat's ass who you love, why you love or HOW you love. If you love, that's good enough for me. Love As Thou Wilt, a phrase from a favorite series of books, is something that I will eventually have tattooed on my arm this year. I believe its how we ought to approach life and each other.
If we find out a soldier is gay, the response should be "We are grateful for your service" not "you're fired".
This isn't a game, this is life and death. Grow the fuck up.
It's time we stopped letting backwards thinking dumbasses run shit in this country.
President Obama, STEP UP! This is one of the many reasons I voted for you.
It isn't enough that they lay their lives down for us, or for wars of choice. It isn't enough that they are exposed to horror, blood and death almost every day of their lives. It isn't enough that we demand that they carry with them the knowledge that as they are preserving our freedoms or fighting to preserve other's lives, that they are killing.
Nor is it enough that we repay them with degraded healthcare. It isn't enough that Veterans had to fight tooth and nail for a modernized GI bill last year (That John McCain "friend to veterans" fought tooth and nail against, only to take credit for its passing}.
No...none of that is enough. We have to tell them who they can and cannot love or they lose the "right" to protect us.
Barack Obama promised to deal with Don't Ask/Don't Tell when he was campaigning. We are still waiting for him to at least take some small action so that our forces aren't diminished for stupidity.
In this time when we need every single willing and able bodied person to serve. What the fuck are we thinking? Who the fuck are we and what the fuck do we stand for when we actually FIRE people from the military?
As has been asked before by John Stewart, "So...we can waterboard a guy 187 times but the other guy that can interpret and understand what the hell that jerk we're waterboarding is saying can't have a boyfriend?"
As a near middle aged straight male I am beyond offended by this. I am outraged. I don't give a flying rat's ass who you love, why you love or HOW you love. If you love, that's good enough for me. Love As Thou Wilt, a phrase from a favorite series of books, is something that I will eventually have tattooed on my arm this year. I believe its how we ought to approach life and each other.
If we find out a soldier is gay, the response should be "We are grateful for your service" not "you're fired".
This isn't a game, this is life and death. Grow the fuck up.
It's time we stopped letting backwards thinking dumbasses run shit in this country.
President Obama, STEP UP! This is one of the many reasons I voted for you.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Teabaggers (Yeah, I'm not letting this go either.)
So yesterday was the big day of protest for the "tea partys" that Fox News, Dick Armey and Richard Melon Shciafe financed in their faux grassroots organization (the phrase Astro Turf has been used for these, I like it).
Now while some of the causes espoused by some of the folks on this are legitimate, these protests overall seem to have attracted the mostly loony fringe. And its unfortunate.
I've said before that I want a healthy and intelligent opposition to my liberal tendencies, but we just aren't getting it. We're getting the whackjobs and traitors.
Where the hell were these people 5 years ago when the people who actually got us into this mess were busy getting us into it? Nowhere. Now all of a sudden when they have a Democrat and a black man to blame for other people's fucks ups, they come out in droves.
Robots. Sheep. Fools.
Following are photographs with commentary. I got these off of Huffington Post.
(photo by Zachary Haychack)This has so nothing to do with taxation. Nevermind the fact that the Boston Tea Party was about Taxation Without Representation, which this isn't. This is about bailout money, which is apparently more offensive than stealth budgets that result in the deaths of our sons and daughters. I hear them. The bailout pisses me off. But I'm way more pissed about WHY and HOW we are in a situation that NEEDS a bailout in the first place. I don't think Christ has a lot to do with any of it. Just a theory.
(W.Salter)Yes, that's partially true. That would be the Fed led by Alan Greenspan, appointed by Ronald Reagan, both supplicants to Ayn Rand, adolescent economic theorist for the emotionally stunted. So where have you been for the last 25 years, pal?
This reminds me of the guy at the Republican Convention who made a sign declaring McCain and Palin to be "Maviks" or something like that. I guess scoliosis is a scourge to taxpayers, oh wait, that's supposed to be Socialism. Someone explain to this person that bank bailouts, annoying and maddening as they are, is not a function of socialism. Oh nevermind.
(Toni Romao)
(Sam Goldman)
Seriously? "But when you go carryin' pictures of Chairman Mao, you aint gonna make it with anyone anyhow". Closing Guantanamo is just like murdering millions of people in gas chambers, I guess.
There was another I saw, that I haven't been able to find since first seeing it, that called for hanging Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama and Chris Dodd among others. "Hang em High!" it said, then listed their names.
To be fair, we liberals have our own collection of whackos. But at least ours have signs calling for impeachment and trials. These right wingers just hate due process and apparently aren't too crazy about the Constitution or actually reading history. Or rethinking calling themselves teabaggers or offering to teabag the president. But I'll keep that commentary for Rachel Maddow and Anna Marie Cox.
Somewhere in Arizona, Barry Goldwater's body is spinning in his grave while his soul weeps in Heaven. I might disagree with him on almost everything, but the man had a brain and he used it.
Now while some of the causes espoused by some of the folks on this are legitimate, these protests overall seem to have attracted the mostly loony fringe. And its unfortunate.
I've said before that I want a healthy and intelligent opposition to my liberal tendencies, but we just aren't getting it. We're getting the whackjobs and traitors.
Where the hell were these people 5 years ago when the people who actually got us into this mess were busy getting us into it? Nowhere. Now all of a sudden when they have a Democrat and a black man to blame for other people's fucks ups, they come out in droves.
Robots. Sheep. Fools.
Following are photographs with commentary. I got these off of Huffington Post.
(photo by Zachary Haychack)This has so nothing to do with taxation. Nevermind the fact that the Boston Tea Party was about Taxation Without Representation, which this isn't. This is about bailout money, which is apparently more offensive than stealth budgets that result in the deaths of our sons and daughters. I hear them. The bailout pisses me off. But I'm way more pissed about WHY and HOW we are in a situation that NEEDS a bailout in the first place. I don't think Christ has a lot to do with any of it. Just a theory.
(W.Salter)Yes, that's partially true. That would be the Fed led by Alan Greenspan, appointed by Ronald Reagan, both supplicants to Ayn Rand, adolescent economic theorist for the emotionally stunted. So where have you been for the last 25 years, pal?
This reminds me of the guy at the Republican Convention who made a sign declaring McCain and Palin to be "Maviks" or something like that. I guess scoliosis is a scourge to taxpayers, oh wait, that's supposed to be Socialism. Someone explain to this person that bank bailouts, annoying and maddening as they are, is not a function of socialism. Oh nevermind.
(Toni Romao)
(Sam Goldman)Seriously? "But when you go carryin' pictures of Chairman Mao, you aint gonna make it with anyone anyhow". Closing Guantanamo is just like murdering millions of people in gas chambers, I guess.
There was another I saw, that I haven't been able to find since first seeing it, that called for hanging Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barack Obama and Chris Dodd among others. "Hang em High!" it said, then listed their names.
To be fair, we liberals have our own collection of whackos. But at least ours have signs calling for impeachment and trials. These right wingers just hate due process and apparently aren't too crazy about the Constitution or actually reading history. Or rethinking calling themselves teabaggers or offering to teabag the president. But I'll keep that commentary for Rachel Maddow and Anna Marie Cox.
Somewhere in Arizona, Barry Goldwater's body is spinning in his grave while his soul weeps in Heaven. I might disagree with him on almost everything, but the man had a brain and he used it.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Supreme Embarrassment
If you've read any of my blogs you probably have a fairly decent idea of what I think of Justice Clarence Thomas.
A professional photographer named David Bergman took several high definition photographs at the Inauguration. He pieced them together in this incredible collage.
Before you go to it though, take a look below at the clip I took (a very very very tiny part of the photo) a Justice who in nearly 20 years has never asked a single question as a Supreme Court Justice, or written a singular that differs a bit from Antonin Scalia. Ok, in fairness it seems that lately he's managed to write a view that isn't a verbatim reproduction of Scalia, but only lately.
The man who was cynically set to replace the late great Thurgood Marshall.
Here, we see the first African American President giving his inaugural address to a crowd of 2 million people and an audience of 35 million, his colleague and chief had just amusingly flubbed the oath of office with that President, and here's what he was doing as that President called the country to a new era.
Now you see a lot of funny faces in this pic. It was freezing after all. But napping? Clarence sits alone in that. No doubt as more and more people notice this, he will gripe and whine about being picked on.
Here's where you can see the entire photograph. You can pan, zoom in and out...You'll be playing with it for hours, I promise you.
You will love the weird hats some people wear.
UPDATE: THE ABOVE LINK NO LONGER WORKS. SADLY I AM COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF WHERE THIS AMAZING PICTURE CAN BE FOUND. MY APOLOGIES.
A professional photographer named David Bergman took several high definition photographs at the Inauguration. He pieced them together in this incredible collage.
Before you go to it though, take a look below at the clip I took (a very very very tiny part of the photo) a Justice who in nearly 20 years has never asked a single question as a Supreme Court Justice, or written a singular that differs a bit from Antonin Scalia. Ok, in fairness it seems that lately he's managed to write a view that isn't a verbatim reproduction of Scalia, but only lately.
The man who was cynically set to replace the late great Thurgood Marshall.
Here, we see the first African American President giving his inaugural address to a crowd of 2 million people and an audience of 35 million, his colleague and chief had just amusingly flubbed the oath of office with that President, and here's what he was doing as that President called the country to a new era.
Now you see a lot of funny faces in this pic. It was freezing after all. But napping? Clarence sits alone in that. No doubt as more and more people notice this, he will gripe and whine about being picked on.
Here's where you can see the entire photograph. You can pan, zoom in and out...You'll be playing with it for hours, I promise you.
You will love the weird hats some people wear.
UPDATE: THE ABOVE LINK NO LONGER WORKS. SADLY I AM COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF WHERE THIS AMAZING PICTURE CAN BE FOUND. MY APOLOGIES.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Unapologetic Gushing for my Country
By the time I was six years old, John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy had met violent assassinations, the Vietnam War and its graphic casualties were on the news everyday, black kids getting hosed in the streets of southern cities and towns, the Watts riots in Los Angeles, Kent State and probably a few others that memory fails to recall.
And then Richard Nixon came along.
This will strike some of you as odd (that is if there is anyone reading this) but even at that age I knew something was wrong with that guy. Call it child’s intuition, but something about him bugged me in a large way. My mother tells me that in 1972 I was making my own anti-Nixon flyers and passing them in the street. I have no memory of this, but I have to say it sounds right.
I remember watching Nixon’s resignation speech on that warm summer night. I was 11 by that time.
Then there was Ford who said that our long national nightmare was over, and then he pardoned the criminal ex-president. And then he tripped a lot.
After Ford came Carter. I remember the slogan “Trust me” and not liking it at all. But he wasn’t Ford, so I figured he’d be a step up. I wasn’t too right. Now my dislike of Carter’s presidency had less to do with the hostage situation or the economy. What irked me about Carter was his way too militant stance on the Soviet Union and his decision to boycott the Olympics.
November of 1980. My first election. On election day I asked my theater professor to allow me to tag a ride from college back into the city so I could vote. That night I sat in a bar called Hanratty’s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with my father and wept into my beer. I wept because Ronald Reagan was clearly going to win. I wept because Jimmy Carter was the only alternative to Ronald Reagan. I wept because by that time, the experience I was having of my country was one of astounding arrogance, violence and egotism. I wept because I was fully understanding that so rarely does one get to vote FOR someone so much as vote against.
I wept, because I felt that the country I lived in was a country of great promise that acted as if it had already delivered on that promise and was far far far from it.
Believe it or not, growing up I still loved The United States and what it stands for that entire time. Few who knew me in those days would believe that because I ranted continually on how this country sucked. But it was because of the lies and violence I grew up watching.
Reagan, well…that’s a disaster we are still paying for. Then GHW Bush. My brother said it best when he won the election. “There is no such thing as an ex-head of the CIA” Too much conflict of interest. Too much lack of care. One day I’ll put down a rant on the entire Bush family, from Nazi Sympathizer Prescott down to Jeb’s crack addicted children, but that’s another night.
Then Bill Clinton. A man of promise, great promise and good words. I flipped the lever for him with some reluctance, only because while I liked his words, something about him seemed off. Turned out it was his dick and a lack of ability to truly consolidate his political genius in a way that truly turned the tide on the previous 12 years.
A lot of blame is laid at Clinton’s feet for W’s mistakes...ways of diverting responsibility, but we do have to admit that Clinton did have something to do with our current financial situation and the failure of true Welfare Reform. Blaming Clinton for 9/11 however is wishful thinking on W apologists’ parts.
What followed Bill is the unspeakable anti-American, anti-Constitutional activities of the W. Administration.
Can you wonder that my world view is often bitter and angry? But that bitterness and anger rises out of a love of this country, its heart and soul and the genius of the flawed men that founded it.
This year, slowly but surely I came for the first time to vote FOR someone. I watched as the kind of philosopher leader I had longed for for my whole life steadily, surely and calmly won the election for President of the United States.
I watched proudly along with 35 million other people on our televisions and 2 million braved ridiculous cold to watch him somewhat clumsily inaugurated. I feel inspired.
I am now not only proud of America’s promise, but its behavior.
I said a few days ago that perhaps we needed the last 8 years to sink so low that we had to long for sunlight so much that we drank it like starving artists for lunch.
Today I watched President Obama begin to demonstrate what it means to have good government. He spoke about the sacrifices that employees of the state department offer just by showing up.
I am proud of where we seem to be going.
I’m mindful that we’re at the start. But I’ve never seen so much heart and soul poured into national service by our political leaders.
We are moving to our promise again, we are moving forward at last. We are going to try the impossible again. We are going to lead with confidence and without fear.
We are taking patriotism back from jingoistic, ignorant buffoons and being what we stand for.
We are Americans again.
And then Richard Nixon came along.
This will strike some of you as odd (that is if there is anyone reading this) but even at that age I knew something was wrong with that guy. Call it child’s intuition, but something about him bugged me in a large way. My mother tells me that in 1972 I was making my own anti-Nixon flyers and passing them in the street. I have no memory of this, but I have to say it sounds right.
I remember watching Nixon’s resignation speech on that warm summer night. I was 11 by that time.
Then there was Ford who said that our long national nightmare was over, and then he pardoned the criminal ex-president. And then he tripped a lot.
After Ford came Carter. I remember the slogan “Trust me” and not liking it at all. But he wasn’t Ford, so I figured he’d be a step up. I wasn’t too right. Now my dislike of Carter’s presidency had less to do with the hostage situation or the economy. What irked me about Carter was his way too militant stance on the Soviet Union and his decision to boycott the Olympics.
November of 1980. My first election. On election day I asked my theater professor to allow me to tag a ride from college back into the city so I could vote. That night I sat in a bar called Hanratty’s on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with my father and wept into my beer. I wept because Ronald Reagan was clearly going to win. I wept because Jimmy Carter was the only alternative to Ronald Reagan. I wept because by that time, the experience I was having of my country was one of astounding arrogance, violence and egotism. I wept because I was fully understanding that so rarely does one get to vote FOR someone so much as vote against.
I wept, because I felt that the country I lived in was a country of great promise that acted as if it had already delivered on that promise and was far far far from it.
Believe it or not, growing up I still loved The United States and what it stands for that entire time. Few who knew me in those days would believe that because I ranted continually on how this country sucked. But it was because of the lies and violence I grew up watching.
Reagan, well…that’s a disaster we are still paying for. Then GHW Bush. My brother said it best when he won the election. “There is no such thing as an ex-head of the CIA” Too much conflict of interest. Too much lack of care. One day I’ll put down a rant on the entire Bush family, from Nazi Sympathizer Prescott down to Jeb’s crack addicted children, but that’s another night.
Then Bill Clinton. A man of promise, great promise and good words. I flipped the lever for him with some reluctance, only because while I liked his words, something about him seemed off. Turned out it was his dick and a lack of ability to truly consolidate his political genius in a way that truly turned the tide on the previous 12 years.
A lot of blame is laid at Clinton’s feet for W’s mistakes...ways of diverting responsibility, but we do have to admit that Clinton did have something to do with our current financial situation and the failure of true Welfare Reform. Blaming Clinton for 9/11 however is wishful thinking on W apologists’ parts.
What followed Bill is the unspeakable anti-American, anti-Constitutional activities of the W. Administration.
Can you wonder that my world view is often bitter and angry? But that bitterness and anger rises out of a love of this country, its heart and soul and the genius of the flawed men that founded it.
This year, slowly but surely I came for the first time to vote FOR someone. I watched as the kind of philosopher leader I had longed for for my whole life steadily, surely and calmly won the election for President of the United States.
I watched proudly along with 35 million other people on our televisions and 2 million braved ridiculous cold to watch him somewhat clumsily inaugurated. I feel inspired.
I am now not only proud of America’s promise, but its behavior.
I said a few days ago that perhaps we needed the last 8 years to sink so low that we had to long for sunlight so much that we drank it like starving artists for lunch.
Today I watched President Obama begin to demonstrate what it means to have good government. He spoke about the sacrifices that employees of the state department offer just by showing up.
I am proud of where we seem to be going.
I’m mindful that we’re at the start. But I’ve never seen so much heart and soul poured into national service by our political leaders.
We are moving to our promise again, we are moving forward at last. We are going to try the impossible again. We are going to lead with confidence and without fear.
We are taking patriotism back from jingoistic, ignorant buffoons and being what we stand for.
We are Americans again.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
A year of regularity?
Well, I started this blog with the idea of that whole 365 thing. A way of starting a writing discipline that would begin a kind of training.
So....not so much so far.
I don't do New Year's Resolutions. They're artificial and tend to create more tension than they're worth.
But goals are good. One of my goals is to keep writing in this blog on the subjects that matter to me every day for at least the next 365 days. But I'm not making a big deal about it.
More goals:
A better and closer relationship with my daughter.
At least double my income, if not triple it. (Yeah yeah, I know...the economy...still making it a goal)
Three paid acting gigs this year.
Achieve near debt freedom.
A particular meeting.
See more movies.
Be IN a movie. TV is great too.
Do what I can to put Christine Quinn on the unemployed list.
Laugh more. Fear less. Worry never.
Get back in shape.
No Pressure though.
See you tomorrow.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Joe Lieberman, Professional Piece of Shit
So...Connecticut Independents for Lieberman Senator, Joe Lieberman gets off scott free for being a lieing scumbag.
Harry Ried has shown once again that he is a spineless lump of flesh.
I can only hope that the abysmal approval ratings that Joe runs in Connecticut will continue and the man can collect an unemployment check in four years. (Yeah I know, he'll just become a lobbyist/consultant/whatever millionaire when its all over.
This scumbucket lied about his intentions when crooking his way to re-election a couple of years ago, did nothing as Chairman of his vaunted Homeland Security Committee. Lied about Barack Obama, campaigned for Republican Senate candidates, whined about the possibility of a filibuster proof democratic congress when he fought to stop filibusters when the Republicans ran the Senate, repeated the Bush mantra of "we are comforting our enemies when we disagree" nonsense, said the question about Obama being a Marxist was a good one.
He has no character, no integrity, no honor and has the temerity to continue to talk about his faith and character in public.
He owes the nation an apology, not just his fellow clubmembers, and he should be required to specifically point out what it is he says he regrets saying in the past few months.
Harry Ried has shown once again that he is a spineless lump of flesh.
I can only hope that the abysmal approval ratings that Joe runs in Connecticut will continue and the man can collect an unemployment check in four years. (Yeah I know, he'll just become a lobbyist/consultant/whatever millionaire when its all over.
This scumbucket lied about his intentions when crooking his way to re-election a couple of years ago, did nothing as Chairman of his vaunted Homeland Security Committee. Lied about Barack Obama, campaigned for Republican Senate candidates, whined about the possibility of a filibuster proof democratic congress when he fought to stop filibusters when the Republicans ran the Senate, repeated the Bush mantra of "we are comforting our enemies when we disagree" nonsense, said the question about Obama being a Marxist was a good one.
He has no character, no integrity, no honor and has the temerity to continue to talk about his faith and character in public.
He owes the nation an apology, not just his fellow clubmembers, and he should be required to specifically point out what it is he says he regrets saying in the past few months.
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