No Thank You, To Hillary

I will admit it.  I am not entirely happy about Obama's pick of Hillary for Sec. of State.  I don't care if she is connected and talented.  There are other brilliant minds out there that could do.  I didn't vote for her because I want her to fade away and become irrelevant.  And now?  Not a fan of the pick.  C'mon Obama!

My Daughter the Socialist

I was reading through Lucy's schoolwork and came across this (she had been reading about King Midas):

"I don't think people should spend all their life to get rich.  I think people can if they want to.  If you are rich you can't make friends.  When you are rich you can have lots of toys.  I think people that try to get rich should share their wealth."

Stirring the Pot

It looks like, in the end, the church stirred up a hornet's nest.  Support for gay marriage around the country is galvanizing and civil rights will continue to make it's steady forward march, only  now with angry galvanized troops in tow.  What so many religious people don't seem to understand is that many see this as a civil rights issue and that many believe morality is a personal issue.  We will see what happens in the war, now that the church won a battle.

Lee Atwater

I watched this last night on PBS's Frontline (you can watch it online if you missed it, and I recommend it.  It will help you wrap your brain around the inaneness of the current Republican party). It was, as always, super interesting.  It was also surprisingly sympathetic to this incredibly Machiavellian man.  Apparantly on his deathbed he felt wretched for his dirty tricks. 

Anyway, it is an interesting insight into how he took the Republican Party to where it is today and it gives insight into how easy it was for him to exploit the electorate.  Atwater thought it was hilarious how easy it was to get people to vote against their best interest by exploiting social issues, division, and fear.  His worst trick, many believe, was the infamous Willie Horton ad against Dukakis during the G.H.W. Bush campaign.  He made a not so subtly racist ad, and turned the election into a silly debate about whether Dukakis would let scary black men out of prison to rape and pillage (ironically the furlough program Dukakis had sancitoned as governor was based on the succesful program none other than Reagan had implemented in California).  It was a dirty trick and it worked.  On his deathbed he wrote many apology letters to those that were victims of his tactics.  He was the master of lying to the press, leaking bits of juicy information (mostly lies and innuendo) that sent the media in a direction helpful to his candidates.  Another favorite tactic was introducing third party candidates who would bring up incendiary irrelevant issues (like a Jewish candidate who got slandered by the "third party" candidate for not believing in Jesus. The poor man didn't see it coming.  He had been a very popular figure before being exploited by Atwater).  He believed (and rightly) that the media liked gossip, thought policy was boring, would report anything (slander and lies) before factchecking, and had the attention span of a pea.  He brilliantly manipulated the media, all the while they thought he was their good friend.   He was extremely affable and charismatic. He was the master of spin, and the Bush administration has been very adept at adopting his tactics. He shaped the Republican Party into the Southern Moral issues party, although personally he thought Pro-lifers "had extra chromosomes" and were wacko.  He didn't believe in any of the principles of the party.  He was not a conservative.  He didn't give a flying rip about conservatism.  He wasn't in it for ideology.  He loved power, he loved the fickle nature of politics, and he loved to win.   He passionately loved the game (I think the Iraq war has clearly demonstrated that politics is not and should never be viewed as a game).  For Atwater  politics was a game and he would win at any cost.  He stabbed allies in the back, manipulated, and always got his way. Papa Bush and especially Mama Bush didn't trust him, but wanted to play to win, so they kept him close while holding their noses.  But Jr. loved him from the instant he met him.  He loved his tactics and loved the political game.  Karl Rove was Atwater's protege, and well we all know why/what we have these last 8 years.  

Anyway, two points I want to make.  The last election showed that the Atwater tactics didn't work anymore.  I don't know if this is temporary or if the course of divide and conquer politics has run its course.  I certainly hope it is the latter. The racially underpinned attacks lobbed by Obama's political opponents only resonated with the Atwater built base, but fear was largely rejected by the majority.  I felt like for once there was genuine public outrage, (which we didn't see in 2004) when the McCain/Palin camp tried to assert that there are pro-American parts of the country.  Perhaps, I give the electorate more credit than they deserve.  Maybe the attacks didn't stick because Obama, a political genius who actually seems to believe in his cause,  fought back, unlike Dukakis, Gore, and Kerry.  

Second, exploiting the fears of a nation in order to win, must feel pretty crappy as election day fades into history.  I can't see McCain really enjoying the dirtier aspects of his campaign.  In 2000 he was a victim; slaughtered by the unscrupulous Atwater fans, Bush/Rove.  He has openly discussed how it is only those without any good ideas run a campaign based on fear and hate.  He and his wife took those mean-spirited attacks very personally. I wonder if Papa Bush feels as badly about Willie Horton as Atwater claimed to feel as he died his terrible death.  Some of the below the belt attacks were taken very personally by Dukakis and Dole.  They were blind sided and appalled. I actually felt bad for Atwater as one political opponent he had destroyed read on camera the deathbed apology letter he had received.  Atwater told him that he had learned through his illness (a brain tumor) that human relationships were what mattered and that power (his drug) had no meaning. I wonder if he was sincere, or if he was spinning, as he had been doing his whole life.  

Good News

I read that one of the first things Obama wants to do is close Guantanamo and offer justice to it's inmates.  This makes me so happy.  One of the largest contributor to my disappointment and disgust towards my country during the Bush era has been Guantanamo, and this is good news indeed.  A big step towards a more secure and safe and decent country.  Ever since I sat bawling in my car listening to the tales of wrongfully accused men who were incarcerated and tortured at Gmo.  on NPR's This American Life, I have been absolutely praying for the day when common sense and justice would be restored.  May those that have no reason to, forgive our country for the insanity they were the victims of.  

Are you kidding me?

I was at a church function on Saturday morning and people were utterly appalled, shocked, and outraged at the large-scale protests taking place in Utah and California against Prop 8 and the LDS church in general.

Are you kidding me?  If you are going to go political about such a sensitive controversial topic, what do you expect?

And has anyone else noticed the hate-filled rhetoric being spouted by their  Christian compatriots about gay people?  It is a shameful and sad day.  

For the record the Prop 8 movement did not get my money or support.  Live and let live, or rather Love and let Love should rule the day.  Maybe we as a church will be ready for such an idea in 20 years?  How far behind the curve were we on inter-racial marriage and acceptance of Black people?

Socialism?

Something that has really been bugging me is the whole issue of "socialism" that was brought up by the McCain campaign, when they jumped all over the Joe the Plumber moment.  Obama's programs aren't socialist.  Not by a long shot.  He isn't going to radically change the tax code.  He is going to cut taxes on middle class and raise it on the richer.  Big deal.  Not everyone believes trickle down works (me included).  Taxes have been part of life since forever.  We don't have outrageous taxation.  

What I would like to know, to all who think taxes are evil.  If not taxes what?  Why is taxing the middle class in a poor economy (believe me I live in a blue collar neighborhood, I know people struggle) instead of the wealthier a good idea?  Why do you actually believe that voodoo economics works?  What proof is there?  Doesn't the free market exist only in theory?  What programs should we cut?  I don't get it.

And Joe the Plumber is an idiot.  

Sarah Palin and John McCain

I have heard people say the left wing media destroyed McCain's chances of ever winning the presidency.  Bologne.  I was pleased that McCain was the Republican candidate.  At the time I thought if Obama didn't get the nomination, I would have no problem voting for McCain. He was far superior, in my opinion to any Republican presidential candidate we'd seen in ages.  Romney...no way.  No way did I want to see Mormons become even more institutionally Republican, but that is a whole other post.  Guliani?  I'm laughing.  Anyway, I think, fundamentally, McCain is a good man that wants a moderately run government. Well, then bring in Sarah Palin.  The media (who I don't believe has a liberal bias) had nothing to do with my opinion of her.  I had no clue who she was.  Then I watched her speech at the convention.  I was horrified.  Her dirisive mocking tone reminded me of everything I thought was wrong with the Bush administration, and the Republican party as now constituted.  She mocked community organizing.  That was uncalled for and totally irresponsible.  

And Drill Baby Drill???  I wish complex problems were so easily solved.  Why not choose to be honest?  Because, maybe Sarah didn't get it?

Well then she opened her mouth and spoke to Katie Couric.  It didn't take any spin to realize the lady was clueless.  The fact that she knew so little, couldn't name one news publication, couldn't complete a sentence, clearly had no knowledge of national affairs, couldn't properly express herself, and showed a very black and white view of the world was what made me so horrified.  And the whole Sarkozy thing...yikes!!! She was her own worst enemy.  I didn't need anyone to tell me she was far from being qualified.  And then she was out on the trail, whipping her crowds into a hate-filled frenzy.  She wasn't campainging on good ideas, but fear.  The only thing we have to fear is fear itself, indeed!

Ultimately, though, Sarah was why I was so angry at John McCain.  Just because she is nice and perky doesn't mean she is qualified.  (And after seeing Stevens re-elected, I don't know how much weight the fact that the people of Alaska elected her governor has.  Not much, I think. What is going on up there? It is like Utah where we re-elect racist Buttars, and uber-freak Chaffetz for no other reason but to prove we aren't "liberal" and that we do things "our" way, so piss off.  No common sense whatsoever.) 

How could he have been so irresponsible?  Who was advising him?  What kind of judgement did the man have?  If he didn't realize what a joke she was, heaven help him. If he did realize she was polarizing, ignorant, and in no way qualified to lead a nation but kept her on, well, he didn't deserve to be president. 

Why?

Rob encouraged me to stop sending out stupid emails that no one wants to read and just write my political thoughts down here instead.  And I have a lot of thoughts and opinions.  And I want to express myself, even though I am not entirely articulate.  Anyway, how many blogs does a person need?