Ok, I'm a Democrat. No getting around it. Always have been. Most of the time the token Democrat among my friends in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
I have gamely defended Democrats and Democratic positions. For the first few years of this new century, it was tough. Rational argument was not something Republicans were interested in. I can't tell you how many times I responded to the post 9/11 question: "Aren't you glad Al Gore isn't President now?" with , "No, I'd prefer the guy who's sat in the war room for 8 years and has extensive relationships with foreign leaders, to a 1 1/2 term governor from Texas who's never been to Europe in his adult life." That, of course, was met with a pitying shake of the head.
But now the tables have turned. Now, Republicans are shaking their heads, but for a different reason: they're lost.
So, my Republican friends, as the soul searching begins, and the GOP attempts to rehabilitate the Republican 'brand', here are some thoughts to help you get it done.
For my entire life, Republicanism has always meant two things: wedge politics and moral unitarianism. Of course, these two go hand in hand--'if you don't look, think and behave like us, you're not really 'one of us'. In the 50's it was McCarthyism; in the 60's and 70's it was Nixon's enemies of state lists and 'southern strategy' of coded racial politics; in the 80's, more racial politics (Reagan in Mississippi, 'I believe in states rights', Bush with Willie Horton); in the 90's, the rise of the 'values voters'; finally, in 2000, the 'values' President.
In all of these eras, key Republican players sought to divide Americans and impose a uniformity of thought and moral conduct. And the more vitriolic still continue to do that today--Hannity, Coulter, Limbaugh.
The problem with this approach is that it betrays the idealistic underpinnings of the American experiment. This country was founded on permission to disagree--about politics, about religion, about governance, about personal conduct. The litmus test was simply 'Don't hurt others, contribute to the common good, pay your taxes, obey laws-- and you'll be left alone.
So if you Republicans want to make a comeback, start by embracing that ideal. Wherever you think America sits now politically, center right or center left, it sits squarely on that ideal. We're all tired of being divided and derided for being different.
Second, and almost axiomatically, quit fighting the universal truth that we are all interconnected. Domestically, that means recognizing that a person's success is never simply the product of their own industry, but comes with an assist from a society that provides pathways and resources to success. It also recognizes that what happens to people of lesser circumstance affects people of greater circumstance. This is not socialism, it is common sense. Internationally, it means that different countries who deal with us have to reconcile their own needs as well as ours. It also means looking for areas of common interest not just unilateral interest. This doesn't mean that we have to embrace the WTO, it just means that we have to actually discuss things with other nations in a meaningful way before we act.
Third, stop the hypocricy. Don't rail on about the 'east coast elite' when your standard bearer went to Andover, Yale and Harvard. Stop opposing affirmative action when you know he wouldn't have been admitted to Andover, Yale and Harvard if it hadn't been for his family legacy. Quit the outrage over gay marriage threatening the 'sanctity of marriage' when your party has more gay legislators and more adulters than the other side. Simmer down about profligate spending, at least until you've had that discussion with Ted Stevens. Ms. Palin, quit talking about the evils of socialism when your state government distributes more federal money and big business money to its citizens than any other. And if you believe that the Ten Commandments should be posted on the wall of a government building, then make sure you're willing to have passages from the Koran up there as well. If you want to ban legal abortion, encourage contraception. If you didn't like Saddam Hussein's genocidal tendencies, speak up about the Janjaweeds in Darfur. No one likes convenient moral outrage.
Finally, understand that government needs smart, educated, knowledgable people who know what they're doing. The blatant incompetence of the past 8 years has been the number one contributor to your calamitous political meltdown. Appointments based on loyalty or payback is, literally, a killer. Ignoring dissenting expert advice is a recipe for disaster. Refusing to compromise won't change the tone in Washington. Competent politicians don't do these things. So if you love Sarah Palin, tell her to pick up a briefing book before 2012. We've seen her type before and we won't stand for it again unless she comes armed with some real knowledge of history, foreign affairs, government and aw, heck, maybe even a passing understanding of the Constitution.
Once you've addressed these four issues, the country will be happy to listen to solid, fact based arguments that form the core of the conservative approach: lower taxes, reduced Federal beaurocracy and a strong military. This country will always resist moralistic arguments about personal behavior, but frame an issue the right way. Say you don't want to ban legal abortion, say you want to create a world where women don't have to face that awful decision. Give us empirical evidence that school vouchers actually incentivise us to create better public schools.
The country will listen. It is a country in the center. But it's tired of the divisive, moralistic, hypocritical, incompetent brand you've served up the past 8 years.
You must be tired of it, too.
How can the GOP rehabilitate itself? Comment on this or anything else by hitting the 'comments' button, by passing the Google sign up and hitting the anonymous or nickname button.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
What We Know
Now that 52% of American voters elected Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States, here are a few things we know:
The American people have the sense to come out of the rain. After 8 years of a slim Republican plurality taking the country to dangerous places financially, militarily, constitutionally and ethically, Americans said "Enough. Let's give someone else a shot."
Barack Obama knows what he's doing. Resisting the many calls to name Hillary Clinton as his running mate, to 'get tougher' (more negative) and to change his campaign strategy, he did it his way and won. In the most resounding Democratic victory since Lyndon Johnson.
Obama Campaign Director David Plouffe knows what he's doing. The architect of the single greatest campaign organization in U. S. political history.
Howard Dean knows what he's doing. He pioneered Internet fundraising and voter communication, demanded a 50 state strategy and made the Democratic Party relevant again.
The Republicans have a lot of work to do. They are not the party of mainstream America.
Lee Atwater is really dead. Though he died a while back, the racist, fearmongering politics he perfected (and repudiated on his deathbed), finally died as well. Personal, negative attacks just didn't work in this election. If you don't believe me, ask Hillary and Mac.
The politics of the Vietnam War and the politics of racial victimization are dead. Rumsfeld, Cheney and McCain can now fight the Vietnam War in their minds and not in our political agenda. Likewise, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Jeremiah Wright can vent about race victimization amongst themselves. It's time to move on.
Words matter again. The use of words as powerful tools make a welcome comeback after 8 years. Most ironic line in Obama's victory speech? Calling us to move past the 'immaturity' of partisan politics. The young President elect, not the 72 year old candidate or the 61 year old sitting president, telling us to grow up. Love it.
Intelligence matters again. While idiocy sought to gain a foothold in the form of Joe the Plumber, Americans decided to give the tough job of presiding over a country in crisis to a smart guy. Now we can all tell our kids that good grades matter--and mean it.
Politics matters again. People are engaged--and not just us political junkies. Lots of people.
What a great thing.
And one final thing: Missouri's not the infallible bellweather of presidential elections any more. It voted for McCain. Apparently, things are subject to change these days.
What else do we know from this election? Comment by hitting the 'comments' button below, by passing the Google search and hitting the anonymous or nickname button.
The American people have the sense to come out of the rain. After 8 years of a slim Republican plurality taking the country to dangerous places financially, militarily, constitutionally and ethically, Americans said "Enough. Let's give someone else a shot."
Barack Obama knows what he's doing. Resisting the many calls to name Hillary Clinton as his running mate, to 'get tougher' (more negative) and to change his campaign strategy, he did it his way and won. In the most resounding Democratic victory since Lyndon Johnson.
Obama Campaign Director David Plouffe knows what he's doing. The architect of the single greatest campaign organization in U. S. political history.
Howard Dean knows what he's doing. He pioneered Internet fundraising and voter communication, demanded a 50 state strategy and made the Democratic Party relevant again.
The Republicans have a lot of work to do. They are not the party of mainstream America.
Lee Atwater is really dead. Though he died a while back, the racist, fearmongering politics he perfected (and repudiated on his deathbed), finally died as well. Personal, negative attacks just didn't work in this election. If you don't believe me, ask Hillary and Mac.
The politics of the Vietnam War and the politics of racial victimization are dead. Rumsfeld, Cheney and McCain can now fight the Vietnam War in their minds and not in our political agenda. Likewise, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Jeremiah Wright can vent about race victimization amongst themselves. It's time to move on.
Words matter again. The use of words as powerful tools make a welcome comeback after 8 years. Most ironic line in Obama's victory speech? Calling us to move past the 'immaturity' of partisan politics. The young President elect, not the 72 year old candidate or the 61 year old sitting president, telling us to grow up. Love it.
Intelligence matters again. While idiocy sought to gain a foothold in the form of Joe the Plumber, Americans decided to give the tough job of presiding over a country in crisis to a smart guy. Now we can all tell our kids that good grades matter--and mean it.
Politics matters again. People are engaged--and not just us political junkies. Lots of people.
What a great thing.
And one final thing: Missouri's not the infallible bellweather of presidential elections any more. It voted for McCain. Apparently, things are subject to change these days.
What else do we know from this election? Comment by hitting the 'comments' button below, by passing the Google search and hitting the anonymous or nickname button.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Our Turn
It's the last day of the 2008 Presidential election. Tomorrow it will be our turn to decide where our country goes in the next four years.
It has been an extraordinary race for so many reasons: the first serious bid by a female candidate; the most successful bid by an African-American candidate; the money--over 1.1 biiiillllion dolllars! raised (and spent) by both candidates; and an economic meltdown in the middle of it all.
On either side of the aisle there were amazing developments. Democrats, for example, implemented Howard Dean's 50 state strategy to great effect. Astonishingly, Republicans found a new female right wing standard bearer not named Ann Coulter.
After 116 blogs, in which I've tried to stay as non partisan as possible (though I certainly failed on several occasions), I'm going to give you my endorsement.
I'm going to vote for Barack Obama.
Here are some of the reasons. First of all, though my conservative friends are convinced that he will be a classic tax and spend Big Government Democrat, I'm not. While it's true that we need the federal government to be more active in this economic crisis, I believe that Obama will be careful to address the needs of the free market. I base that in part on the fact that he has economic advisers from both sides of the aisle, (Warren Buffet and Paul Volker are just two names that come to mind). His pledge to repeal the Bush tax cuts is not radical socialist ideology. Most responsible economists and industry players like Robert Rubin all agree that going back to Clinton tax rates will not be onerous and are absolutely neccessary to get some financial footing. Obama also believes in 'pay as you go', a centrist budget philosophy if there ever was one.
On foreign policy, Barack Obama will not be as conciliatory to our enemies as conservatives think. Though he has stated that he believes in negotiation, he has actually out-hawked John McCain on the issue of military incursions into Pakistan. I found it ironic that McCain repeatedly hammered Obama on this policy even though Obama's stance has been identical to the Bush administration's current strategy.
Finally, I look to recent presidential campaign history as a barometer of effectiveness. The facts reveal this truism: how a candidate campaigns is how he governs. Ronald Reagan mixed a sunny optimism with a firm hand in his campaign. That was the MO in his administration. Bill Clinton prosecuted a tenacious campaign that fought back from continual personal drama. Same as his two terms. George Bush seemed like a great guy on the trail--until he started to lose to McCain in 2000 and then he let his cutthroat surrogates sling their unscrupulous dirt. No surprise then, that the guy who 'wanted to change the tone in Washington' would become the most polarizing President since Nixon.
Which brings us to McCain and Obama. What we've seen in 2008, as we saw in 2000, is a McCain who lost his way. In South Carolina in 2000, he pandered to voters on the question of the confederate flag flying atop the statehouse, stating that it was a 'states' rights issue'. He later regretted that stance. In 2008, he abandoned his happy warrior persona and let himself be 'handled' by former Bush operatives--with disastrous results. They transformed him from a center right conservative to a negative right wing nut. He also ran a sloppy, undisciplined, off- message campaign that had to reshuffle staff twice. His scatter shot reaction to the economic crisis was downright scary. I'm afraid that's what we're going to get in his administration.
Barack Obama? He has presided over the greatest presidential campaign organization ever. They've set fundraising records, on-the-ground volunteer records and voter registration records. He set out a long term 50 state strategy and stuck to it. When things got tough on the trail, he responded coolly and without rancor. His message has been disciplined, his focus singular and when he wasn't sure what to do, he asked a bunch of experts. This is what I believe we can expect from an Obama presidency.
So that's how I see it. But however you see it, please VOTE! Our republican form of government is not a spectator sport. Get out there, speak your mind and we'll see what happens.
Thanks for reading these many months.
If you'd like to comment hit the 'comments' button below, bypass the Google sing up and hit the anonymous or nickname button.
It has been an extraordinary race for so many reasons: the first serious bid by a female candidate; the most successful bid by an African-American candidate; the money--over 1.1 biiiillllion dolllars! raised (and spent) by both candidates; and an economic meltdown in the middle of it all.
On either side of the aisle there were amazing developments. Democrats, for example, implemented Howard Dean's 50 state strategy to great effect. Astonishingly, Republicans found a new female right wing standard bearer not named Ann Coulter.
After 116 blogs, in which I've tried to stay as non partisan as possible (though I certainly failed on several occasions), I'm going to give you my endorsement.
I'm going to vote for Barack Obama.
Here are some of the reasons. First of all, though my conservative friends are convinced that he will be a classic tax and spend Big Government Democrat, I'm not. While it's true that we need the federal government to be more active in this economic crisis, I believe that Obama will be careful to address the needs of the free market. I base that in part on the fact that he has economic advisers from both sides of the aisle, (Warren Buffet and Paul Volker are just two names that come to mind). His pledge to repeal the Bush tax cuts is not radical socialist ideology. Most responsible economists and industry players like Robert Rubin all agree that going back to Clinton tax rates will not be onerous and are absolutely neccessary to get some financial footing. Obama also believes in 'pay as you go', a centrist budget philosophy if there ever was one.
On foreign policy, Barack Obama will not be as conciliatory to our enemies as conservatives think. Though he has stated that he believes in negotiation, he has actually out-hawked John McCain on the issue of military incursions into Pakistan. I found it ironic that McCain repeatedly hammered Obama on this policy even though Obama's stance has been identical to the Bush administration's current strategy.
Finally, I look to recent presidential campaign history as a barometer of effectiveness. The facts reveal this truism: how a candidate campaigns is how he governs. Ronald Reagan mixed a sunny optimism with a firm hand in his campaign. That was the MO in his administration. Bill Clinton prosecuted a tenacious campaign that fought back from continual personal drama. Same as his two terms. George Bush seemed like a great guy on the trail--until he started to lose to McCain in 2000 and then he let his cutthroat surrogates sling their unscrupulous dirt. No surprise then, that the guy who 'wanted to change the tone in Washington' would become the most polarizing President since Nixon.
Which brings us to McCain and Obama. What we've seen in 2008, as we saw in 2000, is a McCain who lost his way. In South Carolina in 2000, he pandered to voters on the question of the confederate flag flying atop the statehouse, stating that it was a 'states' rights issue'. He later regretted that stance. In 2008, he abandoned his happy warrior persona and let himself be 'handled' by former Bush operatives--with disastrous results. They transformed him from a center right conservative to a negative right wing nut. He also ran a sloppy, undisciplined, off- message campaign that had to reshuffle staff twice. His scatter shot reaction to the economic crisis was downright scary. I'm afraid that's what we're going to get in his administration.
Barack Obama? He has presided over the greatest presidential campaign organization ever. They've set fundraising records, on-the-ground volunteer records and voter registration records. He set out a long term 50 state strategy and stuck to it. When things got tough on the trail, he responded coolly and without rancor. His message has been disciplined, his focus singular and when he wasn't sure what to do, he asked a bunch of experts. This is what I believe we can expect from an Obama presidency.
So that's how I see it. But however you see it, please VOTE! Our republican form of government is not a spectator sport. Get out there, speak your mind and we'll see what happens.
Thanks for reading these many months.
If you'd like to comment hit the 'comments' button below, bypass the Google sing up and hit the anonymous or nickname button.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Wrappin' it up with Joe, O, Hill and Sarah
Well, it's time to wrap this baby up. After a year of blogging and reading and talking we're three days away from electing a new POTUS.
I'm going to present a few random thoughts about the election's twists and turns and then on Monday I'll present my official endorsement.
Joe the Plumber
I really hate to sound like an East Coast elitist, but I've got to say it: Joe is everything that's wrong with America right now.
First of all, he's a fraud. He says he's a plumber, when he actually is not a licensed plumber in Ohio. He told Barack Obama that he was thinking of buying his plumbing business and wanted to know if his taxes would go up (because Obama's tax plan would restore the Clinton tax rates for those individuals and businesses making more than $250,000.) The truth is, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is about as close to buying his plumbing business as I am to buying that Gulfstream 5 I've been coveting. He has a tax lien on his house--which would be the first impediment to buying a business. He makes about $40,000, which would be another. And the banks aren't lending people money, which would also get in the way of his upward mobility.
But that hasn't stopped the McCain campaign--or the conservative punditry, from making Joe the new Joan--as in Arc; as in being sacrificed on the stake for the common man. As in declaring that Obama's tax plan would be a type of 'socialism'.
But what has been fascinating--and sad--is the way in which the country has jumped on this bandwagon. Joe now has a publicist! He has offers to be a part of the McCain admnistration. He wants to turn his celebrity into a country music career. He might get to do it.
The fact is, we, as a nation, have abandonded all regard for knowledge, for expertise, for the truth. Those are the obfuscative (look it up, people) tools of the elite. Fox News's Megan Kelly, whom I actually like, became incensed when it was pointed out that Joe wasn't who he said he was, that his name was really Samuel etc. "What does that matter?!!", she shrieked several times. And this is a journalist who is asking why the facts should get in the way of a good story.
Apparently, we want to be reassured that it's ok to be average. If that means canonizing someone who asks a disingenuous question and doesn't even listen to the answer, we'll do it if he helps us make a negative point about something. If that means marveling at a person who can get important people to regard him with respect even though he doesn't know what 's good for him, no problem-- (if Obama is elected Joe will recieve a tax cut). If he wants to talk about things of which he has no clue (Joe, could you tell us what 'socialism' really is?), we won't call him on it. In fact, we'll give him a national platfom.
Glorifying the mediocre because they remind us of us, is not how we move forward as a country.
Hillary, Obama and Sarah
Ok, it's gotta be personal. At first, I figured that Obama didn't choose Hillary as a running mate because he couldn't make the case for real change with her strapped to his ankles like a ball and chain. But with the twists and turns of the economy shifting the tenor of the campaign to steady stewardship and a break from Bush policies, she would have represented that change as much as Obama. And as I look at what Obama has asked of Joe Biden, it's clear that Hillary could have done a much better job as a running mate. Plus, the only thing that could snatch victory from Obama is low support from those blue-collar women in Pennsylvania. Yep, the same women who all voted for Hillary.
Check out this poll. Bottom line is that 1 out 7 voters are undecided. And 4 out 10 of those undecideds voted for...guess who? Yup. Hillary. So, everyone who kept saying that Obama and Hillary would be a dream team were right. With her on the ballot, this election would be over. Biggest landslide since LBJ. More than 50% of the vote. A true mandate. Without her, it's still anyone's game.
So now, I've concluded that Obama's Veep choice was personal. He doesn't like Hillary. And he's lucky she's being a mensch. She has been on the hustings in support of Obama more than 65 times since the convention. That's more than any vanquished primary opponent in support of the victor in US political history. So if you're an Obama supporter, thank Hillary Clinton if he wins. And you better hope he can survive the one major misstep in his campaign.
And it's a misstep for another reason if you're Democrat. With no Hillary on the ticket, guess who walked through that open feminist door in national politics? You betcha. Sarah Palin. While it's true that the VP pick on a losing ticket doesn't often have a great political career (Geraldine Ferraro, John Edwards and Dan Quayle come to mind), she could be different. And she could be the right wing thorn in Democrats' sides for the next two decades.
And you know who she'll be representin'. Good ol' Joe the Plumber and all those other folks that want to have their 15 minutes of fame--without knowing anything.
We'll see how it shakes out. But Obama may have some serious 'splainin' to do if it doesn't go his way. And if it doesn't go his way, somewhere the Clintons'll be saying--'told you so'.
Comment on any of this by hitting the'comments' button below, bypassing the Google sign up and hitting the anonymous or nickname button.
I'm going to present a few random thoughts about the election's twists and turns and then on Monday I'll present my official endorsement.
Joe the Plumber
I really hate to sound like an East Coast elitist, but I've got to say it: Joe is everything that's wrong with America right now.
First of all, he's a fraud. He says he's a plumber, when he actually is not a licensed plumber in Ohio. He told Barack Obama that he was thinking of buying his plumbing business and wanted to know if his taxes would go up (because Obama's tax plan would restore the Clinton tax rates for those individuals and businesses making more than $250,000.) The truth is, Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is about as close to buying his plumbing business as I am to buying that Gulfstream 5 I've been coveting. He has a tax lien on his house--which would be the first impediment to buying a business. He makes about $40,000, which would be another. And the banks aren't lending people money, which would also get in the way of his upward mobility.
But that hasn't stopped the McCain campaign--or the conservative punditry, from making Joe the new Joan--as in Arc; as in being sacrificed on the stake for the common man. As in declaring that Obama's tax plan would be a type of 'socialism'.
But what has been fascinating--and sad--is the way in which the country has jumped on this bandwagon. Joe now has a publicist! He has offers to be a part of the McCain admnistration. He wants to turn his celebrity into a country music career. He might get to do it.
The fact is, we, as a nation, have abandonded all regard for knowledge, for expertise, for the truth. Those are the obfuscative (look it up, people) tools of the elite. Fox News's Megan Kelly, whom I actually like, became incensed when it was pointed out that Joe wasn't who he said he was, that his name was really Samuel etc. "What does that matter?!!", she shrieked several times. And this is a journalist who is asking why the facts should get in the way of a good story.
Apparently, we want to be reassured that it's ok to be average. If that means canonizing someone who asks a disingenuous question and doesn't even listen to the answer, we'll do it if he helps us make a negative point about something. If that means marveling at a person who can get important people to regard him with respect even though he doesn't know what 's good for him, no problem-- (if Obama is elected Joe will recieve a tax cut). If he wants to talk about things of which he has no clue (Joe, could you tell us what 'socialism' really is?), we won't call him on it. In fact, we'll give him a national platfom.
Glorifying the mediocre because they remind us of us, is not how we move forward as a country.
Hillary, Obama and Sarah
Ok, it's gotta be personal. At first, I figured that Obama didn't choose Hillary as a running mate because he couldn't make the case for real change with her strapped to his ankles like a ball and chain. But with the twists and turns of the economy shifting the tenor of the campaign to steady stewardship and a break from Bush policies, she would have represented that change as much as Obama. And as I look at what Obama has asked of Joe Biden, it's clear that Hillary could have done a much better job as a running mate. Plus, the only thing that could snatch victory from Obama is low support from those blue-collar women in Pennsylvania. Yep, the same women who all voted for Hillary.
Check out this poll. Bottom line is that 1 out 7 voters are undecided. And 4 out 10 of those undecideds voted for...guess who? Yup. Hillary. So, everyone who kept saying that Obama and Hillary would be a dream team were right. With her on the ballot, this election would be over. Biggest landslide since LBJ. More than 50% of the vote. A true mandate. Without her, it's still anyone's game.
So now, I've concluded that Obama's Veep choice was personal. He doesn't like Hillary. And he's lucky she's being a mensch. She has been on the hustings in support of Obama more than 65 times since the convention. That's more than any vanquished primary opponent in support of the victor in US political history. So if you're an Obama supporter, thank Hillary Clinton if he wins. And you better hope he can survive the one major misstep in his campaign.
And it's a misstep for another reason if you're Democrat. With no Hillary on the ticket, guess who walked through that open feminist door in national politics? You betcha. Sarah Palin. While it's true that the VP pick on a losing ticket doesn't often have a great political career (Geraldine Ferraro, John Edwards and Dan Quayle come to mind), she could be different. And she could be the right wing thorn in Democrats' sides for the next two decades.
And you know who she'll be representin'. Good ol' Joe the Plumber and all those other folks that want to have their 15 minutes of fame--without knowing anything.
We'll see how it shakes out. But Obama may have some serious 'splainin' to do if it doesn't go his way. And if it doesn't go his way, somewhere the Clintons'll be saying--'told you so'.
Comment on any of this by hitting the'comments' button below, bypassing the Google sign up and hitting the anonymous or nickname button.
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