Had a great evening tonight hanging out with some girlfriends who are also politically-minded. We had a wide-ranging discussion about local, state and national politics, focused mostly on what we're doing to stand up, keep fighting in 2017.
One friend asked if pulling together a "Women for [candidate]" group made sense for a current race. I said absolutely - women's issues and women's collectivism are still a thing!
Hillary lost. It is what it is. What we do next is continue to work hard to ensure that women's voices are heard at all levels of decision-making, and that women are in positions to be decision-makers.
This we can do!
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Sunday, December 11, 2016
"How the Trump Stole Christmas"
I have some ambivalence about this poem where it gets mean, and certainly would not have written it the same way myself. But the fundamental nature of it is awesome. I love when folks take good literature & update it for humor and/or social commentary. This fits that bill.
How the Trump Stole Christmas
By John Pavlovitz
In a land where the states are united, they claim,
in a sky-scraping tower adorned with his name,
lived a terrible, horrible, devious chump,
the bright orange miscreant known as the Trump.
This Trump he was mean, such a mean little man,
with the tiniest heart and two tinier hands,
and a thin set of lips etched in permanent curl,
and a sneer and a scowl and contempt for the world.
He looked down from his perch and he grinned ear to ear,
and he thought, “I could steal the election this year!
It’d be rather simple, it’s so easily won,
I’ll just make them believe that their best days are done!
Yes, I’ll make them believe that it’s all gone to Hell,
and I’ll be Jerk Messiah and their souls they will sell.
And I’ll use lots of words disconnected from truth,
but I’ll say them with style so they won’t ask for proof.
I’ll toss out random platitudes, phrases, and such,
They’re so raised on fake news that it won’t matter much!
They won’t question the how to, the what, why, or when,
I will make their America great once again!”
The Trump told them to fear, they should fear he would say,
“They’ve all come for your jobs, they’ll all take them away.
You should fear every Muslim and Mexican too,
every brown, black, and tan one, everyone who votes blue.”
And he fooled all the Christians, he fooled them indeed,
He just trotted out Jesus, that’s all Jesus folk need.
And celebrity preachers they all crowned him as king,
Tripping over themselves just to kiss the Trump’s ring.
And he spoke only lies just as if they were true,
Until they believed all of those lies were true too.
He repeated and Tweeted and he blustered and spit,
And he mislead and fibbed — and he just made up sh*t.
And the media laughed but they printed each line,
thinking “He’ll never will win, in the end we’ll be fine.”
So they chased every headline, bold typed every claim,
‘Till the fake news and real news they looked just the same.
And the scared folk who listened, they devoured each word,
Yes, they ate it all up every word that they heard,
petrified that their freedom was under attack,
trusting Trump he would take their America back.
From the gays and from ISIS, he’d take it all back,
Take it back from the Democrats, fat cats, and blacks.
And so hook, line, and sinker they all took the bait,
all his lies about making America great.
Now the Pant-suited One she was smart and prepared,
she was brilliant and steady but none of them cared,
no they cared not to see all the work that she’d done,
or the fact they the Trump had not yet done thing one.
They could only shout “Emails!”, yes “Emails!” they’d shout,
because Fox News had told them — and Fox News had clout.
And the Pant-suited One she was slandered no end,
and a lie became truth she could never defend.
And the Trump watched it all go according to plan —
a strong woman eclipsed by an insecure man.
And November the 8th arrived, finally it came,
like a slow-moving storm but it came just the same.
And Tuesday became Wednesday as those days will do,
And the night turned to morning and the nightmare came true,
With millions of non-voters still in their beds,
Yes, the Trump he had done it, just like he had said.
And the Trumpers they trumped, how they trumped when he won,
All the racists and bigots; deplorable ones,
they crawled out from the woodwork, came out to raise Hell,
they came out to be hateful and hurtful as well.
With slurs and with road signs, with spray paint and Tweets,
with death threats to neighbors and taunts on the street.
And the grossest of grossness they hurled on their peers,
while the Trump he said zilch — for the first time in years.
But he Tweeted at Hamilton, he Tweeted the Times,
And he trolled Alec Baldwin a few hundred times,
and he pouted a pout like a petulant kid,
thinking this is what Presidents actually did,
thinking he could still be a perpetual jerk,
terrified to learn he had to actually work,
work for every American, not just for a few,
not just for the white ones — there was much more to do.
He now worked for the Muslims and Mexicans too,
for the brown, black, and tan ones, and the ones who vote blue.
They were all now his bosses, now they all had a say,
and those nasty pant-suited ones were here to stay.
And the Trump he soon realized that he didn’t win,
He had gotten the thing — and the thing now had him.
And it turned out the Trump was a little too late,
for America was already more than quite great,
not because of the sameness, the opposite’s true,
It’s greatness far more than just red, white, and blue,
It’s straight, gay, and female — it’s Gentile and Jew,
It’s Transgender and Christian and Atheist too.
It’s Asians, Caucasians of every kind,
The disabled and abled, the deaf and the blind,
It’s immigrants, Muslims, and brave refugees,
It’s Liberals with bleeding hearts fixed to their sleeves.
And we are all staying, we’re staying right here,
and we’ll be the great bane of the Trump for four years.
And we’ll be twice as loud as the loudness of hate,
be the greatness that makes our America great.
And the Trump’s loudest boasts they won’t ever obscure,
over two million more of us — voted for her.
###
How the Trump Stole Christmas
By John Pavlovitz
In a land where the states are united, they claim,
in a sky-scraping tower adorned with his name,
lived a terrible, horrible, devious chump,
the bright orange miscreant known as the Trump.
This Trump he was mean, such a mean little man,
with the tiniest heart and two tinier hands,
and a thin set of lips etched in permanent curl,
and a sneer and a scowl and contempt for the world.
He looked down from his perch and he grinned ear to ear,
and he thought, “I could steal the election this year!
It’d be rather simple, it’s so easily won,
I’ll just make them believe that their best days are done!
Yes, I’ll make them believe that it’s all gone to Hell,
and I’ll be Jerk Messiah and their souls they will sell.
And I’ll use lots of words disconnected from truth,
but I’ll say them with style so they won’t ask for proof.
I’ll toss out random platitudes, phrases, and such,
They’re so raised on fake news that it won’t matter much!
They won’t question the how to, the what, why, or when,
I will make their America great once again!”
The Trump told them to fear, they should fear he would say,
“They’ve all come for your jobs, they’ll all take them away.
You should fear every Muslim and Mexican too,
every brown, black, and tan one, everyone who votes blue.”
And he fooled all the Christians, he fooled them indeed,
He just trotted out Jesus, that’s all Jesus folk need.
And celebrity preachers they all crowned him as king,
Tripping over themselves just to kiss the Trump’s ring.
And he spoke only lies just as if they were true,
Until they believed all of those lies were true too.
He repeated and Tweeted and he blustered and spit,
And he mislead and fibbed — and he just made up sh*t.
And the media laughed but they printed each line,
thinking “He’ll never will win, in the end we’ll be fine.”
So they chased every headline, bold typed every claim,
‘Till the fake news and real news they looked just the same.
And the scared folk who listened, they devoured each word,
Yes, they ate it all up every word that they heard,
petrified that their freedom was under attack,
trusting Trump he would take their America back.
From the gays and from ISIS, he’d take it all back,
Take it back from the Democrats, fat cats, and blacks.
And so hook, line, and sinker they all took the bait,
all his lies about making America great.
Now the Pant-suited One she was smart and prepared,
she was brilliant and steady but none of them cared,
no they cared not to see all the work that she’d done,
or the fact they the Trump had not yet done thing one.
They could only shout “Emails!”, yes “Emails!” they’d shout,
because Fox News had told them — and Fox News had clout.
And the Pant-suited One she was slandered no end,
and a lie became truth she could never defend.
And the Trump watched it all go according to plan —
a strong woman eclipsed by an insecure man.
And November the 8th arrived, finally it came,
like a slow-moving storm but it came just the same.
And Tuesday became Wednesday as those days will do,
And the night turned to morning and the nightmare came true,
With millions of non-voters still in their beds,
Yes, the Trump he had done it, just like he had said.
And the Trumpers they trumped, how they trumped when he won,
All the racists and bigots; deplorable ones,
they crawled out from the woodwork, came out to raise Hell,
they came out to be hateful and hurtful as well.
With slurs and with road signs, with spray paint and Tweets,
with death threats to neighbors and taunts on the street.
And the grossest of grossness they hurled on their peers,
while the Trump he said zilch — for the first time in years.
But he Tweeted at Hamilton, he Tweeted the Times,
And he trolled Alec Baldwin a few hundred times,
and he pouted a pout like a petulant kid,
thinking this is what Presidents actually did,
thinking he could still be a perpetual jerk,
terrified to learn he had to actually work,
work for every American, not just for a few,
not just for the white ones — there was much more to do.
He now worked for the Muslims and Mexicans too,
for the brown, black, and tan ones, and the ones who vote blue.
They were all now his bosses, now they all had a say,
and those nasty pant-suited ones were here to stay.
And the Trump he soon realized that he didn’t win,
He had gotten the thing — and the thing now had him.
And it turned out the Trump was a little too late,
for America was already more than quite great,
not because of the sameness, the opposite’s true,
It’s greatness far more than just red, white, and blue,
It’s straight, gay, and female — it’s Gentile and Jew,
It’s Transgender and Christian and Atheist too.
It’s Asians, Caucasians of every kind,
The disabled and abled, the deaf and the blind,
It’s immigrants, Muslims, and brave refugees,
It’s Liberals with bleeding hearts fixed to their sleeves.
And we are all staying, we’re staying right here,
and we’ll be the great bane of the Trump for four years.
And we’ll be twice as loud as the loudness of hate,
be the greatness that makes our America great.
And the Trump’s loudest boasts they won’t ever obscure,
over two million more of us — voted for her.
###
Thursday, November 24, 2016
20 Lessons from the 20th Century
Yale historian and Holocaust expert Timothy
Snyder wrote: "Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy
yield to fascism, Nazism, or communism. Our one advantage is that we might
learn from their experience. Now is a good time to do so." Snyder's a
member of the Council on Foreign Relations (which includes former Secretaries
of State), and consults on political situations around the globe.
1. Do not obey in advance. Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You've already done this, haven't you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom.
2. Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don't protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning.
-->
He says, "Here are twenty lessons from the
twentieth century, adapted to the circumstances of today.
1. Do not obey in advance. Much of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then start to do it without being asked. You've already done this, haven't you? Stop. Anticipatory obedience teaches authorities what is possible and accelerates unfreedom.
2. Defend an institution. Follow the courts or the media, or a court or a newspaper. Do not speak of "our institutions" unless you are making them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions don't protect themselves. They go down like dominoes unless each is defended from the beginning.
3. Recall professional ethics. When the leaders
of state set a negative example, professional commitments to just practice become
much more important. It is hard to break a rule-of-law state without lawyers,
and it is hard to have show trials without judges.
4. When listening to politicians, distinguish
certain words. Look out for the expansive use of "terrorism" and
"extremism." Be alive to the fatal notions of "exception"
and "emergency." Be angry about the treacherous use of patriotic
vocabulary.
5. Be calm when the unthinkable arrives. When
the terrorist attack comes, remember that all authoritarians at all times
either await or plan such events in order to consolidate power. Think of the
Reichstag fire. The sudden disaster that requires the end of the balance of
power, the end of opposition parties, and so on, is the oldest trick in the
Hitlerian book. Don't fall for it.
6. Be kind to our language. Avoid pronouncing
the phrases everyone else does. Think up your own way of speaking, even if only
to convey that thing you think everyone is saying. (Don't use the internet
before bed. Charge your gadgets away from your bedroom, and read.) What to
read? Perhaps "The Power of the Powerless" by Václav Havel, 1984 by
George Orwell, The Captive Mind by Czesław Milosz, The Rebel by Albert Camus,
The Origins of Totalitarianism by Hannah Arendt, or Nothing is True and
Everything is Possible by Peter Pomerantsev.
7. Stand out. Someone has to. It is easy, in
words and deeds, to follow along. It can feel strange to do or say something
different. But without that unease, there is no freedom. And the moment you set
an example, the spell of the status quo is broken, and others will follow.
8. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to
abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power, because
there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is
spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights.
9. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself.
Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by
subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on your screen is
there to harm you. Bookmark PropOrNot or other sites that investigate foreign
propaganda pushes.
10. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants
your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen.
Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make
new friends and march with them.
11. Make eye contact and small talk. This is
not just polite. It is a way to stay in touch with your surroundings, break
down unnecessary social barriers, and come to understand whom you should and
should not trust. If we enter a culture of denunciation, you will want to know
the psychological landscape of your daily life.
12. Take responsibility for the face of the
world. Notice the swastikas and the other signs of hate. Do not look away and do
not get used to them. Remove them yourself and set an example for others to do
so.
13. Hinder the one-party state. The parties
that took over states were once something else. They exploited a historical
moment to make political life impossible for their rivals. Vote in local and
state elections while you can.
14. Give regularly to good causes, if you can.
Pick a charity and set up autopay. Then you will know that you have made a free
choice that is supporting civil society helping others doing something good.
15. Establish a private life. Nastier rulers
will use what they know about you to push you around. Scrub your computer of
malware. Remember that email is skywriting. Consider using alternative forms of
the internet, or simply using it less. Have personal exchanges in person. For
the same reason, resolve any legal trouble. Authoritarianism works as a
blackmail state, looking for the hook on which to hang you. Try not to have too
many hooks.
16. Learn from others in other countries. Keep
up your friendships abroad, or make new friends abroad. The present
difficulties here are an element of a general trend. And no country is going to
find a solution by itself. Make sure you and your family have passports.
17. Watch out for the paramilitaries. When the
men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing
uniforms and marching around with torches and pictures of a Leader, the end is
nigh. When the pro-Leader paramilitary and the official police and military
intermingle, the game is over.
18. Be reflective if you must be armed. If you
carry a weapon in public service, God bless you and keep you. But know that
evils of the past involved policemen and soldiers finding themselves, one day,
doing irregular things. Be ready to say no. (If you do not know what this
means, contact the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and ask about
training in professional ethics.)
19. Be as courageous as you can. If none of us
is prepared to die for freedom, then all of us will die in unfreedom.
20. Be a patriot. The incoming president is
not. Set a good example of what America means for the generations to come. They
will need it."
-->
I am reminded that the poet Maya Angelou said: "Courage is the most important virtue, because without it, it is impossible to practice any other virtue consistently."
Monday, February 02, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
We're Ready!
I've had the tag line: "Gen X will soon lead the world... are we ready?" for several years now... and here it is! Barack Obama was born in 1961. That puts him in most people's range for Gen X, and very close even if you date us from '63 instead of '60.
He has several top officials in his administration who are Gen X. Education Secretary-designate Arne Duncan looks like the youngest with a Nov. '64 birthday. Lisa Jackson, his new EPA head, was born in '62. Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner, like Obama, was born in '61. Chief of staff Rahm Emanual was born in November of '59, just missing the Gen X label but no doubt bringing some Gen X attitudes.
So far, it looks like Gen X will do a much better job than the Boomers did. Clinton & Bush (W) were both partisans who didn't get things done the way they wanted to. I'm not sure what we'll say about Obama four or eight years form now, but I am sure that he is ready.
It's time! :)
He has several top officials in his administration who are Gen X. Education Secretary-designate Arne Duncan looks like the youngest with a Nov. '64 birthday. Lisa Jackson, his new EPA head, was born in '62. Treasury Secretary-designate Timothy Geithner, like Obama, was born in '61. Chief of staff Rahm Emanual was born in November of '59, just missing the Gen X label but no doubt bringing some Gen X attitudes.
So far, it looks like Gen X will do a much better job than the Boomers did. Clinton & Bush (W) were both partisans who didn't get things done the way they wanted to. I'm not sure what we'll say about Obama four or eight years form now, but I am sure that he is ready.
It's time! :)
Friday, November 21, 2008
Still Interested...
Obama has a new website: www.change.gov - the Office of the President-Elect.
Since I'm not done being interested in what's happening at the Presidential level, this is a great website for tracking who's been appointed and what's just a rumor. Check it out!
Since I'm not done being interested in what's happening at the Presidential level, this is a great website for tracking who's been appointed and what's just a rumor. Check it out!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
A Lawn Sign with Attitude
Gen X creativity in action: JP has uploaded his designs to CafePress.com so you can now buy lawnsigns, buttons, etc with the designs from the entry "Partisan but Entertaining" below - and more!
This sign is in his yard right now...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
"Decent family man" is to "Arab" as "Barack Obama" is to ________
A supporter says to John McCain at a rally that Barack Obama is an "Arab" and he replies "No, ma'am, he's a decent family man." (This happens in Minnesota, of course - aren't we proud.)
Hello? How is "decent" the opposite of "Arab"?!!?!?!
And then McCain's close advisor, Mark Salter, says that the campaign is not responsible for "the occasional nut who shows up and yells something about Barack Obama" - as if the climate of racial hate that those folks are acting from was NOT created by contemporary Republicans? Really?!
I have HAD IT with McCain. One word: PATHETIC.
Hello? How is "decent" the opposite of "Arab"?!!?!?!
And then McCain's close advisor, Mark Salter, says that the campaign is not responsible for "the occasional nut who shows up and yells something about Barack Obama" - as if the climate of racial hate that those folks are acting from was NOT created by contemporary Republicans? Really?!
I have HAD IT with McCain. One word: PATHETIC.
Sunday, October 05, 2008
TRUTH (it's about time)
Richard Trumka lays it out there... and bless him for having the GUTS to say it!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Five-Thirty-Eight
Interesting new website - extensively tracking the polls to predict the outcome of the Presidential election based on electoral votes. Not that polls tell us much of anything... but it's still good fun. Check it out at Five-Thirty-Eight
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Obama's Advice from West Wing's Bartlett...
Maureen Dowd had the fabulous idea to ask Aaron Sorkin to write a scene in which Barack Obama asks Jed Bartlett for advice.. very funny and of course RIGHT ON. Check it out in Dowd's recent NYT column.
My favorite lines:
BARTLET I wouldn’t go that far. Brains made me look arrogant but they make you look uppity.
~~~
LOVE IT! Attitude and truth are a powerful combination. :)
My favorite lines:
OBAMA I didn’t expect you to answer the door yourself.
BARTLET I didn’t expect you to be getting beat by John McCain and a Lancôme rep who thinks “The Flintstones” was based on a true story, so let’s call it even.
OBAMA They pivoted off the argument that I was inexperienced to the criticism that I’m — wait for it — the Messiah, who, by the way, was a community organizer. When I speak I try to lead with inspiration and aptitude. How is that a liability?
BARTLET Because the idea of American exceptionalism doesn’t extend to Americans being exceptional. If you excelled academically and are able to casually use 690 SAT words then you might as well have the press shoot video of you giving the finger to the Statue of Liberty while the Dixie Chicks sing the University of the Taliban fight song. The people who want English to be the official language of the United States are uncomfortable with their leaders being fluent in it.
OBAMA You’re saying race doesn’t have anything to do with it?BARTLET I wouldn’t go that far. Brains made me look arrogant but they make you look uppity.
~~~
OBAMA The problem is we can’t appear angry. Bush called us the angry left. Did you see anyone in Denver who was angry?
BARTLET Well ... let me think. ...We went to war against the wrong country, Osama bin Laden just celebrated his seventh anniversary of not being caught either dead or alive, my family’s less safe than it was eight years ago, we’ve lost trillions of dollars, millions of jobs, thousands of lives and we lost an entire city due to bad weather. So, you know ... I’m a little angry.
OBAMA What would you do?
BARTLET GET ANGRIER! Call them liars, because that’s what they are. Sarah Palin didn’t say “thanks but no thanks” to the Bridge to Nowhere. She just said “Thanks.” You were raised by a single mother on food stamps — where does a guy with eight houses who was legacied into Annapolis get off calling you an elitist? And by the way, if you do nothing else, take that word back. Elite is a good word, it means well above average. I’d ask them what their problem is with excellence. While you’re at it, I want the word “patriot” back. McCain can say that the transcendent issue of our time is the spread of Islamic fanaticism or he can choose a running mate who doesn’t know the Bush doctrine from the Monroe Doctrine, but he can’t do both at the same time and call it patriotic. They have to lie — the truth isn’t their friend right now. Get angry. Mock them mercilessly; they’ve earned it. McCain decried agents of intolerance, then chose a running mate who had to ask if she was allowed to ban books from a public library. It’s not bad enough she thinks the planet Earth was created in six days 6,000 years ago complete with a man, a woman and a talking snake, she wants schools to teach the rest of our kids to deny geology, anthropology, archaeology and common sense too? It’s not bad enough she’s forcing her own daughter into a loveless marriage to a teenage hood, she wants the rest of us to guide our daughters in that direction too? It’s not enough that a woman shouldn’t have the right to choose, it should be the law of the land that she has to carry and deliver her rapist’s baby too? I don’t know whether or not Governor Palin has the tenacity of a pit bull, but I know for sure she’s got the qualifications of one. And you’re worried about seeming angry? You could eat their lunch, make them cry and tell their mamas about it and God himself would call it restrained. There are times when you are simply required to be impolite. There are times when condescension is called for!
~~~LOVE IT! Attitude and truth are a powerful combination. :)
Monday, September 08, 2008
Juno to Juneau
Creativity at its finest! Call it political satire or just making fun of hypocrisy when we see it - either way this is hilarious.[Not following politics this week? GOP VP Candidate Sarah Palin's 17-yr old daughter is pregnant. Which we'd ignore if Palin wasn't adamantly anti-sex-ed and anti-abortion.]
I admit to a small amount of hypocrisy of my own here: in general, I believe we should leave the kids out of this election - it's not the girl's fault her mother is running for office. But this was just too spot-on not to share.
Amazing what photoshop (or whatever application was used) can do! (Look up Sarah Palin on Snopes.com to see a very funny fake picture of her in a flag-pattern bikini with a rifle.)
Again, hats off to folks who think of things I never would. Love it.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
My "Lady Brain" Is Just Amused
I was amused when I heard that John McCain had chosen Sarah Palin as his running mate - all I could think was: BIGGEST PANDER EVER!
Leave it to John Stewart & Samantha Bee to articulate better than I ever could why this choice is so dumb - Friday's Daily Show has a great "analysis" of the choice. The skit is funny but also right on.
Some women are offended by his choice, and some are energized - I just think it's funny. If Obama wins in a landslide, I will NOT be surprised. The one good thing this choice will probably accomplish for McCain is getting conservatives who couldn't bear to vote for either candidate to independents who will say "are you kidding me???" is much larger.
I also remember how badly Mondale lost in '84... everyone always credits his straight talk about raising taxes, but I think having Ferraro on the ticket was relevant too. As the Democratic primary season revealed (to my surprise) sexism is worse than racism in the country right now. There are plenty of folks who are simply not comfortable with a woman in charge.
But to his credit: McCain just made this race even more interesting! :)
Leave it to John Stewart & Samantha Bee to articulate better than I ever could why this choice is so dumb - Friday's Daily Show has a great "analysis" of the choice. The skit is funny but also right on.
Some women are offended by his choice, and some are energized - I just think it's funny. If Obama wins in a landslide, I will NOT be surprised. The one good thing this choice will probably accomplish for McCain is getting conservatives who couldn't bear to vote for either candidate to independents who will say "are you kidding me???" is much larger.
I also remember how badly Mondale lost in '84... everyone always credits his straight talk about raising taxes, but I think having Ferraro on the ticket was relevant too. As the Democratic primary season revealed (to my surprise) sexism is worse than racism in the country right now. There are plenty of folks who are simply not comfortable with a woman in charge.
But to his credit: McCain just made this race even more interesting! :)
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Points for Creativity!
Nothing makes me feel old like seeing a really fun, creative idea executed by people 20 years younger than me! Whether or not you think this is silly, we have to give these kids points for creativity.
The New York Times reports a new movement of Barack Obama supporters who are "expressing solidarity with him" by adopting the middle name "Hussein" on Facebook pages and in daily life.
A cursory look at the results for a search of "Hussein" on Facebook today netted: Tonya Hussein Van Tol, John Hussein Hartman, Dustin Hussein Hamari, and Kyle Hussein Randall, all in the first 2 pages.
There are lots of ways to make a point, but at least this one is entertaining. I like it!
The New York Times reports a new movement of Barack Obama supporters who are "expressing solidarity with him" by adopting the middle name "Hussein" on Facebook pages and in daily life.
A cursory look at the results for a search of "Hussein" on Facebook today netted: Tonya Hussein Van Tol, John Hussein Hartman, Dustin Hussein Hamari, and Kyle Hussein Randall, all in the first 2 pages.
There are lots of ways to make a point, but at least this one is entertaining. I like it!
Thursday, August 07, 2008
I Hope I'm Wrong
I was genuinely surprised at the headline on today's Start Tribune - "Franco Guilty in Crash" - though I probably shouldn't be. I'm been making Minnesota red-state jokes for a couple years now, so I know that anti-immigrant negativity is alive & well here. But seeing that Olga Franco was found guilty in that bus crash was jarring: I still don't expect that from Minnesotans.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope there was compelling evidence that she did it, and somehow it just didn't make it into the newspaper. All I know about the case is what I've read in the StarTribune, so I realize that may leave much to be desired. But there is so much reasonable doubt in my mind that I can't help but wonder what role anti-immigrant sentiment - read racism - played in the verdict.
For the first time this year, I can envision McCain winning the presidency. I hope I'm wrong.
I hope I'm wrong. I hope there was compelling evidence that she did it, and somehow it just didn't make it into the newspaper. All I know about the case is what I've read in the StarTribune, so I realize that may leave much to be desired. But there is so much reasonable doubt in my mind that I can't help but wonder what role anti-immigrant sentiment - read racism - played in the verdict.
For the first time this year, I can envision McCain winning the presidency. I hope I'm wrong.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
World View on Zimbabwe
A friend forwarded these political cartoons from around the world that she received from a friend of hers in South Africa. Small planet. Big issue.
No shock to find that folks in leadership in Zimbabwe are not interested in what we think about it! In a recent article on allAfrica.com that appears to be from a newspaper in Zimbabwe, a senior aid to Mugabe, Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde George Charamba, is quoted as saying the West can "go hang a thousand times" for criticising Zimbabwe's presidential election run-off.
Alrighty then.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
The More Things Change...
Mitch Pearlstein has a hilarious little quiz in the Strib today: eleven quotes by presidential candidates about change. From Bush to Obama to Nixon to Kennedy, you can't tell them apart.
Examples:
2. "My fellow Americans, something new, something different has happened. It is the end of an era and the beginning of a new day."
8. "This nation is daring and decent and ready for change... My fellow citizens, we can begin again."
Same message? The first is from Hubert Humphrey in 1968 - the second is GW Bush in 2000.
The more things change...
Examples:
2. "My fellow Americans, something new, something different has happened. It is the end of an era and the beginning of a new day."
8. "This nation is daring and decent and ready for change... My fellow citizens, we can begin again."
Same message? The first is from Hubert Humphrey in 1968 - the second is GW Bush in 2000.
The more things change...
Thursday, June 12, 2008
"I'm Voting Republican..."
OK, this is certainly superficial - and maybe even mean - but it's also worth seeing and thinking about...!
It's Come to This...
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but apparently since they can't attack his platform or positions, folks are just attacking Obama with lies. The campaign has created an official "Fight the Smears" page on its website to debunk the lies as they circulate.
I'm sad that it's even needed, but at least modern technology allows the truth to catch up! (What's the old phrase: "A lie makes it half way around the world while the truth is lacing up its shoes?!")
Check it out!
I'm sad that it's even needed, but at least modern technology allows the truth to catch up! (What's the old phrase: "A lie makes it half way around the world while the truth is lacing up its shoes?!")
Check it out!
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