J: Well, it's been a few days since the election. I can finally try and give my initial thoughts on what we've witnessed. I've tried twice before, but got way too emotional.
First off, it still boggles my mind that we can have an orderly transition of power. The people speak, the winners celebrate, and the losers accept it and move on. That's mind-boggling if you think about it for more than a second- people willingly relinquish power. The President just says "I'm good. Your turn. Have fun with it" and moves on.
But that's Drunken Civics. Not our gig. I want to look at the three turning points in this campaign. These were all tipping points- where the election could have taken a radically different turn.
First and foremost was January 26th- the South Carolina primary. To narrow it down even more, the 17 minute victory speech that Barack made. That set the standard for what C. refers to as "Shock and Awe" speeches by the President-Elect. Prior to that moment, Obama could have been just another winner of the Iowa Caucus- like Tom Harkin, Dick Gephart, and "Uncommitted". After that speech, we really saw the blossoming of the Obama movement.
And, good lord, that was a good speech.
The second moment came in Denver, at the Democratic Convention. Senator Hillary Clinton could have engaged in a long and drawn-out fight for the nomination. She most likely would have lost, but instead, she chose to have Senator Obama nominated by acclamation. That seemingly simple move allowed her supporters the freedom to support Barack. If she would have fought tooth and nail, she could have possibly thrown a ton of voters into McCain's camp. I don't know if it would have mattered in the long run, but it could have been the difference between a landslide/mandate and a narrow victory.
The third moment wasn't an instant- it was a period of almost a month, and that was John McCain's bizarre September. The Palin selection excited a ton of people... for a few days. Then, we got to hear her speak. Even though we can be a bit reactionary as a Nation, we instinctively understand some things. One of these apparently is "If you get eviscerated in an interview with Katie Couric, you're not ready to play politics at the major-league level". By the 26th, when the McCain I'm-Going-to-Suspend-my-Campaign play had failed, and he stepped on the stage at Ole Miss... the writing was on the wall.
If this race was a prize fight, it would have been called.
11.07.2008
11.06.2008
America the Beautiful
C. On October 6th, 2008, Drunken Politics was the first major media entity to predict an Obama Landslide victory. Here's our President Elect giving his victory address to an America starved for a thoughtful, daring and powerful restoration. One of what will be many Shock and Awe speeches:
11.04.2008
Enough with Carrots, More Stick
C.
Enough with this pleading for Americans to pretty pretty please please go vote. Ever want stand in a voter line in Haiti? Or name a random central African country. Or let's bring up a visual for our denser American citizens, the Purple-thumbed of Bagdad. You, in the most putrid state of willful ignorance, don't have the 'time', or you whine it doesn't really matter because THOSE politicians are all corrupt, etc., etc.. Guess what? The reason your job got shipped overseas, the reason why your house is going bye-bye, gas prices up, food prices up, the Chinese are poisoning your kid's Robo-former, is simple to understand. You are pathetic and lazy and you let it happen because it requires thinking and being an active participant in the true American Way of Life. And maybe you've heard, some of your fellow citizens get shot at for a living to protect your Rights.
Well, I say enough is enough. Go ahead, blame greedy corporations. Who let the line get blurred? Do you know your Congressman's views or voting record concerning anything? You non-voters revoke your right to citizenship. Gitmo could be put good use, what's that? I can't you hear you with your head underwater. Who are your two Senators? We'll let you out when you can recite The Federalist Papers verbatim.The Chinese had an interesting approach to re-education camps. Heck, we don't even have to deport you. We own our own version of Siberia, that's right, Alaska has lots of room for you and your buddies. Fresh air and meat just wandering around. Sorry though, no more socialist oil checks. See, you are no longer citizens. Besides, we don't want or need you sucking up valuable and scarce commodities, clogging up traffic and prisons, driving up the cost of healthcare and drinking our clean water. Bad news, you and those who scoff at participation in the process are no longer welcome.
But you, Joe Don't Vote, have been given every opportunity to be patriotic. Do you really want Citizenship Revoked with Extreme Prejudice stamped on your driver's license? It's Election Eve. You've still got a couple of hours to dig up a newspaper, (the tree-thing with words), go stand in line, pull a lever or touch a screen and end what shame and guilt you carry with you every day. Wait what? You might not even be registered to vote? Pssst. Remember that oopsy, little Patriot Act thingy THAT YOU IGNORED that only spied on pesky terrorists? Should have paid attention. We're watching you.
Just go vote, save us the trouble of tracking you down.
Enough with this pleading for Americans to pretty pretty please please go vote. Ever want stand in a voter line in Haiti? Or name a random central African country. Or let's bring up a visual for our denser American citizens, the Purple-thumbed of Bagdad. You, in the most putrid state of willful ignorance, don't have the 'time', or you whine it doesn't really matter because THOSE politicians are all corrupt, etc., etc.. Guess what? The reason your job got shipped overseas, the reason why your house is going bye-bye, gas prices up, food prices up, the Chinese are poisoning your kid's Robo-former, is simple to understand. You are pathetic and lazy and you let it happen because it requires thinking and being an active participant in the true American Way of Life. And maybe you've heard, some of your fellow citizens get shot at for a living to protect your Rights.
Well, I say enough is enough. Go ahead, blame greedy corporations. Who let the line get blurred? Do you know your Congressman's views or voting record concerning anything? You non-voters revoke your right to citizenship. Gitmo could be put good use, what's that? I can't you hear you with your head underwater. Who are your two Senators? We'll let you out when you can recite The Federalist Papers verbatim.The Chinese had an interesting approach to re-education camps. Heck, we don't even have to deport you. We own our own version of Siberia, that's right, Alaska has lots of room for you and your buddies. Fresh air and meat just wandering around. Sorry though, no more socialist oil checks. See, you are no longer citizens. Besides, we don't want or need you sucking up valuable and scarce commodities, clogging up traffic and prisons, driving up the cost of healthcare and drinking our clean water. Bad news, you and those who scoff at participation in the process are no longer welcome.
But you, Joe Don't Vote, have been given every opportunity to be patriotic. Do you really want Citizenship Revoked with Extreme Prejudice stamped on your driver's license? It's Election Eve. You've still got a couple of hours to dig up a newspaper, (the tree-thing with words), go stand in line, pull a lever or touch a screen and end what shame and guilt you carry with you every day. Wait what? You might not even be registered to vote? Pssst. Remember that oopsy, little Patriot Act thingy THAT YOU IGNORED that only spied on pesky terrorists? Should have paid attention. We're watching you.
Just go vote, save us the trouble of tracking you down.
11.03.2008
Reaching Across a Different Aisle
J: White Supremacists overwhelmingly support Barack Obama.
C. We'll just let anyone register to vote. Geezus Crisp.
C. We'll just let anyone register to vote. Geezus Crisp.
11.01.2008
10.31.2008
Friday Hangover
J: Here we are- one last weekend until the Big One. There are smears and infomercials flying about, and Halloween looms large over the political landscape. Both camps are dressing up as centrists, in a last-ditch effort to gain the few undecided voters that remain.
Fortunately, I'm no longer in the crosshairs of anyone's Get Out the Vote movement. For the first time in my life, I early-voted. I normally like the polls on Election Day- the sense of being part of a group of citizens participating in our civic duty. But having children and no obvious babysitter made the convenience of voting early impossible to ignore. As I was walking out the door, my Little Guy asked me where I was going, so I told him "to vote". Well, there was no way I could be allowed to do that without supervision, so we piled in the Honda and were off to the polls. Once inside, he was fascinated by the process. I showed him the sample ballot, explained to him that straight-ticket voting was for lazy people who didn't do their research, and basically gave him his first lesson in Democracy. I cast my ballot, got my sticker- which promptly went on his shirt- and came home. He enjoyed it so much that when Mrs. J. then went to cast her vote, he absolutely insisted on going back with her. Perhaps it's my Kentucky roots showing, but when a three-year-old insists on heading to the voting booth as many times as possible... well, let's just say I'm proud. Next time around, I think I'll teach him how to buy and sell votes. He and Lyndon Johnson's grandkids can roll around Texas, driving the elderly to the polls.
Speaking of the elderly, I'm really starting to feel bad for John McCain.The more I think about his campaign, the more I truly believe that his entire plan for getting to the White House involved a race against Senator Clinton. If Hillary! had been his opponent, he could have easily chosen Joe Lieberman as his running mate, because whatever issues the base might have with McCain, their hatred of all things Clinton would assure him their support. Instead, his hand was forced, and we get the Palin show. But there will be more time for hindsight once the votes are officially counted.
And I think the person with the biggest axe to grind in the GOP may turn out to be Mike Huckabee. He appeals to the same crowd as Palin, he has far more executive experience, and even most of the Left just likes the guy. If I could have any politician as a neighbor, it would be Mike. He seems like he'd invite you over for a barbecue, and offer you a beer- even though he doesn't drink himself, he keeps a few on hand for guests. He's got to be sitting on a porch in Arkansas and laughing about the absurdity of this race. I expect to see more from him soon, because I believe he's going to end up as the spokesman for the Evangelical wing of the Republican Party.
C: J., I commend you. My father took me to the polls at 6:30AM before he had to go to work when I was a little guy. The metallic sound of the big armature and the curtain whistling behind us, the clack of the levers, is something I will never forget. I got a 'I voted today' sticker. And a cookie. Fine church lady volunteers, indeed. This is a moment that taught me respect for our country, citizenship and the value of one man, one vote. This being an American is serious business and the world is envious of this privilege.
Fortunately, I'm no longer in the crosshairs of anyone's Get Out the Vote movement. For the first time in my life, I early-voted. I normally like the polls on Election Day- the sense of being part of a group of citizens participating in our civic duty. But having children and no obvious babysitter made the convenience of voting early impossible to ignore. As I was walking out the door, my Little Guy asked me where I was going, so I told him "to vote". Well, there was no way I could be allowed to do that without supervision, so we piled in the Honda and were off to the polls. Once inside, he was fascinated by the process. I showed him the sample ballot, explained to him that straight-ticket voting was for lazy people who didn't do their research, and basically gave him his first lesson in Democracy. I cast my ballot, got my sticker- which promptly went on his shirt- and came home. He enjoyed it so much that when Mrs. J. then went to cast her vote, he absolutely insisted on going back with her. Perhaps it's my Kentucky roots showing, but when a three-year-old insists on heading to the voting booth as many times as possible... well, let's just say I'm proud. Next time around, I think I'll teach him how to buy and sell votes. He and Lyndon Johnson's grandkids can roll around Texas, driving the elderly to the polls.
Speaking of the elderly, I'm really starting to feel bad for John McCain.The more I think about his campaign, the more I truly believe that his entire plan for getting to the White House involved a race against Senator Clinton. If Hillary! had been his opponent, he could have easily chosen Joe Lieberman as his running mate, because whatever issues the base might have with McCain, their hatred of all things Clinton would assure him their support. Instead, his hand was forced, and we get the Palin show. But there will be more time for hindsight once the votes are officially counted.
And I think the person with the biggest axe to grind in the GOP may turn out to be Mike Huckabee. He appeals to the same crowd as Palin, he has far more executive experience, and even most of the Left just likes the guy. If I could have any politician as a neighbor, it would be Mike. He seems like he'd invite you over for a barbecue, and offer you a beer- even though he doesn't drink himself, he keeps a few on hand for guests. He's got to be sitting on a porch in Arkansas and laughing about the absurdity of this race. I expect to see more from him soon, because I believe he's going to end up as the spokesman for the Evangelical wing of the Republican Party.
C: J., I commend you. My father took me to the polls at 6:30AM before he had to go to work when I was a little guy. The metallic sound of the big armature and the curtain whistling behind us, the clack of the levers, is something I will never forget. I got a 'I voted today' sticker. And a cookie. Fine church lady volunteers, indeed. This is a moment that taught me respect for our country, citizenship and the value of one man, one vote. This being an American is serious business and the world is envious of this privilege.
10.27.2008
The Twenty Fifth Amendment
C. Where in the Hades is Vice President Dick Cheney? Has anyone seen or heard from him? Did he run away from home? Is the door on the bunker accidently locked from the outside? Is he out scouring the backcountry of our dear ally Pakistan for Bin Laden? Has he shot that SOB in the face? Is this the November 2nd surprise, Cheney shaking the decapitated, bloody, elusive melon on Meet The Press for all the wussy doubters on a Sunday morning? Drunken Politics North has no inside information.
Oop, there's my flagpin...
Speaking of hard-core wild big game hunters, is there no place in an Obama Homeland Security Department for a moose killer? Recently, Governor Palin explained the job description of the Vice President. According to a certain Fancy Wardrobe Snow Machine Queen, the magic invisible ink asterisk on the Constitution implies that the VEEP assists in the creation and negotiation of legislation. Gettin' in there and creatin' policy with them Senators, you betcha. That loud *smack* sound is Senator Joseph Biden knocking himself out with a self-inflicted forehead slap. Senator John McCain and some top staffers have now thrown Governor Sarah Palin under the bus. When your staff goes on open background in the New York Times and The Washington Post stating your VP pick has gone rogue, 10 days prior to the election, psssst rogue, roguey-rogue, the excuse is in.
One way or another, eventually it would be fascinating to hear the rationale behind her ascension from McCain himself. She's whipped up the ugliest pitchfork elements of a very very new, foamy rabid Republican Party. And the case could easily be made that Alaska's Governor has not added a single vote that wasn't already sympathetic to the George Wallace legacy turned Republican voter wing. Dig through the data, maybe the silliest move ever made by a potential POTUS. Even the Senator Larry Craig Christian fundamentalists are thinking, 'whoa, whoa whoa...vetting anyone?' As strange as this sounds the party of Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower,Charles Hagel, Nelson Rockefeller, William F. Buckley, George Will, David Brooks, Jacob Javits, Arnold Schwarzenegger, GHWB, Robert Dole, Richard Milhouse Nixon, P.J. O'Rourke, Lincoln Chafee, a whole bunch of Wall Street Nouveau Socialistas and Ronnie 'Morning in America' Reagan, has stepped way way out over the edge. Let's just see how long this new xenophobic jingo snake-handlin' nutbag luncheon lasts.
Even Spiro T. Agnew is blushing in the grave.
J. The most interesting part about Palin going off-topic is the perception that she's trying to set herself up for a 2012 run on the top of the ticket. At some point, someone is going to have to pull her aside and explain that exceptionally heavy unfavorable ratings do not bode well in a national election. The more Caribou Barbie speaks, the more the GOP looks like it could very easily split into two parties- the fiscal conservatives and the evangelicals. The other option here would be for the Libertarians to really extend their outreach efforts and try to recruit more disaffected Republicans into their ranks.
The funny thing is, there are certain places where the Libertarian candidate is affecting the state outcome. In Montana, the Obama/McCain race is razor thin, and Bob Barr is pulling a few percentage points. But, McCain has an even bigger challenge in the Big Sky Country- Ron Paul. That's right, our favorite candidate-with-a-blimp is still on the Montana ballot, and he's polling in the 4-5% range. If the Libertarians and fiscal conservatives cause Montana to flip blue, hilarity will ensue.
But, back to Palin. If the McCain campaign knows anything, it's definitely not how to stay on-topic, and the fact that she's making them nervous is a telling sign. I absolutely cannot wait for the books that will come out on this campaign. The Republicans had, in the past, been far better at the game than they showed this year. If Johnny Mac had been allowed to choose Lieberman or even Mittens Romney as his running mate, this would be a much tighter race. It's not like it would have been difficult to get the evangelicals to fall into line. It would have taken one sentence- "OK, vote for the pro-choice Democrat with the odd name". Maybe a speech by Huckabee, just to be on the safe side. Just like the diehard Hillary supporters, they would have made some noise, then gone right back to supporting their own self-interest.
Personally, I hope Palin doesn't get the hint, and decides to make a 2012 run- because the GOP primary would eat her alive. The freewheeling nature of the early debates could absolutely embarass her. There would be no shortage of Republicans who thought they would be a better running mate for McCantankerous, who would be more than happy to lay a few hammer-shots to her face.
Oop, there's my flagpin...
Speaking of hard-core wild big game hunters, is there no place in an Obama Homeland Security Department for a moose killer? Recently, Governor Palin explained the job description of the Vice President. According to a certain Fancy Wardrobe Snow Machine Queen, the magic invisible ink asterisk on the Constitution implies that the VEEP assists in the creation and negotiation of legislation. Gettin' in there and creatin' policy with them Senators, you betcha. That loud *smack* sound is Senator Joseph Biden knocking himself out with a self-inflicted forehead slap. Senator John McCain and some top staffers have now thrown Governor Sarah Palin under the bus. When your staff goes on open background in the New York Times and The Washington Post stating your VP pick has gone rogue, 10 days prior to the election, psssst rogue, roguey-rogue, the excuse is in.
One way or another, eventually it would be fascinating to hear the rationale behind her ascension from McCain himself. She's whipped up the ugliest pitchfork elements of a very very new, foamy rabid Republican Party. And the case could easily be made that Alaska's Governor has not added a single vote that wasn't already sympathetic to the George Wallace legacy turned Republican voter wing. Dig through the data, maybe the silliest move ever made by a potential POTUS. Even the Senator Larry Craig Christian fundamentalists are thinking, 'whoa, whoa whoa...vetting anyone?' As strange as this sounds the party of Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower,Charles Hagel, Nelson Rockefeller, William F. Buckley, George Will, David Brooks, Jacob Javits, Arnold Schwarzenegger, GHWB, Robert Dole, Richard Milhouse Nixon, P.J. O'Rourke, Lincoln Chafee, a whole bunch of Wall Street Nouveau Socialistas and Ronnie 'Morning in America' Reagan, has stepped way way out over the edge. Let's just see how long this new xenophobic jingo snake-handlin' nutbag luncheon lasts.
Even Spiro T. Agnew is blushing in the grave.
J. The most interesting part about Palin going off-topic is the perception that she's trying to set herself up for a 2012 run on the top of the ticket. At some point, someone is going to have to pull her aside and explain that exceptionally heavy unfavorable ratings do not bode well in a national election. The more Caribou Barbie speaks, the more the GOP looks like it could very easily split into two parties- the fiscal conservatives and the evangelicals. The other option here would be for the Libertarians to really extend their outreach efforts and try to recruit more disaffected Republicans into their ranks.
The funny thing is, there are certain places where the Libertarian candidate is affecting the state outcome. In Montana, the Obama/McCain race is razor thin, and Bob Barr is pulling a few percentage points. But, McCain has an even bigger challenge in the Big Sky Country- Ron Paul. That's right, our favorite candidate-with-a-blimp is still on the Montana ballot, and he's polling in the 4-5% range. If the Libertarians and fiscal conservatives cause Montana to flip blue, hilarity will ensue.
But, back to Palin. If the McCain campaign knows anything, it's definitely not how to stay on-topic, and the fact that she's making them nervous is a telling sign. I absolutely cannot wait for the books that will come out on this campaign. The Republicans had, in the past, been far better at the game than they showed this year. If Johnny Mac had been allowed to choose Lieberman or even Mittens Romney as his running mate, this would be a much tighter race. It's not like it would have been difficult to get the evangelicals to fall into line. It would have taken one sentence- "OK, vote for the pro-choice Democrat with the odd name". Maybe a speech by Huckabee, just to be on the safe side. Just like the diehard Hillary supporters, they would have made some noise, then gone right back to supporting their own self-interest.
Personally, I hope Palin doesn't get the hint, and decides to make a 2012 run- because the GOP primary would eat her alive. The freewheeling nature of the early debates could absolutely embarass her. There would be no shortage of Republicans who thought they would be a better running mate for McCantankerous, who would be more than happy to lay a few hammer-shots to her face.
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