We’re on a road to nowhere…come on inside

I kinda forgot I had this blog. Oops.

I’d love to write about the GOP contest right now, but they were smart and ended it in a timely fashion plus it made sense. Not a lot of controversy over there. Just a lot of people enjoying the show. For example, check out John McCain on last week’s Saturday Night Live

That’s a guy having fun. The Democratic side though…not too much. In fact I’m having trouble finding the liberals in the liberal party right now…at least on Hillary’s side. I think we can all remember the comments from the good people of West Virginia who decided to not vote for Obama because he’s, well, black (seriously…they said it…not me) and has the middle name of Hussein. Some of them have had enough of Hussein in any incarnation. I suspect they’ve also had enough of readin, ritin, and rethmitic based on their answers as well

But Hillary was more than happy to take their votes and I don’t recall hearing any condemnation on Hillary’s part to these statements. See, that’s actual racism. Obama is black and has the middle name of Hussein. Therefore he must be a militant black activist that was last seen sharing a milkshake with bin Laden. Once again Hillary is more than happy to let this impression stand.

But Hillary can’t win. Hillary shouldn’t win. Obama has a majority of pledged delegates and is picking up superdelegates (man they need to fix that system) every day. I wish there was a guy with a giant hook, like in vaudeville, that could just drag her offstage because it’s clear that the act has gone on way too long and the audience is bored.

Here’s the funny thing though. Because I said that, I am now both sexist and a misogynist. Because I don’t like Hillary I now, by default, hate women. On the other hand people that support Hillary are just people that support “working class whites”. Working class whites that don’t like black people it seems.

Gimme a break.

Oh, and let’s not forget the Jews.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. The Democratic Party does not deserve Barak Obama. I can’t say I agree with him on everything but he’s the freshest and most exciting person to hit the scene since Bill in 92. Say what you will about Bill Clinton, but he was always fun.

Another thing is Michigan and Florida. They jumped the gun and held early primaries. They knew what would happen. I don’t recall a great deal of clamor by Hillary to protect their votes before she needed them though, so take that for whatever it’s worth. I love people that only give a damn about rights when they can use them for their own gain. If those states went for Obama instead I don’t think Hillary would be quite as vocal.

So, it will go on and on and on. Hillary has even hinted she would make it a fight at the convention. Perfect. What a fantastic way to start off the real election process…by endlessly rehashing the last one. And, in the meantime, McCain is watching it all with a huge grin, as he should.

And this is all thanks to Hillary Clinton..the Terri Schaivo of the Democratic Party.

Way to go.

Pic of the Day

Um…

Uh Oh

This can’t be good.

Clinton’s Chief Strategist Steps Down

And why? According to the story:

“…(Mark) Penn had been a polarizing figure within the Clinton campaign for months because of his personality as well as his strategic vision, but his departure came as a result of another continuing controversy — the conflicts of interest that resulted from his representing major clients as president of Burson-Marsteller, the giant public relations firm, while working for Clinton.

Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Penn had met with Colombia’s ambassador to the United States to discuss promotion of a free-trade agreement, one that Clinton opposes. Penn apologized Friday for an “error in judgment,” and the Colombian government responded a day later by firing Burson-Marsteller.”

In the political world we refer to this as “fucking up” because Penn did exactly that…he fucked up baddddddd. Clinton had specific parts of her message about free trade and Penn went off the reservation. Plus, when the Washington Post refers to a campaign as having an, “…awkward management structure” then wheels are slowly starting to turn.

This should get interesting given that Hillary absolutely needs the remaining primaries and has basically switched managers/strategists twice in less than a year.

It’s not that I don’t love getting youth involved in politics…

…Or that I even like the planned Trans Texas Corridor. Personally I think it’s colossal waste of time, taxpayer dollars, and will run roughshod over individual property rights for farmers and ranchers…two professions that aren’t having the easiest time right now.

I do, however, have a big problem when kids are used as props, even just a little and in a benign way…like here.

For Peyton Gilbert, the battle over the Trans-Texas Corridor is reminiscent of the moment in 1836 when Lt. Col. William Travis drew a line in the sand at the Alamo and invited those willing to fight thousands of Mexican soldiers to step across.

“That line in the sand is the Trans-Texas Corridor, and it’s a threat to our sovereignty again, just like at the Alamo,” said Gilbert, 14, who is from Whitehouse, near Tyler.

He’s 14. I’m sure there are better things for a 14 year old to do on a Saturday afternoon that hit a political rally. I agree with the kid (though the allusion might just be a tad on the melodramatic side) and I don’t fault his parents for bringing him. He sounds pretty well informed…more so than most voters.

But, regardless, at 14 he should be out playing instead of seeing the raw and untamed side of democracy. Let kids be kids and let the adults give the quotes (insert wag of the winger at the Austin-American Statesman). I’m sure they could have found a lead in that story that didn’t quote a teenager…maybe an actual expert instead. Kudos to the kid, but take it from me, you only get to be a kid once. Make the most of it.

I wish they could all be California Democrats…

Actually….no. I don’t.

A state lawmaker wants California to tax music and video downloads from iTunes and other online entertainment sites.

East Los Angeles Assemblyman Charles Calderon has asked the state Board of Equalization to redefine what’s a tangible item taxable by the state.

He says anything that can be downloaded from the Internet could fit the bill. Calderon’s critics say he’s trying to circumvent the normal path to get a new tax approved.

Tax hikes require a two-thirds majority — a threshold that requires Republican support.

However, redefining Internet downloads as taxable may only require support by the Legislature’s Democratic majority.

The stupid…it burns……get it off me!!!!!

Public education in America is really fucked up.

For example:

Adams School District 50 is defending its decision to punish a third grader for sniffing a Sharpie marker.
Eight-year-old Eathan Harris was originally suspended from Harris Park Elementary School for three days. Principal Chris Benisch reduced the suspension to one day after complaints from Harris’ parents.

Harris used a black Sharpie marker to color a small area on the sleeve of his sweatshirt. A teacher sent him to the principal when she noticed him smelling the marker and his clothing.

“It smelled good,” Harris said. “They told me that’s wrong.”

I’ve asked this before and I’ll just toss it out again for the hell of it. Why do we let such stupid fucking people be in charge of educating potentially smart people. It sets a bad example for kids to know that can rise that far by being an idiot. The idea that one can fail upwards, like so many public school administrators do, just isn’t the right thing for kids to know in their formative years.

But they’re public school administrators; the worst kind of bureaucrats in the known universe. If they were capipible of having real jobs, they’d have them.

Wouldn’t just explaining why an 8 year old shouldn’t huff markers be enough? Apparently not it seems. In today’s America every kid is just an ‘example to be made of’ that is waiting to happen. Why educate when you can just punish for half the cost and a mere fraction of whatever scraps of brainpower these administrators were tossed off the intellectual table of God.

Wow

Oh yeah, blogging has been light because of some family issues but rest assured fans ( I can’t decide if that number can be described as a couple or a few), things will pick up shortly.

Your Homeland Security tax dollars at work

I saw this on CNN today

 The Transportation Security Administration said Friday its officers at a Texas airport appear to have properly followed procedures when they allegedly forced a woman to remove her nipple rings — one with pliers — but acknowledged the procedures should be changed.

How utterly magnanimous of them. God we just have the best and the brightest keeping us safe from terror don’t we? Mom, raise up the flag and get me some Apple Pie while I look into the distance while softly humming “God Bless the USA”.

You know I’d like my security to be just that…security. Not cosmetic security, like rainbow colored charts or surrenduring water bottles at checkpoints (which, for the record, I am convinced is a racket between TSA and airport vendors to make you pay $3 for a drink). Nah, let’s go feel this chick up Pulp Fiction style…with pliers! Grope a tit for national security!

That’s our front line in the War on Terror people. Be afraid…be very afraid.

Or just take the bus…or the train…or a boat, none of which are covered by the TSA and all potentially lethal in the hands of an actual terrorist instead of a woman with nipple rings.

If the Democrats lose it’s their fault and nobody else’s (just like it has been for the past decade)

I’ve showered a lot of praise on Obama lately, but the whole Democratic nomination process is just plain FUBAR

Nobody, and I mean nobody, can screw up a sure thing like the Democrats. At this point I’m unsure of their ability to brew a cup of coffee much less put together a national strategy for a win. Even to a layman it seems obvious that Obama is trying to save the party despite the Democrats best efforts to the contrary, and therein lies the problem with the American left. Despite all their vaunted ideals about being good to everyone and bringing us all together they cannot even put their own house in order.

Why? Because at the end of the day, ironically, liberals tend to be very selfish. Individually they actually are quite generous. Collectively, however, they care about their individual worlds and causes more than the common good. It’s the home of pointless identity politics. All trees…no forests. Also, nobody has perfected the art of the “circular firing squad” method of dealing with problems quite like they have.

It’s pretty self evident. Democrats have both the House and Senate, for whatever that’s worth. They can’t really do anything with them except look somber and disappointed while the Village Idiot and Emperor Palpatine continue to run amok. If there were such a thing as political Viagra congressional Democrats should order it by the ton because they simply cannot get it up.

Beyond legislative impotence lies campaign impotence though. This should be a banner year for the Democrats, but thanks to their horribly antiquated, undemocratic, and just plain silly nominating process they are setting themselves up for doom…even with someone like Obama, who is the best thing to happen to that party in a very long time. However, they just don’t know how to use him and I’m not even entirely sure if they deserve him. This isn’t hero worship either. He’s simply the best candidate they’ve had in a while compared to some past “winners” (Kerry, Dukakis, Mondale, Humphrey, etc).

And in the meantime I’d like to picture John McCain sitting on a beach somewhere enjoying it all. McCain has his stuff together. He knows his base. He knows himself. He knows that the longer Hillary (if she’s not busy dodging bullets in Bosnia) and Obama fight the better off he is. All he has to do is kick back, raise money, get nice and rested, and then when the democrats finally get their act together (an iffy proposition at best) he’ll be ready and in a far superior strategic position compared to whomever he runs against. That’s not a guarantee of victory, but it is a significant advantage.

And that is why most of the time Republicans run better campaigns. They have something the Democrats lack…discipline. These people have their stuff together They settle disputes privately by and large and are less likely to engage in mass embarrassment (while campaigning…not governing). Their nomination process is delightfully simple and easy to understand and implement. They don’t have to worry about getting the support of the transgendered lesbian half-Cherokee caucus or other groups that deal with identity politics.

In short, the GOP has their shit together…and it shows. McCain is going to be rested and ready while whoever survives the Democratic nomination has to go right into the general election without hardly any time re re-assess and rebuild.

They’ve been outmaneuvered before the first vote has been cast.

So if they lose, and for the record I don’t think they will (once again despite their best efforts), don’t blame electronic voting, dimpled chads, confusing ballots, or dirty tricks. If they can’t win it with Obama it’s time for them to just pack it in.

Regardless though, any party that calls itself Democratic should at least have a nominating process that reflects their label.

Wow

A couple of posts ago I wrote how the Obama speech on race blew my mind. Now, that same speech managed to blow my mind again, straight out the back of my head, and deposited it in an adjoining county due to this one simple revelation.

He wrote it himself.

Our standards and expectation have been lowered so much in this country we fully expect a candidate to speak words that are not their own. We expect a philosophical direction from a candidate and a general zeitgeist for the movement, but really candidates are expected to have two jobs; raising money and kissing babies. A campaign exists to take the pressure off the candidate so they can, for all intents and purposes, make money and look pretty.

Huge speeches, like Obama’s, usually go through several drafts. The language is carefully vetted and run past “experts”. It might take weeks to write a major speech depending on the circumstances and sometimes the person delivering it is the last to see it.

But Obama wrote it, all of it, by himself over the space of a couple of days and only showed it to a couple of people before speaking it. The man delivered one of, if not the most, sophisticated, respectful, and eloquent pieces of American oratory in recent memory on one of the most controversial topics imaginable…at a time when his reputation and campaign were at great risk, and he did it all with his own words. No army of speechwriters. No panel of “experts”. Just him.

Amazing. Just amazing.

Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to go reinforce my walls. Any more news like this and I’m sure the Kool-Aid man will come bursting through…and I’m still not particulary thirsty for that beverage.

Still…damn.

“Expert” opinion

I don’t like revisiting this whole Rev. Wright thing because I think Obama pretty much said it all, but I can’t help but marvel at the army of “experts” the media trots out (that is when they aren’t busy setting themselves up as one) whenever something needs stoking, explaining, or both.

Let me let everyone on a little secret. If you see someone with a title like “public relations expert” on TV talking about how bad something went, you can usually ignore them. Likewise with all the other media experts and darlings. They are the legion of political doom and a general waste of otherwise useful biological components.

This story in the NY Times shows this theory in stereo and Technicolor. Instead of focusing on what actually did happen and what actually was said they keep trying to shift the debate back to a secondary player at best. Since Obama didn’t follow the traditional script (which would have been putting as much distance between himself and his pastor as possible) and instead did the decent, Human, and, dare I say, Christian thing by not abandoning a longtime friend, he introduced a degree of heresy into the process. I can imagine all the pundits looking at him now and screaming “Unclean! Unclean!”

It also shows how silly and irrelevant these pundits are becoming because almost everyone I spoke to, on both sides of the aisle, considered it to be a landmark speech and perhaps the start of a new era for racial dialog in America. Love him or hate him, that speech transcended politics and I believe it will find a place in the annals of American oratory.

But forget that. Someone around Obama said something controversial (and not without a kernel of truth in my opinion despite its overblown and polemic nature) so he’s screwed. The “experts” have decided for us.

That is until either they find something new to feed off of or public opinion goes against the “expert” opinion. They’re really good at seeing the light under those conditions.