Category Archives: politics

Looking Forward

Song Lyric of the Day:

Everything you need could be right in front of you / It doesn’t take much to see what is true / They say we are going to die if we go on like this / Who do you believe? Every story has a twist / Take a look around, tell me what you see / People in the world just trying to be free

Donavon Frankenreiter / “Love, Life & Laughter

Today is a good day four years in the making. Here’s hoping the next four years are much better — for all of us. Happy Inauguration Day to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

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Election 2012

Song Lyric of the Day:

We forward in this generation / Triumphantly. / Won’t you help to sing / These songs of freedom? / ‘Cause all I ever have: Redemption songs / Redemption songs / Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery / None but ourselves can free our minds

Bob Marley / “Redemption Song

A couple of weeks ago, I took Coraline with me to vote. That was her third time accompanying me to vote, and her first presidential election. After carefully reviewing my selections, I let her press the red Cast Vote button. I expect taking her to vote will continue to be a tradition for us, especially as she gets older and begins to understand the importance of a person’s right to vote — particularly ours as women.

In an ideal world, everyone who is eligible to vote would be able to exercise their right and privilege to do so. And while this is in fact not an ideal world, I hope that everyone reading this who is able to vote does so.*

In honor of today’s presidential election — and to provide some levity — I thought I’d post some Simpsons clips regarding voting and politics. Because I can tie almost everything in life back to The Simpsons. Much to my mother’s (and Rich’s) dismay.

Here’s a clip Fox created just for this year’s election:

Then there’s an endorsement for Romney from Mr. Burns (Smithers’ comment about the tax return is spot-on):

And then there’s the opening clip from the “Treehouse of Horror XIX” Halloween special a few years ago where Homer votes for Obama:

*I’m respectful of people’s opinions, even dissenting ones, if they actually voted. If they didn’t vote, eh. I mean, if they don’t care enough to make their opinions count, why should I bother humoring them?

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My Political Two Cents Nonsense

Political Song Lyric of the Day:

I want to be the minority / I don’t need your authority / Down with the moral majority / Cause I want to be the minority

Green Day / “Minority“*

Well, since virtually everyone else has weighed in on this year’s election/political insanity (or is that inanity?), I guess I will too tonight in honor of the vice presidential debate (I’ve had fun watching everyone on Twitter). A debate which so far has caused my puppy to grumble in his sleep, me to shake my head over Joe Biden and Sarah Palin’s skills (especially hers) at talking to but not quite answering questions, and my husband to abandon ship and watch a TiVoed movie instead. Biden and Palin? Try Chuck and Larry.

Personally, I have to admit I find it very depressing that politics and religion — two things which, in theory, at least, should be these great, uniting ideologies — do nothing more these days than strain friendships and family ties and force people to choose sides. (I’m a firm believer in the separation of church and state.) This year’s presidential election campaigning has brought out the worst in just about everyone. We’ve resorted to calling each other names, personally attacking people, and then crying foul — and exposing our hypocrisy — when we complain that the other side is doing the same exact thing to us. If you’re a Democrat/liberal, you’re a mindless, bleeding heart baby killer who doesn’t support our military forces. If you’re a Republican/conservative, you’re judgmental, against women’s reproductive rights, and a warmonger. And that’s me politically correcting a mere fraction of the insults I’ve read on blogs, news sites, and, well, just about everywhere online these days.

I say all this as a registered Democrat — and a liberal one at that; I always have been. But I’ll let you in on a dirty little secret: I’ve voted Republican in the past. That’s right — I did something I feel is going the way of the dodo: I voted for a candidate based on (gasp!) where they stood on the political issues of the day and how their stance fell in line with my values and beliefs at the time. Really, that’s what I find most tragic these days: People are deciding on who they’re going to vote for — the person who is going to LEAD OUR COUNTRY — based on the fact that he has a nice smile (so did Hannibal Lechter), he’s a war hero (he’s not the only one), he’s not the other guy (huh?), and she’s a woman (so?) and her Peggy Hill glasses are nice (what the FUCK, people?).

Granted, there’s some comfort in knowing that not everyone decides on who to vote for PRESIDENT (PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, people! Not homecoming king!) or other political offices based solely on political party, the image they present, their knack for talking around actually answering questions (I’m looking at Barack Obama and John McCain, too) and that “aw, shucks, I’m just like you,” Joe Six-Pack attitude. So what? What do you think it’s going to take to fix our economy? When/what will bring an end to the war? Should we cut or increase funds for the military? Should minimum wage be increased again, and when? What do you think about our government interfering in women’s reproductive rights? What about your hopes for the education system? Are you for or against tax increases? How do you define marriage? What should we do about illegal immigration? How should we handle foreign relations with hostile countries? And so on and so on …

Think about where YOU stand on the issues most important to you, then take a long, hard look at exactly where your political party’s CANDIDATE stands. If we can all do that and make our decisions based on the truly important things, the things that will ultimately affect us all — not the glossy, tow-the-party-line images presented to us — then we’ll be taking that first baby step toward reclaiming our government as OURS.

Because, in the end, it won’t matter what glasses she wore or that he champions change or that he is a survivor or that he overcame a tragic past. We all need to do our part and make our voting decisions based on who we think can serve our country best. Because if there’s one thing I’ve come to truly believe about politics, it’s that, ultimately, we’re all forced to decide on and choose the lesser of two evils.

*What can I say? Green Day is good for my political posts.

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Getting "Lost" in the Mourning After

Song Lyric of the Day:

People listen attentively / I mean about future calamity / I used to think the idea was obsolete / Until I heard the old man stamping his feet.

Squirrel Nut Zippers / “Hell”

The election has come and gone, and I am still stunned that Kerry did not win. How could America have re-elected Bush? Seriously, how could everyone overlook what a mess our country is in, and still re-elect him? I understand the argument that he knows what’s going on, whereas Kerry would be coming in to this huge mess, but I still wanted to see Kerry get the chance to try and fix things. As an American citizen and as a woman, I am scared about what havoc Bush will wreak over the next 4 years. Canada has never sounded so appealing. Regardless, whatever my feelings are about the outcome of the presidential election, I refuse to let it put a damper on my trip to Las Vegas tomorrow.

Watching Lost last night helped me and Rich escape from reality for one wonderfully involving hour. This show is one of the major high points of the new TV season. Like anything Joss Whedon creates, I would watch anything J.J. Abrams creates. Rich and I have been hooked on Alias since it began, and Abrams did not disappoint with Lost. Who else could turn the concept of plane crash survivors who end up on a mysterious island on its ear? Last night’s episode, “The Moth,” gave us the back story on Charlie, a heroin-addicted former rock star. That’s the brilliance of this show — we’re not just seeing how these survivors are dealing with being on this island, but every week, layers are peeled back to reveal a different character’s back story. Seven episodes in, we know that Jack never lived up to his parents’ expectations, his father’s in particular. Kate was in a U.S. Marshal’s custody for reasons still unknown. Sun knows how to speak English but won’t let on to her husband, whom she’d been planning to leave. Locke was paralyzed and can now walk. Rich and I can’t wait to see what other revelations lie in store. I have to make a point to program the VCR to record next Wednesday’s episode, as I won’t be back from Las Vegas until late that night.

One more day and I’ll be out West, in the land of neon. I can’t wait! Other than a couple of shows, I don’t have any concrete plans for what to do while I’m there. My friend Brent and I will probably wing it, which will be fine with me. As long as I get some gambling time. I’ve got to win the hubby a new car and have enough left over to buy him a nice poker set. Or so I hope.

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The Big Day

Song Lyric of the Day:

I’ve got it down to an art / Lonely sex with a desperate heart / Is the way to get over someone / Just to get under someone else? / And show them no mercy

Cherry Poppin’ Daddies / “No Mercy”

Well, I did my civic duty this morning. Went to bed early last night in anticipation of waking up early to get to the polls ahead of the crowds. Needless to say, that’s not how it went down. Even though I got in line at 6:05 AM, there were already dozens and dozens of people ahead of me. The volunteers working kept commenting on how they didn’t expect so many people to show. All told, I was in and out in 35 minutes.

I picked today’s song lyric mostly because I just love that song (the whole album is awesome), but also because of the line “Just to get under someone else,” which could very well be the case today should Kerry be elected into office. What changes will we see? How will the war be handled? Will he follow through — be able to follow through? — on his campaign promises? Time will tell. In the meantime, I should check out FactCheck.org to make heads or tails of what the candidates had to say throughout the campaigning. I’m just hoping to be able to stay awake long enough to hear the final outcome tonight. 

I am not planning on watching election coverage on TV all night, though. Too many other things to do. Like tidy up the house some. Like finish rewriting my friend’s resume. Like work on a query letter for the kid’s book I wrote. Like start packing for Las VegasIt’s almost here — 3 more days and I’m off to Las Vegas with one of my best friends. I’m so excited that I think I mentally checked out of work about a week ago yesterday. So far, our only concrete plans are to see a Cirque du Soleil show and one of those genuine Vegas showgirls in the headdress shows. When in Vegas …

In honor of the election today, I’ll close with parts of Patrick Henry’s famous speech. I copied this from Cindy Adams’s gossip column in the New York Post. Go figure.

“No man thinks more highly than I of patriotism . . . but different men often see the same subject in different lights . . . I hope it not be thought disrespectful if, entertaining opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve . . . only in this way can we hope to arrive at truth and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country . . .”

“They tell us we are weak — unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed? . . . Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our back, hugging the delusive phantom of hope until our enemies have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power . . . armed in the holy cause of liberty and in such a country as that which we possess, we are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us . . .
“We shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.

“Besides, we have no election . . . it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged. Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston. The war is inevitable . . .
“Gentlemen may cry peace, peace — but there is no peace . . . our brethren are already in the field . . .
“I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

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Take Me to Your Leader

Song Lyric of the Day:

Believing in nothing / Makes life so boring / So let’s pray for something / To feel good in the morning

Garbage / “Parade”

Well, it’s finally here. Election eve is upon us. I will be voting first thing tomorrow morning, to make my voice heard and hopefully help usher in a new president. For once, I think the press has it right — this definitely the biggest election in recent memory. Certainly in my lifetime.

I’ve been a news junkie since I was little. I have my mother to thank for that, since ABC News was always, and I mean always, on during dinner. So it’s only natural that I check major news websites repeatedly throughout the day. In checking them again on my lunch break, I was not surprised by the current reports that the presidential race is deadlocked — look at how polarizing the candidates are, not to mention the issues they represent.

On the one hand, we have our incumbent president, who seems to think that all that matters is convincing the country that he is a good Christian, merely doing what the Lord tells him to do. That seems to mean it’s okay to lie to the world in order to justify going to war, destroying our education system, limiting women’s rights, and so on.

On the other hand, we have John Kerry, who I truly believe is not only painfully aware of the problems in our country, but is determined to fix them. A president’s faith does not really matter to me — that shouldn’t be his sole selling point. While it’s all well and good if he wears his faith on his sleeve, I’m more concerned with what he’s going to do for our country than with what he believes. And personally, I believe John Kerry can do a better job at this point than Bush has the last four years.

To counter the seriousness and mudslinging that will continue at least through tomorrow night, I might indulge in some silliness tonight and watch Saturday Night Live’s Presidential Bash on NBC. If you can’t beat ‘em, laugh at ‘em. Tomorrow night I’ll probably tune in to Comedy Central’s Indecision 2004 coverage. I’ll take the Daily Show news crew over the broadcast stalwarts any day.

What direction will our country be headed in tomorrow night? We’ll know soon enough. Either way, I can only hope things will get better, for all of us.

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