There, there son. We'll steal this election yet.Friday, February 08, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Hope, Fear and Just Plain Hysterical
Although this week has been crap for me in most areas of my boring ridiculous life, politically it couldn’t have been better, and well, since most of my free time is spent engrossed in the presidential game I guess you could compare it to discovering low-carb beer – not as tasty as you’d like, but still packs that same intoxicating wallop.
It all began on Monday. Word got out that Senator Obama would be speaking in Hartford at the last possible second for it to have been feasible for me to get there. It was a frantic drive from New Haven to Hartford at 3:00 in the afternoon, but I made it. Thankfully, my dear friend Jose was there to hold a place for me in line. Did I say line? I meant never ending mob snaking around triplicate over roughly three city blocks. There’s plenty of aerial photography to back this up. I think it was a completely unnecessary ploy to visually show the power of the Obama organizing machine. It was Beatle mania crazy, but we got in.
Up in the nosebleed section Jose and I discussed the finer points of Obama’s musical selections as we waited for a glimpse of the next president of the United States. Only Obama could pull off, “Shining Star” by Earth Wind and Fire. On anyone else, including Jesse Jackson, it would seem hokey and foolish. Same goes for Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” which also had folks tapping toes and bobbing heads.
Of course, we had to sit through tedious introductions by John Larson, Chris Murphy and Rosa DeLauro (though I really like her). Then the monotone of Carolyn Kennedy who I’m sure is a wonderful person but is a terrible public speaker. She introduced her favorite Senator, “Uncle Teddy” who took the podium and shouted in a very shaky voice all about why he’s for Obama. Ted Kennedy’s looking pretty old these days though he’s still passionate. But we didn’t come here to see these people. Frankly, the only Kennedy I've ever found to be remotely interesting was Bobby.
Finally, Barack takes the podium to stump hard for Connecticut. He was fantastic, even though I’d heard this stump speech many times before as I watch an unhealthy amount of CSPAN. This man is captivating. There is an aura, it’s not just talk. You feel something, something that you desperately want to believe. He’s either going to potentially be the greatest president we’ve ever had or is the number one con artist of all time. But the best part about the whole experience was the audience. All types of people, all races, religions, ages and status. The diversity of his following is encouraging. A fair mix of everyone – just like America.
Super-duper Tuesday was a feat in itself. Downpours, tornadoes, pundits – my head was spinning. The fact that Obama won Connecticut was not surprising to me, despite the Hartford Courant’s statement to the contrary. All these papers and pollsters need to take a step back and stop acting like gypsy fortune tellers and start focusing on the hard news.
I was a bit disappointed that Obama didn’t take the lead in delegates, though not really surprised. It’s still irritatingly close and we may even see a brokered convention, or so they keep saying. Of course, it all comes down to the super delegates who apparently get to choose the candidate they want regardless of how the people voted. Gotta love our “democracy.”
But all is not lost, as this delicious tid bit of information just came over the wires. Apparently, Joe “Fuck You Democrats” Lieberman has been stripped of his super delegate powers because of his endorsement for McCain. This decision falls under the Zell Miller Rule that became an issue in 2004 when loony Zell, then the democratic senator from Georgia, attacked John Kerry during his keynote speech at the Republican National Convention. Do you think Lieberman will now challenge Howard Dean to a duel?
It all began on Monday. Word got out that Senator Obama would be speaking in Hartford at the last possible second for it to have been feasible for me to get there. It was a frantic drive from New Haven to Hartford at 3:00 in the afternoon, but I made it. Thankfully, my dear friend Jose was there to hold a place for me in line. Did I say line? I meant never ending mob snaking around triplicate over roughly three city blocks. There’s plenty of aerial photography to back this up. I think it was a completely unnecessary ploy to visually show the power of the Obama organizing machine. It was Beatle mania crazy, but we got in.
Up in the nosebleed section Jose and I discussed the finer points of Obama’s musical selections as we waited for a glimpse of the next president of the United States. Only Obama could pull off, “Shining Star” by Earth Wind and Fire. On anyone else, including Jesse Jackson, it would seem hokey and foolish. Same goes for Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” which also had folks tapping toes and bobbing heads.
Of course, we had to sit through tedious introductions by John Larson, Chris Murphy and Rosa DeLauro (though I really like her). Then the monotone of Carolyn Kennedy who I’m sure is a wonderful person but is a terrible public speaker. She introduced her favorite Senator, “Uncle Teddy” who took the podium and shouted in a very shaky voice all about why he’s for Obama. Ted Kennedy’s looking pretty old these days though he’s still passionate. But we didn’t come here to see these people. Frankly, the only Kennedy I've ever found to be remotely interesting was Bobby.
Finally, Barack takes the podium to stump hard for Connecticut. He was fantastic, even though I’d heard this stump speech many times before as I watch an unhealthy amount of CSPAN. This man is captivating. There is an aura, it’s not just talk. You feel something, something that you desperately want to believe. He’s either going to potentially be the greatest president we’ve ever had or is the number one con artist of all time. But the best part about the whole experience was the audience. All types of people, all races, religions, ages and status. The diversity of his following is encouraging. A fair mix of everyone – just like America.
Super-duper Tuesday was a feat in itself. Downpours, tornadoes, pundits – my head was spinning. The fact that Obama won Connecticut was not surprising to me, despite the Hartford Courant’s statement to the contrary. All these papers and pollsters need to take a step back and stop acting like gypsy fortune tellers and start focusing on the hard news.
I was a bit disappointed that Obama didn’t take the lead in delegates, though not really surprised. It’s still irritatingly close and we may even see a brokered convention, or so they keep saying. Of course, it all comes down to the super delegates who apparently get to choose the candidate they want regardless of how the people voted. Gotta love our “democracy.”
But all is not lost, as this delicious tid bit of information just came over the wires. Apparently, Joe “Fuck You Democrats” Lieberman has been stripped of his super delegate powers because of his endorsement for McCain. This decision falls under the Zell Miller Rule that became an issue in 2004 when loony Zell, then the democratic senator from Georgia, attacked John Kerry during his keynote speech at the Republican National Convention. Do you think Lieberman will now challenge Howard Dean to a duel?
Monday, January 28, 2008
Don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out...
Well, tonight is the night. Dubya’s final State of the Union . An event I’ve been dreaming about since 2001. The final report from the most corrupt presidential administration in American history. The coda, if you will, on seven years of conflicting stories, fabricated scenarios and outrageous lies that have quite possibly done irreparable harm to the Constitution and the future of the rule of law and its role in helping to govern our “great” nation. This administration managed to smash the mirror in which we as Americans see ourselves in relation to the world and we’ve been sitting shiva ever since. But today my friends, the seven year streak of bad luck has ended.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about those who didn’t live to relish this moment, those who would share my sense of relief and giddy apprehensive joy like Molly Ivins and Hunter S. Thompson. Voices of reason in an increasingly unreasonable world. But there are new voices and a sense of hope that has begun to seep into the country’s wounded psyche. We’re teetering on that brink of possibility. Of course, we can just as easily fall over the edge into an abyss of shit beyond our wildest dreams. But I think the Kool Aid is starting to wear off and folks are more lucid and balanced. It was all those meditation and yoga sessions we collectively took to take our minds off the pending apocalypse of the last seven years.
As the nation cautiously registers what will hopefully be an insignificant speech, we can all take solace in the fact that we will never again have to hear about the state or our country through the medium of this bumbling lunatic. Pray that he finishes up without another “axis of evil” sound bite or worse, having planted the seeds for a new declaration of war. Perhaps we’ll have a bird’s eye view of Bush’s farewell kiss to Joe Lieberman. Ahh, I’m all warm and fuzzy.
Speaker Pelosi, make sure they lock the doors – don’t let Rove get in – he has a mental connection with the president and can make him say anything! Senator Dodd, always stay in the President’s line of sight, especially when he starts rambling on about FISA. And for God’s sake, don’t look Cheney directly in the eye, his gaze will render you powerless. Fixate on George, he doesn’t know how to look anyone in the eye. You know your mission. You've been preparing for this moment for years. Don't blow it. We're counting on you. Make us proud, or at the very least, keep my nausea at bay.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Happy Friday
I've just been too exhausted to blog this week. Started acting and script writing classes. So, I'll leave you with this visual gem until I can muster up the strength to write something worth reading.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
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