When you follow politics and politicians for a long time, you find yourself more fascinated with some figures than others. Some of them just have names that shout at you; others have different attributes that stand out. Many of us are usually “fascinated” by members of our own party and repulsed by members of the other (assuming you’re not an indie,) but I’m fascinated by pols from both sides of the aisle. In recent years, few politicians have fascinated me more than former U.S. Sen. George Allen (R – VA.)
The first point of fascination is Allen’s résumé, which is enviable. Like all professions, a politician needs a résumé to show to prospective employers (voters.) As with most professions, a résumé isn’t everything but an impressive one helps. But politics is a microcosm of the real world, and so it is a combination of contacts, networking, and the aforementioned résumé that will actually give you a toe-hold. (While having attended an Ivy League institution may actually count against you in some corners of America, it’ll nevertheless impress national-level voters that have themselves obtained an education.)
Sen. Allen has an impressive political “rap sheet” (as I call it,) that once frightened Democrats. He was the one-time favorite son of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the son of a Hall of Fame NFL coach (George H. Allen,) who’d once led the hometown Redskins (Virginia has never had its own football team) to their first playoff appearance in a generation (1971.) Allen is a graduate (with distinction) of the University of Virginia (the Harvard of the Confederacy,) and its’ law school (among the best in the South,) and also (like many pols,) served as senior class president at UVA (as the locals call it to distinguish their institution from the University of Vermont. Oh, the horror of being confused with a YANKEE school!) So, Allen has the vitae without question.
Allen also has a set of intangibles that would make any opponent cringe: he’s smart, funny, handsome, in great shape (like the former high school quarterback that he is,) quick-witted, and gives a great speech. He’s also conservative enough to satisfy the wing nuts of the party while seeming moderate enough to attract his share of “Blue Dog” Democrats. Is that enough? No, intangibles and a great education are a guarantee of nothing in politics. We haven’t talked about the most salient qualification in American electoral politics: money!
If an ordinary citizen with an unrecognized name calls to meet you for coffee (and obviously to ask for a little contribution,) are you likely to say yes even if they share your political leanings? If you’re a well-to-do businessperson with limited time on your hands, probably not. So what’s the best way to get your foot in the door? “Well, my Daddy knew your Daddy and they did business together several times.” That has a better shot than a telemarketing-like presentation. Who wouldn’t want to meet the son of a NFL Hall of Fame coach for a cup of Joe? Among well-heeled Virginians, who wouldn’t write a little check to the son of the man that did so much good for their beloved Redskins? That fact alone made Allen a formidable fund-raiser before he did any networking on his own. In politics, money is like Popeye’s spinach – without it, you’re a ten pound weakling that is easily shoved aside.
As if that weren’t enough to make the guy a Senator, there is Allen’s political experience. Four years out of law school, Allen was elected to a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates (akin to a state House of Representatives) once held by none other than Thomas Jefferson. Allen then went on a string of (ever escalating) one-term gigs: U.S. Representative from 1990 – 92, Governor from 1994 – 98 (Virginia, unlike every other state, only allows it’s governors to serve one four-year term,) and finally the Senate from 2001 – 07.
Allen served just one term in the U.S. House before being tossed by his own party in redistricting. The state GOP then tacitly informed Allen that, had he any ambitions of being elected to higher office, he’d be retiring from the House instead of attempting to cannibalize another seat by taking on a sitting incumbent in a primary. After giving it some, Allen complied.
Once out of office, Allen immediately began campaigning to be Virginia’s next Governor. At first, his candidacy was a long shot. Attorney General Mary Sue Terry had superior name recognition, funding, and was up a whopping twenty-nine points in the early going. Also muddying the political waters that year was widespread voter dissatisfaction with then President Clinton’s health care reform plan (which was on its way to going nowhere,) and then Gov. L. Douglas Wilder. Wilder, the first (and only) African-American ever to head the state, was, at the time, embroiled in a bitter feud with (Democratic) Sen. Chuck Robb. The brouhaha got ugly, including surreptitiously recorded phone calls (a federal crime,) and it eventually contributed to the end for both men.
A contentious political environment in a state that wouldn’t normally elect a liberal as chief garbage collector combined with an unmarried female Democratic candidate who was pro-gun control breeds an electoral beating in the South. Terry came out for gun control in response to an early nineties spike the state’s crime rate. Allen, on the other hand, made a wise political move and instead proposed ending any parole for those convicted of violent felonies. The stark contrast made Terry appear soft on crime, the second “Kiss of Death” for any red state candidate.
On Election Night 1993, the people of the Commonwealth of Virginia spoke loudly and proudly for their Favorite Son. Allen, then just forty-one years old, claimed more than 58% of the vote to win in the state’s biggest gubernatorial landslide since 1961.
After making good on his promise of abolishing parole, the state crime rate dropped dramatically and Allen got the credit. Allen simultaneously pushed through a Truth-in-Sentencing law which required everyone convicted of crimes in the state to serve at least eighty-five percent of their sentence. In addition, the young rising star reformed the state welfare system and set rigid accountability standards in place for public schools. These actions, all decisions adored by the state’s conservative-leaning electorate, made Allen a force to be reckoned with in Virginia politics and set him up for what would be the greatest political victory of his career.
First on Allen’s agenda would be a brief break from elected office. Barred by the state constitution from succeeding himself as Governor, Allen’s choices were limited. Former governors don’t go to the middling House of Representatives (unless they’re from a state that, like Delaware, has only one member in the body.) That left the U.S. Senate and Virginia had no Senate race in 1998. Allen left office with high approval ratings and a reputation as an effective politician who was clearly ticketed for greater things. This meant the Senate was the next logical step, possibly on the way to the apex of American politics: the White House
One great way to build yourself up in the eyes of your own party in preparation for a national run is to become a “giant killer,” a candidate who takes out an entrenched incumbent. Allen found his Goliath in teetering junior Sen. Chuck Robb. Robb, a son-in-law of President Lyndon Johnson (he married Johnson’s daughter, Lynda Bird, in a ceremony at the White House in 1967,) was an impressive figure in his own right. A former Marine and White House aide, Robb had served as Lt. Governor and Governor of the state before taking 71% of the vote in his first race for the Senate (1988.)
A moderate Democrat who helped found the centrist Democratic Leadership Council that helped launch the 1992 candidacy of Bill Clinton, Robb’s political career had suffered at the hands of time. Despite being mentioned as a possible Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate in 1992, Robb’s aforementioned feud with Doug Wilder and an adultery scandal cost him the luster he’d once had among the state’s voters. In the overwhelmingly Republican 1994 mid-term elections, Robb narrowly survived a challenge from Iran-Contra figure (and one-time convicted felon) Oliver North. The narrow win, largely blamed on an Independent (former Republican) candidate, left him vulnerable.
As 2000 approached, Allen quickly set his sites on Robb. The Democrats would almost assuredly nominate their charismatically-challenged Vice President, Al Gore, as their standard-bearer. Despite Clinton’s record of eight years of economic expansion and relative peace abroad, Gore was handicapped by his boss’s scandal-a-minute administration and was not a shoo-in. Political experts were forecasting a close, expensive race (they were correct on both accounts,) and anyone could see that Gore was sure to have short coattails.
Despite being a fiscal conservative/social moderate, Virginians had tired somewhat of Sen. Robb. The Republicans had several seats to defend in 2000, with a near record number of freshmen back on the hustings. The GOP’s freshman class took a beating that year, with several (John Ashcroft, Rod Grams, and Spencer Abraham) going down in their attempts to return. Despite “winning” the White House in 2000, the GOP only managed to pick off one Democrat (Robb.) Allen’s much expected 53% - 47% victory was the party’s high-water mark that cycle.
Once in the Senate, Allen was quickly ticketed for the big time. Just two years in, Allen was appointed to a leadership position, heading up the National Republican Senatorial Committee. As head of NRSC, Allen oversaw a net gain of four seats for the party – good enough to hand control of the chamber back to the GOP after the defection of Jim Jeffords briefly handed it back to the Democrats.
A giant killer with a reputation for fund-raising and solid political skills, Allen had just one obstacle between him and a run for the White House: his 2006 race for re-election. The Democratic pipeline in the state was full, with Mark Warner and Tim Kaine then coming up. But Allen had it all: the cash, the name, the face, and the rep! Who was going to take him out? The path looked clear …
In the end, it turned out that Allen was his own worst enemy. Everyone knows the end of the story. Allen’s train was derailed by his own mouth. Knowing he was being filmed, he referred to an opposing campaign aide as a little known racial slur (“macaca,” an Eastern European slang word typically used to refer to brown-skinned people.) On film, Allen was disrespectful to a young man, S.R. Siddarth, on the campaign trail and many minority voters were put off by his arrogance.
Here’s the thing with racial slurs: if you use one, you’ll use the others, as well. Several former football teammates of Allen’s came forward to accuse the Senator of dropping an occasional “n-bomb” as a young man. Allen lost the race, and his heretofore fabulous political fortune, by 8,805 votes (or less than 1/3 of one percent.) Allen conceded the following day, not even bothering with the recount to which he was entitled under state law.
The man who beat Allen, current Sen. James Webb, was a former GOP (under Reagan) Naval Secretary who’d crossed party lines after one of his sons was called up to fight in the Iraq War. Webb recently decided one term was enough and announced his retirement. Allen was quick to declare that he would again seek his old seat and will likely face former Gov. Tim Kaine, the current chair of the Democratic National Committee. President Obama won Virginia handily in 2008, but the race is rated a toss-up for now. For that, and the end to his once endless ambitions, Allen has no one to blame but himself and his unfailing arrogance.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
In my family and circle of friends, I’ve always been considered something of an expert on politics. Given that I hold degrees (yes, plural) in the subject, this should come as no surprise. When questions arise, I’m the resource of choice for my loved ones (bite me, Google!) Recently, one of my closest friends came to me with a question: “Pauly, who the hell is Michele Bachmann?” That’s a great question, but not one that I could really answer in great detail (as is customary for me.)
The reason for my short file on Bachmann is pretty simple: there isn’t much to know. Bachmann is known more for her gaffes and “bat-sh*t crazy” reputation than anything else. At 54, she has served about five years in the U.S. House without much distinction other than having been a co-founder of the chamber’s Tea Party caucus. The Tea Partiers seem to love her, leaving everyone with an IQ above 75 to ask why. Bachmann recently found herself in the primary battleground state of New Hampshire, where she twice said the Revolutionary War started in the state (it started in Massachusetts, folks!) While it is true that the two states both have cities named Lexington and Concord, it is Palin-esque for anyone who fancies themselves a Presidential contender to make such a flub.
The ironic part is that Bachmann is not Palin, O’Donnell, or Sharron Angle. Bachmann actually holds two law degrees (the second from the prestigious William and Mary College of Law,) and once worked for the Internal Revenue Service. Were she any of the other three of the Tea Party’s pillars of female brilliance (in other words, were she lucky to have an undergraduate degree from a middling school,) then we could understand … but Bachmann is actually (among the four,) considered to be "The Smart One"!
To be sure, Tea Party voters are not known for their detailed, brilliant platforms and positions. Most of their (ahem) “positions” are based on their collective comfort with ignorance. It’s a virtue and they espouse it (check out the signs at one of their rallies some time.) The Tea Party reminds me a lot of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who willingly referred to themselves as “idiots.” The difference is that the Sox had talent and the Tea Party has real idiots.
Bachmann is best known for voting against any kind of progressive legislation and for writing the occasional cuckoo bill. She recently proposed a bill that would bar the American dollar from ever being replaced as the national currency (which would be illegal and unconstitutional, anyway.) Her finest bit of legislative craftsmanship is arguably the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act, which hasn’t, as yet, passed and probably won’t get past the Democratically-controlled Senate. Bachmann has brought the bill up twice now.
Bachmann was not born into a Republican family. On the contrary, she was a Democrat until he Senior Year in college. That year, she read Burr, Gore Vidal's novel (that is a work of FICTION) about the late Vice President and accused traitor. Bachmann felt Vidal “was kind of mocking the Founding Fathers” in the book and decided “I don't think I am a Democrat. I must be a Republican.”
To sum up: five distinction free years in the lower chamber of Congress, a decent fund-raising record, a failed light bulb law, and a failed run at a lower-rung House leadership position is all that is on Bachmann’s rap sheet. She is popular with the Tea Partiers (which is a bit like being the kid in summer school that almost passed that remedial math class,) and was selected to give their response to Obama’s State of the Union address this year. That and five dollars will buy her a caramel mocha latté, but won’t get near the White House. I say we all thank God and move on!
The reason for my short file on Bachmann is pretty simple: there isn’t much to know. Bachmann is known more for her gaffes and “bat-sh*t crazy” reputation than anything else. At 54, she has served about five years in the U.S. House without much distinction other than having been a co-founder of the chamber’s Tea Party caucus. The Tea Partiers seem to love her, leaving everyone with an IQ above 75 to ask why. Bachmann recently found herself in the primary battleground state of New Hampshire, where she twice said the Revolutionary War started in the state (it started in Massachusetts, folks!) While it is true that the two states both have cities named Lexington and Concord, it is Palin-esque for anyone who fancies themselves a Presidential contender to make such a flub.
The ironic part is that Bachmann is not Palin, O’Donnell, or Sharron Angle. Bachmann actually holds two law degrees (the second from the prestigious William and Mary College of Law,) and once worked for the Internal Revenue Service. Were she any of the other three of the Tea Party’s pillars of female brilliance (in other words, were she lucky to have an undergraduate degree from a middling school,) then we could understand … but Bachmann is actually (among the four,) considered to be "The Smart One"!
To be sure, Tea Party voters are not known for their detailed, brilliant platforms and positions. Most of their (ahem) “positions” are based on their collective comfort with ignorance. It’s a virtue and they espouse it (check out the signs at one of their rallies some time.) The Tea Party reminds me a lot of the 2004 Boston Red Sox, who willingly referred to themselves as “idiots.” The difference is that the Sox had talent and the Tea Party has real idiots.
Bachmann is best known for voting against any kind of progressive legislation and for writing the occasional cuckoo bill. She recently proposed a bill that would bar the American dollar from ever being replaced as the national currency (which would be illegal and unconstitutional, anyway.) Her finest bit of legislative craftsmanship is arguably the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act, which hasn’t, as yet, passed and probably won’t get past the Democratically-controlled Senate. Bachmann has brought the bill up twice now.
Bachmann was not born into a Republican family. On the contrary, she was a Democrat until he Senior Year in college. That year, she read Burr, Gore Vidal's novel (that is a work of FICTION) about the late Vice President and accused traitor. Bachmann felt Vidal “was kind of mocking the Founding Fathers” in the book and decided “I don't think I am a Democrat. I must be a Republican.”
To sum up: five distinction free years in the lower chamber of Congress, a decent fund-raising record, a failed light bulb law, and a failed run at a lower-rung House leadership position is all that is on Bachmann’s rap sheet. She is popular with the Tea Partiers (which is a bit like being the kid in summer school that almost passed that remedial math class,) and was selected to give their response to Obama’s State of the Union address this year. That and five dollars will buy her a caramel mocha latté, but won’t get near the White House. I say we all thank God and move on!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Suddenly, public sector unions are under attack from Republican politicians like Governors Scott Walker of Wisconsin (our nation's only Governor who does not possess a college degree,) John Kasich of Ohio, and Rick Scott of Florida (the only man among present governors to have taken the Fifth Amendment more than once in a single sitting.) This attack on unions, under the guise of fiscal conservatism, is the opening salvo in the GOP's newest battle to eliminate union representation in America, leaving our middle class truly powerless against the corporate moneyed interests. It is interesting to note that two of the three governors referenced were elected with significant backing from the Republican-in-disguise Tea Party. If they are successful in eliminating the bargaining rights of public sector unions, those of the private sector will assuredly be next.
The reason for these attacks are simple: in its landmark Citizens United v. FEC decision last year, the Supreme Court gave labor unions and corporations the same free speech rights as all citizens. Doing so, of course, means they are free to donate as much as they see fit to political campaigns and causes. The controversial 5 - 4 decision was hailed by conservatives as "fair" because both corporations and labor unions were included.
To call the decision "fair," is to ignore the gory details and to depend on the ignorance of those consuming the information (a typical Republican tactic, anyway.) First, as anyone can guess, corporations have infinitely more money than labor unions. Second, union membership has been declining since the 1970s. These two facts alone make Citizens United a ludicrous sop to the right-wingers who are now free to buy any American election they so choose.
This (short) blog article is not designed to be a bitch-fest, however. It is simply designed to show the malfeasance of the Republicans and as a testament to how well that evil intelligence works. Since 1989, the largest interest groups (including unions,) have donated $2,180,149,543 to political candidates. Twenty-eight percent of that ($619,535,364) were union donations. (These are donations of the groups and their senior officers, not the rank-and-file members.)
Here is where this gets interesting: Of the approximately $619,535,364 that unions donated, a full 90% went to Democrats. Of the thirty-one largest donating unions, only one donated a majority of their available funds to Republicans (American Maritime Officers.) The rest sent an average of 91% of their monies to Democrats. This alone is perfect motivation to attack labor union's ability to perform their duties. Without unions, the Democrats would be left with an even worse fund-raising gap.
The Republicans are utilizing the "Domino Theory" here to perfection. Safely written into Wisconsin's anti-union legislation is a little codicil that states that unions may no longer automatically deduct their dues from members' paychecks. Cutting off the flow of cash will starve the unions of their ability to do business. Eliminating their rights to collective bargaining will further erode the benefits of being in a union.
All of this means our unions, huge contributors to the very concept of a middle class, are in danger. They are being legislated out of existence by evil, surreptitious Republican business-owners and executives who will then be free to ship American jobs overseas without even suffering the mild consequences which exist today! This is why we all need to stay vigilant! People will tell you that labor unions are "socialist" or "do more harm than good" ... don't buy into it! By electing politicians such as Scott Walker and Rick Scott, any non-millionaire is voting against their own self-interest.
The reason for these attacks are simple: in its landmark Citizens United v. FEC decision last year, the Supreme Court gave labor unions and corporations the same free speech rights as all citizens. Doing so, of course, means they are free to donate as much as they see fit to political campaigns and causes. The controversial 5 - 4 decision was hailed by conservatives as "fair" because both corporations and labor unions were included.
To call the decision "fair," is to ignore the gory details and to depend on the ignorance of those consuming the information (a typical Republican tactic, anyway.) First, as anyone can guess, corporations have infinitely more money than labor unions. Second, union membership has been declining since the 1970s. These two facts alone make Citizens United a ludicrous sop to the right-wingers who are now free to buy any American election they so choose.
This (short) blog article is not designed to be a bitch-fest, however. It is simply designed to show the malfeasance of the Republicans and as a testament to how well that evil intelligence works. Since 1989, the largest interest groups (including unions,) have donated $2,180,149,543 to political candidates. Twenty-eight percent of that ($619,535,364) were union donations. (These are donations of the groups and their senior officers, not the rank-and-file members.)
Here is where this gets interesting: Of the approximately $619,535,364 that unions donated, a full 90% went to Democrats. Of the thirty-one largest donating unions, only one donated a majority of their available funds to Republicans (American Maritime Officers.) The rest sent an average of 91% of their monies to Democrats. This alone is perfect motivation to attack labor union's ability to perform their duties. Without unions, the Democrats would be left with an even worse fund-raising gap.
The Republicans are utilizing the "Domino Theory" here to perfection. Safely written into Wisconsin's anti-union legislation is a little codicil that states that unions may no longer automatically deduct their dues from members' paychecks. Cutting off the flow of cash will starve the unions of their ability to do business. Eliminating their rights to collective bargaining will further erode the benefits of being in a union.
All of this means our unions, huge contributors to the very concept of a middle class, are in danger. They are being legislated out of existence by evil, surreptitious Republican business-owners and executives who will then be free to ship American jobs overseas without even suffering the mild consequences which exist today! This is why we all need to stay vigilant! People will tell you that labor unions are "socialist" or "do more harm than good" ... don't buy into it! By electing politicians such as Scott Walker and Rick Scott, any non-millionaire is voting against their own self-interest.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The pursuit of the Presidency is a topic that has always been near and dear to my little liberal heart. I’ve been watching with fervent interest since I was a little kid. I am thirty-five years old and have intently watched and followed every Presidential race since the age of four (1980.) I’ll be the first to admit that’s kind of an anomaly among children, but I never said I was a normal child – ask anyone that knew me back then and they’ll respond similarly.
To a young me, the most interesting part of the Presidential races was the “weeding out” process. It’s kind of like watching American Idol ®: almost anyone can come to the auditions, but they are usually laughed at and ejected from the building (George W. Bush was the extreme exception.) The Constitution is fairly vague about who can be President, so nearly anyone with money and some name recognition can give it a whirl. That makes our democracy great – and makes the process amusing.
History is littered with Presidential wannabes, especially since the primaries began in earnest in 1960. Primaries mean anything can happen! Governors and Senators usually make the best candidates, but that’s not a requirement. Members of the House are free to try their hand, but always fail because a House seat doesn’t give you enough exposure to the national media. A House seat is a nice stepping stone to a Senate seat or a Governor’s mansion, but not to running the country (just ask Dick Gephardt and Ron Paul.)
In Texas Hold ‘Em ®, when dealt some great cards that can lead to one of the best possible hands, it is said that player has the “nuts” to a great combination. Becoming a President nominee is a lot like that. To be a competitive candidate for President of the United States, you need a few criteria to be working in your favor: money, credentials, educational background, name recognition, contacts, timing, a clear schedule (which helped give Jack Kennedy the 1960 Democratic nod over then Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson,) and intangibles. Intangibles are attributes like charisma, energy, speaking skills, a good staff, organizational skills, and political adeptness. Being telegenic really helps, as well. One need not possess all of these qualities, but it really does help; and, of course, having much of one can paper over not having so much of another.
Another, lesser noted factor is if you’ve tried before. This builds contacts, fund-raising networks, and name recognition (the importance of which cannot be understated – we are all far more likely to vote for a candidate with whom we are at least somewhat familiar.) Many eventual nominees succeeded only after having previously lost. Al Gore won in 2000 only after having failed in 1988; Bob Dole won in 1996 after having lost in 1980 and 1988; Reagan won in 1980 after losing in 1976 and having been a fringe candidate in 1968; and George H.W. Bush won in 1988 after having failed in 1980.
Another factor is age. Although the Constitution doesn’t specify what is “too old,” there is what I call a “soft age limit” (recently somewhat adjusted.) The “energy” factor comes into play here as older people have lower energy levels that do their younger counterparts and running for the Presidency is grueling. It takes two or so years of night and day activity to mount a successful campaign. This makes national-level politics a relatively young person’s game.
Anyone that does not currently occupy the White House who is much past seventy probably won’t win a major party nomination unless the choices are just not all that appealing. Ronald Reagan’s age caused a bit of a stir in 1980 as he was just about seventy; but Reagan was a very hardy seventy and didn’t look it. John McCain and Bob Dole were both seventy-two when nominated and neither man came particularly close.
A last factor that many candidates of late seem to ignore is what I call the “window” factor (named after a Space Shuttle’s launch window, which is the time frame for a successful launch. Once it’s gone, so are your chances of making it into space successfully.) There is a finite time period for politicians to make the jump to the big time. They are difficult to predict and once they’re over, so usually are the candidate’s chances. Many candidates wait until too long past their primes to run.
A great example of the window factor is former Sen. Bill Bradley. Bradley was a Princeton grad and an NBA Hall of Fame player. Nearly straight out of the NBA, he leveraged his contacts and name recognition into a seat in the U.S. Senate. He was a media darling and, while he was winning in landslides, was considered a contender for the biggest prize. But, thanks to Christie Todd Whitman and an auto tax issue (over which he, as a U.S. Senator, had zero power,) he had a close scrape in 1990 that left him gun shy and out of the wide-open 1992 nomination fight. Bradley retired from the Senate after 1996 and didn’t mount his only shot until 2000, when Al Gore was all but handed the crown.
The window factor is a phenomenon with which Mr. Gingrich is about to become intimately familiar. I’m not saying it can’t be done, I’m saying it is unlikely; and even if the candidate wins the nomination, they’re even more unlikely to be elected unless the other party simply pits a terrible nominee against them. There was a time and a place that Newt Gingrich might have had the gravitas to be considered a serious candidate; that time was 1996 and it’s gone!
Ronald Reagan was well past his prime in 1980, but he was running against Jimmy Carter in a terrible economy – so the voters gave him a pass and elected him anyway. Bob Dole circa 1996 was well past his expiration date, as well, and the people didn’t bite. Dole’s best shot was 1980 or even 1988 and he managed to be an also-ran both times. John McCain’s best chance would’ve been 2000, but he came up against a well-funded and organized George W. Bush and fell by the wayside.
The window factor is big reason why people who start and win statewide races while young have a better shot later. Al Gore, Jr. was twenty-eight when he was first elected to the House and was thirty-six upon going to the Senate. He was at just forty the first time he sought the Presidency and set himself up nicely for a near-miss (victory, really) at fifty-two. Bill Clinton was just thirty-two when he was elected Governor of Arkansas the first time and that set him up nicely to become President at just forty-six. President Obama was a bit older (forty-three) when he was elected to the Senate for the first time, but he’s the closest thing electoral politics has to Superman.
Lastly, the window factor is a big reason why I personally feel that Hillary Rodham Clinton will never be President of the United States. Mrs. Clinton was a relative late-comer to politics, as she was fifty-three when she was first elected to the Senate (this isn’t her fault since she was First Lady for the preceding eight years and couldn’t, in all conscience, run for anything.) Hillary had her shot in 2008, but ran up against the Obama juggernaut (and her own severe lack of charisma and retail political skills.) She’ll be approaching seventy years old by the time she gets ready to give it another go, and, Secretary of State or not, she probably won’t be anymore successful next time. This highlights why it is so difficult to become President: even if you have the skill set, can raise the money, are young enough with enough experience, and hit your window perfectly, there is still the competition. You have to be good and lucky! Hillary, unfortunately, was not and likely realized this, which is why she held on so long to her 2008 campaign. Props to Mrs. Clinton for realizing this, but 2016 will be a time for younger guns to give it their best.
2012
I’ve already written on the GOP’s still growing stable of 2012 candidates. They are not impressive and there just isn’t that much in the pipeline. There are more current and former members of the House in it this time (there’s usually at least one that ignores reality and spends other people’s money in vain.) Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former House Speaker Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and Rep. Hunter Pence of Indiana (who recently all but ruled out a run) are all in the mix. Past that, we have the holdovers: twin former Governors and runner-ups from 2008 are Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. Some other former Governors include Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Buddy Roemer of Louisiana. Strangely enough, no sitting members of the Senate seem to be interested, as the GOP’s best hope there is Sen. Jon Thune of South Dakota and he’s already ruled it out. As usual, the loser’s running mate is giving it a look: that would be former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
Palin is a strange figure, as she may well have helped cost McCain the crown last time and resigned her Governorship of the nation’s least populous state midway through her first term. Beyond that, her rap sheet includes time as a small town mayor and a seat on the state pipeline commission. Mrs. Palin lacks any real qualifications outside of being attractive, fund-raising prowess, and the ability to give decent speeches as long as there is no question-and-answer period. Her disapproval ratings are in the sixty percent range (!!!) and she is better suited to a reality show than the White House.
Roemer is a blast from the past: a former one-term Governor, a party-switcher, and a man best remembered for having been lucky to have been elected in the first place. Gingrich is a serial adulterer who recently blamed his multiple affairs on his love for country (good luck selling that one, Newt.) As stated, Mr. Gingrich had a time and place and it’s where it belongs: in the history books. Although Gingrich is a brilliant man, he’ll be lucky if the GOP lets him speak at next year’s convention. Ron Paul is this year’s John Anderson and probably should bow out early and clear the airwaves for his prodigal son (and somehow now Senator from Tennessee,) Rand. Hunter Pence is fooling himself as, luckily for the rest of us, is Ms. Bachmann.
At this point, the battle for the GOP’s 2012 nod looks to be a contest between former Governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Huckabee is a failed preacher whose only real virtue is a relatively scandal-free political and home life. “Huck” may play well with the tractor-as-a-motor-vehicle crowd, but the mainstream electorate will not be anointing the cum laude graduate of Ouchita Baptist University to run their lives unless President Obama is caught on camera committing bestiality.
Mr. Romney has problems, too, chief among them the fact that the evangelicals that will love Huckabee will cast a weary eye toward his religion (Mormonism.) Now, that isn’t fair, but neither is Presidential politics. Despite sterling academic credentials (Harvard undergrad and a joint Law Degree/MBA,) money (he’s worth around $200 million,) pedigree (his father was Governor of Michigan and Nixon’s Secretary of HUD,) Romney lacks any real political experience outside of his one term as Governor of a deep blue state (Massachusetts,) where his biggest accomplishment was signing into law (gasp) universal health care coverage.
The GOP field is still wide open and anyone could, and probably will, mount a bid. Pretty much anyone can give it a try. Heck, we live in a country where men like Howard Dean and Pete du Pont have gotten their dance cards punched! Even Alexander Haig, who never did hold an elected office, ran once. Why not? Who cares, it isn’t their money anyway!
In closing, the one person on the GOP side who bears close watching for the next year or so (but has tepidly ruled it out until the big wigs can talk him into it,) is none other than my least favorite former Governor of my home state of Florida, John E. “Jeb” Bush. His name recognition is off the charts; he’s also got nothing else to do. He’s said to be content planning for his son’s political future, but that could change tomorrow. The money would be there and who knows, maybe the electorate will forget exactly how stupid his brother is. Jeb is only fifty-eight and, although he lacks real academic credentials, so did Lyndon Johnson and he won in the greatest landslide ever in 1964. Bush is also still popular enough in Florida to all but guarantee himself the swing state and is much shrewder than either of the two former Presidents in his family, so he bears watching.
To a young me, the most interesting part of the Presidential races was the “weeding out” process. It’s kind of like watching American Idol ®: almost anyone can come to the auditions, but they are usually laughed at and ejected from the building (George W. Bush was the extreme exception.) The Constitution is fairly vague about who can be President, so nearly anyone with money and some name recognition can give it a whirl. That makes our democracy great – and makes the process amusing.
History is littered with Presidential wannabes, especially since the primaries began in earnest in 1960. Primaries mean anything can happen! Governors and Senators usually make the best candidates, but that’s not a requirement. Members of the House are free to try their hand, but always fail because a House seat doesn’t give you enough exposure to the national media. A House seat is a nice stepping stone to a Senate seat or a Governor’s mansion, but not to running the country (just ask Dick Gephardt and Ron Paul.)
In Texas Hold ‘Em ®, when dealt some great cards that can lead to one of the best possible hands, it is said that player has the “nuts” to a great combination. Becoming a President nominee is a lot like that. To be a competitive candidate for President of the United States, you need a few criteria to be working in your favor: money, credentials, educational background, name recognition, contacts, timing, a clear schedule (which helped give Jack Kennedy the 1960 Democratic nod over then Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson,) and intangibles. Intangibles are attributes like charisma, energy, speaking skills, a good staff, organizational skills, and political adeptness. Being telegenic really helps, as well. One need not possess all of these qualities, but it really does help; and, of course, having much of one can paper over not having so much of another.
Another, lesser noted factor is if you’ve tried before. This builds contacts, fund-raising networks, and name recognition (the importance of which cannot be understated – we are all far more likely to vote for a candidate with whom we are at least somewhat familiar.) Many eventual nominees succeeded only after having previously lost. Al Gore won in 2000 only after having failed in 1988; Bob Dole won in 1996 after having lost in 1980 and 1988; Reagan won in 1980 after losing in 1976 and having been a fringe candidate in 1968; and George H.W. Bush won in 1988 after having failed in 1980.
Another factor is age. Although the Constitution doesn’t specify what is “too old,” there is what I call a “soft age limit” (recently somewhat adjusted.) The “energy” factor comes into play here as older people have lower energy levels that do their younger counterparts and running for the Presidency is grueling. It takes two or so years of night and day activity to mount a successful campaign. This makes national-level politics a relatively young person’s game.
Anyone that does not currently occupy the White House who is much past seventy probably won’t win a major party nomination unless the choices are just not all that appealing. Ronald Reagan’s age caused a bit of a stir in 1980 as he was just about seventy; but Reagan was a very hardy seventy and didn’t look it. John McCain and Bob Dole were both seventy-two when nominated and neither man came particularly close.
A last factor that many candidates of late seem to ignore is what I call the “window” factor (named after a Space Shuttle’s launch window, which is the time frame for a successful launch. Once it’s gone, so are your chances of making it into space successfully.) There is a finite time period for politicians to make the jump to the big time. They are difficult to predict and once they’re over, so usually are the candidate’s chances. Many candidates wait until too long past their primes to run.
A great example of the window factor is former Sen. Bill Bradley. Bradley was a Princeton grad and an NBA Hall of Fame player. Nearly straight out of the NBA, he leveraged his contacts and name recognition into a seat in the U.S. Senate. He was a media darling and, while he was winning in landslides, was considered a contender for the biggest prize. But, thanks to Christie Todd Whitman and an auto tax issue (over which he, as a U.S. Senator, had zero power,) he had a close scrape in 1990 that left him gun shy and out of the wide-open 1992 nomination fight. Bradley retired from the Senate after 1996 and didn’t mount his only shot until 2000, when Al Gore was all but handed the crown.
The window factor is a phenomenon with which Mr. Gingrich is about to become intimately familiar. I’m not saying it can’t be done, I’m saying it is unlikely; and even if the candidate wins the nomination, they’re even more unlikely to be elected unless the other party simply pits a terrible nominee against them. There was a time and a place that Newt Gingrich might have had the gravitas to be considered a serious candidate; that time was 1996 and it’s gone!
Ronald Reagan was well past his prime in 1980, but he was running against Jimmy Carter in a terrible economy – so the voters gave him a pass and elected him anyway. Bob Dole circa 1996 was well past his expiration date, as well, and the people didn’t bite. Dole’s best shot was 1980 or even 1988 and he managed to be an also-ran both times. John McCain’s best chance would’ve been 2000, but he came up against a well-funded and organized George W. Bush and fell by the wayside.
The window factor is big reason why people who start and win statewide races while young have a better shot later. Al Gore, Jr. was twenty-eight when he was first elected to the House and was thirty-six upon going to the Senate. He was at just forty the first time he sought the Presidency and set himself up nicely for a near-miss (victory, really) at fifty-two. Bill Clinton was just thirty-two when he was elected Governor of Arkansas the first time and that set him up nicely to become President at just forty-six. President Obama was a bit older (forty-three) when he was elected to the Senate for the first time, but he’s the closest thing electoral politics has to Superman.
Lastly, the window factor is a big reason why I personally feel that Hillary Rodham Clinton will never be President of the United States. Mrs. Clinton was a relative late-comer to politics, as she was fifty-three when she was first elected to the Senate (this isn’t her fault since she was First Lady for the preceding eight years and couldn’t, in all conscience, run for anything.) Hillary had her shot in 2008, but ran up against the Obama juggernaut (and her own severe lack of charisma and retail political skills.) She’ll be approaching seventy years old by the time she gets ready to give it another go, and, Secretary of State or not, she probably won’t be anymore successful next time. This highlights why it is so difficult to become President: even if you have the skill set, can raise the money, are young enough with enough experience, and hit your window perfectly, there is still the competition. You have to be good and lucky! Hillary, unfortunately, was not and likely realized this, which is why she held on so long to her 2008 campaign. Props to Mrs. Clinton for realizing this, but 2016 will be a time for younger guns to give it their best.
I’ve already written on the GOP’s still growing stable of 2012 candidates. They are not impressive and there just isn’t that much in the pipeline. There are more current and former members of the House in it this time (there’s usually at least one that ignores reality and spends other people’s money in vain.) Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former House Speaker Gingrich, Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, and Rep. Hunter Pence of Indiana (who recently all but ruled out a run) are all in the mix. Past that, we have the holdovers: twin former Governors and runner-ups from 2008 are Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. Some other former Governors include Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and Buddy Roemer of Louisiana. Strangely enough, no sitting members of the Senate seem to be interested, as the GOP’s best hope there is Sen. Jon Thune of South Dakota and he’s already ruled it out. As usual, the loser’s running mate is giving it a look: that would be former Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska.
Palin is a strange figure, as she may well have helped cost McCain the crown last time and resigned her Governorship of the nation’s least populous state midway through her first term. Beyond that, her rap sheet includes time as a small town mayor and a seat on the state pipeline commission. Mrs. Palin lacks any real qualifications outside of being attractive, fund-raising prowess, and the ability to give decent speeches as long as there is no question-and-answer period. Her disapproval ratings are in the sixty percent range (!!!) and she is better suited to a reality show than the White House.
Roemer is a blast from the past: a former one-term Governor, a party-switcher, and a man best remembered for having been lucky to have been elected in the first place. Gingrich is a serial adulterer who recently blamed his multiple affairs on his love for country (good luck selling that one, Newt.) As stated, Mr. Gingrich had a time and place and it’s where it belongs: in the history books. Although Gingrich is a brilliant man, he’ll be lucky if the GOP lets him speak at next year’s convention. Ron Paul is this year’s John Anderson and probably should bow out early and clear the airwaves for his prodigal son (and somehow now Senator from Tennessee,) Rand. Hunter Pence is fooling himself as, luckily for the rest of us, is Ms. Bachmann.
At this point, the battle for the GOP’s 2012 nod looks to be a contest between former Governors Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee. Huckabee is a failed preacher whose only real virtue is a relatively scandal-free political and home life. “Huck” may play well with the tractor-as-a-motor-vehicle crowd, but the mainstream electorate will not be anointing the cum laude graduate of Ouchita Baptist University to run their lives unless President Obama is caught on camera committing bestiality.
Mr. Romney has problems, too, chief among them the fact that the evangelicals that will love Huckabee will cast a weary eye toward his religion (Mormonism.) Now, that isn’t fair, but neither is Presidential politics. Despite sterling academic credentials (Harvard undergrad and a joint Law Degree/MBA,) money (he’s worth around $200 million,) pedigree (his father was Governor of Michigan and Nixon’s Secretary of HUD,) Romney lacks any real political experience outside of his one term as Governor of a deep blue state (Massachusetts,) where his biggest accomplishment was signing into law (gasp) universal health care coverage.
The GOP field is still wide open and anyone could, and probably will, mount a bid. Pretty much anyone can give it a try. Heck, we live in a country where men like Howard Dean and Pete du Pont have gotten their dance cards punched! Even Alexander Haig, who never did hold an elected office, ran once. Why not? Who cares, it isn’t their money anyway!
In closing, the one person on the GOP side who bears close watching for the next year or so (but has tepidly ruled it out until the big wigs can talk him into it,) is none other than my least favorite former Governor of my home state of Florida, John E. “Jeb” Bush. His name recognition is off the charts; he’s also got nothing else to do. He’s said to be content planning for his son’s political future, but that could change tomorrow. The money would be there and who knows, maybe the electorate will forget exactly how stupid his brother is. Jeb is only fifty-eight and, although he lacks real academic credentials, so did Lyndon Johnson and he won in the greatest landslide ever in 1964. Bush is also still popular enough in Florida to all but guarantee himself the swing state and is much shrewder than either of the two former Presidents in his family, so he bears watching.
Friday, March 11, 2011
List of Celebrities that self-identify as Democrats (or have campaigned for/donated to Democratic candidates)
How do we define celebrity? A celebrity is a famous person that I have heard of at least once. If I hadn't heard of them, the person was Googled ... if I felt they were too "small-time," then I left them off. They must be a singer, songwriter, musician, actor, actress, writer, or cartoonist. Here is a (non-comprehensive) list of celebrities that either self-identify as being a registered Democrat or have campaigned and/or donated to Democratic candidates. The list was fun to compile (although it took a while,) and is not meant as an endorsement of any entertainer(s.) Please feel free to leave comments and add anyway of whom I am unaware.I also apologize in advance for any accidental duplicates.
Bill Bradley
Al Franken
John Glenn
Jerry Springer
Warren Beatty
Tim McGraw
George Peppard
Tom Morello (System of a Down)
Ben Affleck
Andre 3000 (The Outkast)
Kevin Bacon
Alec Baldwin
Jason Bateman
Boyz II Men
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Glenn Close
Kevin Costner
John Cusack
Sean Combs
Billy Crystal
Leonardo DiCaprio
Larry David
Melissa Etheridge
Janeane Garofalo
Helen Hunt
Wyclef Jean
Carole King
Norman Lear
Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger.)
Lewis Black
The Black Eyed Peas
Patti LaBelle
Wendy Malick
Benjamin McKenzie
Brian McKnight
Alyssa Milano
Demi Moore
Willie Nelson
Natalie Portman
Tim Robbins
Meg Ryan
Russell Simmons
Luther Vandross
Stevie Wonder
Peter Yarrow
Muhammad Ali
Jennifer Aniston
Jason Biggs
Jack Black
Michael Bolton
Jon Bon Jovi
Christie Brinkley
Steve Buscemi
Cher
Natalie Cole
Billy Crystal
John Cusack
Larry David
Dana Delany
Green Day
Robert DeNiro
Cameron Diaz
Theo Epstein
Michael J. Fox
Doug Flutie
Whoopi Goldberg
Dave Grohl
Jake Gyllenhaal
Melissa Joan Hart
John Leguizamo
Rob Lowe
Shirley MacLaine
Paul Newman
Brad Pitt
Diana Ross
David Spade
Meryl Streep
John Travolta
Robert Vaughn
Gene Wilder
Robin Williams
Stephen King
Seth MacFarlane
Hank Aaron
Andre Agassi
Woody Allen
Ed Asner
Candice Bergen
James Caan
Stockard Channing
Chevy Chase
George Clooney
Sean Combs
James Cromwell
Walter Cronkite
Tom Cruise
Billy Crystal
Matt Damon
Ted Danson
Ellen DeGeneres
Robert DeNiro
Alan Dershowitz
Kirk Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Eisner
Jane Fonda
Harrison Ford
James Garner
Jennifer Garner
Richard Gere
Melissa Gilbert
John Goodman
Heather Graham
Melanie Griffith
John Grisham
Larry Hagman
Tom Hanks
Ed Harris
Dustin Hoffman
Kate Hudson
Helen Hunt
Will Rogers
Allison Janney
Tommy Lee Jones
Michael Jordan
Ashley Judd
Nicole Kidman
Jennifer Lopez
Rob Lowe
George Lucas
Jenny McCarthy
John McEnroe
Bette Midler
Michael Moore
Paul Newman
Jack Nicholson
Leonard Nimoy
Gwyneth Paltrow
Sean Penn
Regis Philbin
Jada Pinkett Smith
Natalie Portman
Robert Redford
Rob Reiner
Chris Rock
Tim Robbins
Bob Saget
Susan Sarandon
Bud Selig
Martin Sheen
Christian Slater
Kevin Spacey
Steven Spielberg
George Soros
Ben Stiller
Barbara Streisand
Eric Stoltz
Sharon Stone
Charlize Theron
Marlo Thomas
Chris Tucker
Ted Turner
Alice Walker
Dennis Weaver
Owen Wilson
Rita Wilson
Reese Witherspoon
Hunter S. Thompson (Journalist)
George Carlin (Comedian)
Margaret Cho (Comedian)
Marshall Mathers (Eminem)
Madonna
Bruce Springsteen
Sheryl Crow
James Taylor (not too proud of this one)
John Cougar Mellencamp
John Fogerty
Whew! The list is quite long, in part because celebrities tend to be liberal, as do journalists, academics, and smart people! Look out for the twin list of Republicans soon to come!
Bill Bradley
Al Franken
John Glenn
Jerry Springer
Warren Beatty
Tim McGraw
George Peppard
Tom Morello (System of a Down)
Ben Affleck
Andre 3000 (The Outkast)
Kevin Bacon
Alec Baldwin
Jason Bateman
Boyz II Men
Mary Chapin Carpenter
Glenn Close
Kevin Costner
John Cusack
Sean Combs
Billy Crystal
Leonardo DiCaprio
Larry David
Melissa Etheridge
Janeane Garofalo
Helen Hunt
Wyclef Jean
Carole King
Norman Lear
Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger.)
Lewis Black
The Black Eyed Peas
Patti LaBelle
Wendy Malick
Benjamin McKenzie
Brian McKnight
Alyssa Milano
Demi Moore
Willie Nelson
Natalie Portman
Tim Robbins
Meg Ryan
Russell Simmons
Luther Vandross
Stevie Wonder
Peter Yarrow
Muhammad Ali
Jennifer Aniston
Jason Biggs
Jack Black
Michael Bolton
Jon Bon Jovi
Christie Brinkley
Steve Buscemi
Cher
Natalie Cole
Billy Crystal
John Cusack
Larry David
Dana Delany
Green Day
Robert DeNiro
Cameron Diaz
Theo Epstein
Michael J. Fox
Doug Flutie
Whoopi Goldberg
Dave Grohl
Jake Gyllenhaal
Melissa Joan Hart
John Leguizamo
Rob Lowe
Shirley MacLaine
Paul Newman
Brad Pitt
Diana Ross
David Spade
Meryl Streep
John Travolta
Robert Vaughn
Gene Wilder
Robin Williams
Stephen King
Seth MacFarlane
Hank Aaron
Andre Agassi
Woody Allen
Ed Asner
Candice Bergen
James Caan
Stockard Channing
Chevy Chase
George Clooney
Sean Combs
James Cromwell
Walter Cronkite
Tom Cruise
Billy Crystal
Matt Damon
Ted Danson
Ellen DeGeneres
Robert DeNiro
Alan Dershowitz
Kirk Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Eisner
Jane Fonda
Harrison Ford
James Garner
Jennifer Garner
Richard Gere
Melissa Gilbert
John Goodman
Heather Graham
Melanie Griffith
John Grisham
Larry Hagman
Tom Hanks
Ed Harris
Dustin Hoffman
Kate Hudson
Helen Hunt
Will Rogers
Allison Janney
Tommy Lee Jones
Michael Jordan
Ashley Judd
Nicole Kidman
Jennifer Lopez
Rob Lowe
George Lucas
Jenny McCarthy
John McEnroe
Bette Midler
Michael Moore
Paul Newman
Jack Nicholson
Leonard Nimoy
Gwyneth Paltrow
Sean Penn
Regis Philbin
Jada Pinkett Smith
Natalie Portman
Robert Redford
Rob Reiner
Chris Rock
Tim Robbins
Bob Saget
Susan Sarandon
Bud Selig
Martin Sheen
Christian Slater
Kevin Spacey
Steven Spielberg
George Soros
Ben Stiller
Barbara Streisand
Eric Stoltz
Sharon Stone
Charlize Theron
Marlo Thomas
Chris Tucker
Ted Turner
Alice Walker
Dennis Weaver
Owen Wilson
Rita Wilson
Reese Witherspoon
Hunter S. Thompson (Journalist)
George Carlin (Comedian)
Margaret Cho (Comedian)
Marshall Mathers (Eminem)
Madonna
Bruce Springsteen
Sheryl Crow
James Taylor (not too proud of this one)
John Cougar Mellencamp
John Fogerty
Whew! The list is quite long, in part because celebrities tend to be liberal, as do journalists, academics, and smart people! Look out for the twin list of Republicans soon to come!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
In undergraduate school, I majored in Political Science and Sociology. I’d always felt the two were related as one is the study of politics and government and the other is the study of society. Well, you can’t have politics without a society, now can you? I can remember reading those little diatribes on sociology and thinking to myself, “Why does inequality exist?” After years of study, I came up with a simple conclusion: because some people don’t know any better. Not the most intellectual premise in the world, but it got the job done and I still agree with it today. The height of sophistication, it ain’t … but it’s pithy, and we liberals love pithiness.
What an education in such topics will give you, if you endeavor to acquire it, is the ability to turn off the ugliness of your own humanity. Education gives you the ability to stop your innate hatred in its tracks. When you have an education and you’ve put some thought into your thoughts, it’s much easier to ignore the voice that tells you that the homeless man begging for change in the street is a “bum.” It will remind you that you cannot just assume that the couple in front of you with twelve children do not have so many because they are Hispanic.
For much of my college and graduate school years, I worked at Domino’s Pizza in various positions: CSR, Pizza Maker, Delivery, Secretary, and Assistant Manager - you name it and I did it. We got some interesting customers, not all were college students and many were, like a lot of people, seeking something for nothing. What my education in sociology taught me was to ignore that annoying impulse to label them as some slur or stereotype simply because I could.
I’ll touch on a subject here that I typically like to avoid: racism. Many of the delivery drivers at the stores where I worked would sometimes grouse (to me, of all people,) that they disliked delivering to African-American customers because they felt they were certain to get “stiffed” (not be tipped.) If they were “stiffed,” that meant they only received the company’s small allotment for gas (then about $0.50/delivery.) They made their living off tips, so this was akin to taking money out of their pockets. They would often become upset and, if they didn’t know my ethnicity, would seek out what was certain to be a sympathetic ear (me.)
That’s usually about where “Mr. Sociology Major” came in and explained the inequality inherent in American society with regard to African-Americans. Once my lecture on the basic unfairness of property taxes funding education was complete, they’d usually curse at me and leave in a huff. My point was that if all people were given the same access to education (and the funding necessary to ensure its’ success,) then all people (regardless of color) would be doing better financially and would be a little freer with that last buck or two.
My favorite (true) story of those days: One such driver came to me, then a veritable stranger, and said “I don’t know about you, but I hate delivering to black people.” At that point I looked at him, patted my right arm, and said simply: “Do I look white to you, genius?” We both laughed at the awkwardness of the moment and moved on. He learned not to judge a book by its cover and I learned that my new friend wasn’t all that observant. (We remain close to this very day.)
My little lectures did not make me a popular guy; in fact, they made me a laughingstock. My (Republican) boss would often berate me (in public) by saying things like, “You’re the typical Democrat: you’re fat, you’re stupid, and you work for minimum wage while you go to school to learn crap that you’ll never use.” (That was a great lesson in Republican hypocrisy as he weighed about four hundred pounds and had studied engineering only to become the Pizza King of Gainesville, Florida!)
The point of this little diatribe, my dear readers, is to point out the value of education. Even if you don’t use it for the aim in which you intended, you can still use it throughout your daily life in an attempt to better yourself and those around you. So get one, encourage or help someone else to get one, and never say it’s useless.
What an education in such topics will give you, if you endeavor to acquire it, is the ability to turn off the ugliness of your own humanity. Education gives you the ability to stop your innate hatred in its tracks. When you have an education and you’ve put some thought into your thoughts, it’s much easier to ignore the voice that tells you that the homeless man begging for change in the street is a “bum.” It will remind you that you cannot just assume that the couple in front of you with twelve children do not have so many because they are Hispanic.
For much of my college and graduate school years, I worked at Domino’s Pizza in various positions: CSR, Pizza Maker, Delivery, Secretary, and Assistant Manager - you name it and I did it. We got some interesting customers, not all were college students and many were, like a lot of people, seeking something for nothing. What my education in sociology taught me was to ignore that annoying impulse to label them as some slur or stereotype simply because I could.
I’ll touch on a subject here that I typically like to avoid: racism. Many of the delivery drivers at the stores where I worked would sometimes grouse (to me, of all people,) that they disliked delivering to African-American customers because they felt they were certain to get “stiffed” (not be tipped.) If they were “stiffed,” that meant they only received the company’s small allotment for gas (then about $0.50/delivery.) They made their living off tips, so this was akin to taking money out of their pockets. They would often become upset and, if they didn’t know my ethnicity, would seek out what was certain to be a sympathetic ear (me.)
That’s usually about where “Mr. Sociology Major” came in and explained the inequality inherent in American society with regard to African-Americans. Once my lecture on the basic unfairness of property taxes funding education was complete, they’d usually curse at me and leave in a huff. My point was that if all people were given the same access to education (and the funding necessary to ensure its’ success,) then all people (regardless of color) would be doing better financially and would be a little freer with that last buck or two.
My favorite (true) story of those days: One such driver came to me, then a veritable stranger, and said “I don’t know about you, but I hate delivering to black people.” At that point I looked at him, patted my right arm, and said simply: “Do I look white to you, genius?” We both laughed at the awkwardness of the moment and moved on. He learned not to judge a book by its cover and I learned that my new friend wasn’t all that observant. (We remain close to this very day.)
My little lectures did not make me a popular guy; in fact, they made me a laughingstock. My (Republican) boss would often berate me (in public) by saying things like, “You’re the typical Democrat: you’re fat, you’re stupid, and you work for minimum wage while you go to school to learn crap that you’ll never use.” (That was a great lesson in Republican hypocrisy as he weighed about four hundred pounds and had studied engineering only to become the Pizza King of Gainesville, Florida!)
The point of this little diatribe, my dear readers, is to point out the value of education. Even if you don’t use it for the aim in which you intended, you can still use it throughout your daily life in an attempt to better yourself and those around you. So get one, encourage or help someone else to get one, and never say it’s useless.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Somewhere on the Internet right now, there is a very nice picture of new House Speaker John Boehner (R - OH) making an open-handed gesture in front of a podium; the caption reads "We got nothing!" While the caption is meant to refer to the Republican's platform for last year's election, it could just as easily refer to their field of potential candidates for their 2012 Presidential nomination. The GOP is well-known for it's humdrum cast of Presidential wannabes in recent cycles: remember 1996? The lot was so underwhelming, they were actually forced to nominate good ol' Bob Dole on his third and (mercifully) final try. There was, of course, 2008. Last time, the party went and (almost literally) dug up John McCain to stop the likes of "Mitt" Romney and Mike Huckabee. What about 1988? That year, the party nominated the very exciting George H.W. Bush, then popularly considered to be a "wimp," over Dole, Jack Kemp, Alexander Haig, and Pete du Pont (yes, really ... look it up.)
If you enjoyed those fabulous slug-fests of grumpy old men, then next year should delight you. The faces have changed and they've added a woman (well, she claims to be a woman,) but the list is still pretty dull. As usual, the first runner-up will probably be at it again. As also happens frequently, the veep nominee from the last battle will likely also be giving it a whirl. 2008 GOP nominee Sen. John McCain is still around, but is now 74. Despite having been overwhelmingly re-elected to yet another term in the Senate (it's Arizona, folks,) he'd be 76 when re-nominated and didn't really impress anyone last time. So, Johnny Mack is out!
This year's Sargent Shriver entry (a candidate that gets nominated as V.P. and then decides, despite slim qualifications, to give it a go themselves the next time out ... what too soon?) is none other than the Queen of Mean, former Alaska Gov. Sarah "Caribou Barbie" Palin. Despite two short, achievement-less years as Governor of our nation's least populous state, Palin seems ready to take her little sideshow on the road. She probably can raise the money, but cannot keep herself away from every credible journalist in the world forever. If she wanted to do the GOP some good, she should have been by George W. Bush's side most of the time so he wouldn't have been the dumbest person in the room! The recent debacle over the Gabrielle Giffords shooting and Palin's lousy track record of candidate endorsements (Joe Miller, her hand-picked candidate for Alaska's '10 Senate race, lost to a write-in candidate,) will do her in. Add on to that some lousy approval rating numbers, little real experience, and a habit of making Joe Biden look gaffe-proof and you have a Fox News host, not a serious Presidential contender. There's also the pregnant teen-age daughter thing. Oh yeah, and the cheating husband thing (don't blame him, you'd cheat, too!)
2012's Gary Hart (that's the person that comes in second (1) and decides, "This is my year!") is former Massachusetts Gov. Willard "Mitt" Romney. While being a handsome, allegedly charismatic guy, Romney presents some slender credentials of his own: one term (2003 - 2007) as governor of a deep blue state in which his greatest accomplishment was putting in place the universal health coverage plan upon which our nation's program is loosely based. Other than that, Romney sought the U.S. Senate seat then held by the late, great Ted Kennedy in 1994 (he lost 58% - 41%, but gave Teddy the closest full-term race of his life,) and was head of a private equity fund (Bain Capital.) Perhaps Romney's greatest claim to fame is his (long forgotten) bloodlines: father, George, was CEO of American Motors and Governor of Michigan (Dem.,) who crossed party lines to serve in Nixon's cabinet (HUD, 1969 - 1973.) Romney's mother, Lenore, challenged Sen. Philip A. "The Conscience of the Senate" Hart (D - MI) in 1970, but was badly defeated. Brother, G. Scott Romney sought to become Attorney General of Michigan in 1998, but lost the nomination.
No doubt Mitt is smart (he holds a combined J.D./MBA from Harvard,) rich (his net worth is estimated at somewhere in the $200 million range,) and nice-looking (check out the hair,) but he has some flaws. Romney is a Mormon and, among the evangelicals that turn out in GOP primaries, that's anathema (most of them consider it to be some form of weirdo cult.) All the average person knows about Mormonism is that they used to encourage polygamy. All of that is going to be a little problem! Which is not to discount Romney - after all, JFK overcame the Catholic thing, so who's to say Mitt can't overcome the Mormon thing? No one, but it's there and it is an obstacle.
Romney's second biggest flaw is that he may not be "conservative enough" to win primaries in the South and West that love the frothing-at-the-mouth types like Jeff Sessions and Larry Craig. Romney has supported giving benefits to same-sex couples and signed into law Massachusetts' health care reform law that is now seen as a model, and that makes him something of a moderate. While a guy like that plays well in general elections, the belt-buckle-as-identification folks that turn out in GOP primaries are more likely to go for someone like Huckabee or even Palin. So, Romney may not pass the smell test.
2008's other first runner-up (1) was none other than former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. The Southern Baptist preacher is the favorite among evangelicals, who, despite their silence last time around, are still pretty strong (they handed the 2004 Presidential race to George W. Bush.) Despite being a magna cum laude graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, Huckabee holds no other real academic credentials (he dropped out of seminary school,) other than honorary degrees (from similarly prominent institutions.)
Reverend Mike has the religious halo around him that makes him seemingly immune to charges of graft and has led a relatively scandal-free existence (that alone is commendable considering he's from Arkansas,) but really has little in the way of a platform (2.) There's is the usual "Returning America to the Lord" and "God hates taxes" rhetoric, but that's not usually enough on a national level. Despite a background in televangelism and keeping himself on television with his Fox TV show, Huckabee has done little in the recent past to augment his Presidential aspirations. He may encourage a few folks to fire up their tractors and head on down to the polls, but it very much remains to be seen if he can win a nationwide general election. He did win the Iowa Caucuses last time and is decent at raising money, but can he step up to the big-time? I doubt it.
Next we have this year's Paul Tsongas/Jerry Brown entry. I am, of course, referring to the very interesting 1992 Democratic race that saw retired Sen. Paul Tsongas (D - MA,) who served one term before leaving the Senate for health reasons, run for President and have some early success (he won the New Hampshire primary,) before realizing that it takes money to win in national-level politics. Jerry Brown, the long-retired Governor of California, decided that the third time's a charm and gave it a go that year before he realized that the cardigan sweater thing only worked for Jimmy Carter (3.) This year's Brown/Tsongas contestant is none other than disgraced House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia.
A brilliant man (he has a Ph. D. in history from Tulane,) Newt first came to light in the late 1980's as minority whip when he nearly single-handedly brought down then Speaker Jim Wright (D - TX.) Gingrich's strategems bought the GOP control of the House in 1994 after 40 years in the minority. As a reward, the GOP caucus made Gingrich their Speaker - and then he promptly went about proving himself to be unworthy. After shutting down the government in 1995 and tripping on his own ego several times, Gingrich paid a fine for a crooked book deal and ethics violations (the very reason Wright had to call it a day.) He tacitly admitted cheating on all of his wives and slinked off with his tail between his legs. He is, somehow, now back and is said to be weighing throwing his hat in the ring. There was a time when this nation might have elected Gingrich, and that time was 1996. That time is well past ... he needs to move on and so do whatever supporters he has left!
The rest of the potential GOP is even less inspiring. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas just saw his idiot son elected to the Senate from Kentucky, which should be enough embarrassment for their family. Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota has a nice following, as does Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana. Neither state has produced a President and neither man is really Presidential timber. Rudy Giuliani could be another candidate, but his two terms as Mayor of New York and scandal plagued marital life do not present much in the way of a basis for running. Besides Giuliani didn't fare that well last time and 9/11 was even longer ago now than it was then. Furthermore, Giuliani has never proven he could win a statewide race, having declined to run for Governor or the Senate. He'd have to leap those hurdles before he could really convince anyone he's the man for the job.
Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, an oft-rumored candidate, says he isn't running and is instead looking into replacing Daniels. Former two-term Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has that little family baggage issue that would handicap him. No doubt Jeb could raise the money, but he lacks his older brother's more impressive academic credentials and charm. Since leaving what is seen by some as a successful turn in Florida, Jeb has stayed out of the spotlight and is said to prefer developing the nascent political career of his eldest son, George P. Bush. Jeb even declined to run for the Senate when his brother's former HUD Secretary, Mel Martinez, announced that he wouldn't seek re-election. So, Bush looks to be truly retired from politics. A couple of pols harboring national-level ambitions, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada and Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina both shot themselves in the foot last year when tales of adultery-twinged malfeasance came to light. Both are now a dead issue.
So, as anyone can see, the field is limited. This bodes well for President Obama, who seems to be on an upswing after a rough first two years. With Obama's approval ratings back in the mid-fifties and the economy slowly roaring back to life, the GOP will probably be hard-pressed to find anyone to beat the President next year. Barring scandal or another near-meltdown of the economy, I look for Obama to be re-elected. The real question is: by how much? The GOP's anger-stirrers and hatred-mongerers will be out in force, but it won't be enough to stop our nation's newest "rock star" President.
- Americus Paulytics (January 29, 2011)
(1) The first runner-up of the 2008 Republican GOP sweepstakes is debatable: Romney won more states and popular votes, but Huckabee finished with the second highest delegate total.
(2) About the only real controversy Huckabee really encountered was in commuting too many death sentences (e.g. more than his predecessors.) Arkansans love a good execution!
(3) Jerry Brown was re-elected Governor of California in 2010, becoming both the youngest and oldest man to hold the job.
If you enjoyed those fabulous slug-fests of grumpy old men, then next year should delight you. The faces have changed and they've added a woman (well, she claims to be a woman,) but the list is still pretty dull. As usual, the first runner-up will probably be at it again. As also happens frequently, the veep nominee from the last battle will likely also be giving it a whirl. 2008 GOP nominee Sen. John McCain is still around, but is now 74. Despite having been overwhelmingly re-elected to yet another term in the Senate (it's Arizona, folks,) he'd be 76 when re-nominated and didn't really impress anyone last time. So, Johnny Mack is out!
This year's Sargent Shriver entry (a candidate that gets nominated as V.P. and then decides, despite slim qualifications, to give it a go themselves the next time out ... what too soon?) is none other than the Queen of Mean, former Alaska Gov. Sarah "Caribou Barbie" Palin. Despite two short, achievement-less years as Governor of our nation's least populous state, Palin seems ready to take her little sideshow on the road. She probably can raise the money, but cannot keep herself away from every credible journalist in the world forever. If she wanted to do the GOP some good, she should have been by George W. Bush's side most of the time so he wouldn't have been the dumbest person in the room! The recent debacle over the Gabrielle Giffords shooting and Palin's lousy track record of candidate endorsements (Joe Miller, her hand-picked candidate for Alaska's '10 Senate race, lost to a write-in candidate,) will do her in. Add on to that some lousy approval rating numbers, little real experience, and a habit of making Joe Biden look gaffe-proof and you have a Fox News host, not a serious Presidential contender. There's also the pregnant teen-age daughter thing. Oh yeah, and the cheating husband thing (don't blame him, you'd cheat, too!)
2012's Gary Hart (that's the person that comes in second (1) and decides, "This is my year!") is former Massachusetts Gov. Willard "Mitt" Romney. While being a handsome, allegedly charismatic guy, Romney presents some slender credentials of his own: one term (2003 - 2007) as governor of a deep blue state in which his greatest accomplishment was putting in place the universal health coverage plan upon which our nation's program is loosely based. Other than that, Romney sought the U.S. Senate seat then held by the late, great Ted Kennedy in 1994 (he lost 58% - 41%, but gave Teddy the closest full-term race of his life,) and was head of a private equity fund (Bain Capital.) Perhaps Romney's greatest claim to fame is his (long forgotten) bloodlines: father, George, was CEO of American Motors and Governor of Michigan (Dem.,) who crossed party lines to serve in Nixon's cabinet (HUD, 1969 - 1973.) Romney's mother, Lenore, challenged Sen. Philip A. "The Conscience of the Senate" Hart (D - MI) in 1970, but was badly defeated. Brother, G. Scott Romney sought to become Attorney General of Michigan in 1998, but lost the nomination.
No doubt Mitt is smart (he holds a combined J.D./MBA from Harvard,) rich (his net worth is estimated at somewhere in the $200 million range,) and nice-looking (check out the hair,) but he has some flaws. Romney is a Mormon and, among the evangelicals that turn out in GOP primaries, that's anathema (most of them consider it to be some form of weirdo cult.) All the average person knows about Mormonism is that they used to encourage polygamy. All of that is going to be a little problem! Which is not to discount Romney - after all, JFK overcame the Catholic thing, so who's to say Mitt can't overcome the Mormon thing? No one, but it's there and it is an obstacle.
Romney's second biggest flaw is that he may not be "conservative enough" to win primaries in the South and West that love the frothing-at-the-mouth types like Jeff Sessions and Larry Craig. Romney has supported giving benefits to same-sex couples and signed into law Massachusetts' health care reform law that is now seen as a model, and that makes him something of a moderate. While a guy like that plays well in general elections, the belt-buckle-as-identification folks that turn out in GOP primaries are more likely to go for someone like Huckabee or even Palin. So, Romney may not pass the smell test.
2008's other first runner-up (1) was none other than former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas. The Southern Baptist preacher is the favorite among evangelicals, who, despite their silence last time around, are still pretty strong (they handed the 2004 Presidential race to George W. Bush.) Despite being a magna cum laude graduate of Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, Huckabee holds no other real academic credentials (he dropped out of seminary school,) other than honorary degrees (from similarly prominent institutions.)
Reverend Mike has the religious halo around him that makes him seemingly immune to charges of graft and has led a relatively scandal-free existence (that alone is commendable considering he's from Arkansas,) but really has little in the way of a platform (2.) There's is the usual "Returning America to the Lord" and "God hates taxes" rhetoric, but that's not usually enough on a national level. Despite a background in televangelism and keeping himself on television with his Fox TV show, Huckabee has done little in the recent past to augment his Presidential aspirations. He may encourage a few folks to fire up their tractors and head on down to the polls, but it very much remains to be seen if he can win a nationwide general election. He did win the Iowa Caucuses last time and is decent at raising money, but can he step up to the big-time? I doubt it.
Next we have this year's Paul Tsongas/Jerry Brown entry. I am, of course, referring to the very interesting 1992 Democratic race that saw retired Sen. Paul Tsongas (D - MA,) who served one term before leaving the Senate for health reasons, run for President and have some early success (he won the New Hampshire primary,) before realizing that it takes money to win in national-level politics. Jerry Brown, the long-retired Governor of California, decided that the third time's a charm and gave it a go that year before he realized that the cardigan sweater thing only worked for Jimmy Carter (3.) This year's Brown/Tsongas contestant is none other than disgraced House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia.
A brilliant man (he has a Ph. D. in history from Tulane,) Newt first came to light in the late 1980's as minority whip when he nearly single-handedly brought down then Speaker Jim Wright (D - TX.) Gingrich's strategems bought the GOP control of the House in 1994 after 40 years in the minority. As a reward, the GOP caucus made Gingrich their Speaker - and then he promptly went about proving himself to be unworthy. After shutting down the government in 1995 and tripping on his own ego several times, Gingrich paid a fine for a crooked book deal and ethics violations (the very reason Wright had to call it a day.) He tacitly admitted cheating on all of his wives and slinked off with his tail between his legs. He is, somehow, now back and is said to be weighing throwing his hat in the ring. There was a time when this nation might have elected Gingrich, and that time was 1996. That time is well past ... he needs to move on and so do whatever supporters he has left!
The rest of the potential GOP is even less inspiring. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas just saw his idiot son elected to the Senate from Kentucky, which should be enough embarrassment for their family. Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota has a nice following, as does Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana. Neither state has produced a President and neither man is really Presidential timber. Rudy Giuliani could be another candidate, but his two terms as Mayor of New York and scandal plagued marital life do not present much in the way of a basis for running. Besides Giuliani didn't fare that well last time and 9/11 was even longer ago now than it was then. Furthermore, Giuliani has never proven he could win a statewide race, having declined to run for Governor or the Senate. He'd have to leap those hurdles before he could really convince anyone he's the man for the job.
Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana, an oft-rumored candidate, says he isn't running and is instead looking into replacing Daniels. Former two-term Florida Gov. Jeb Bush has that little family baggage issue that would handicap him. No doubt Jeb could raise the money, but he lacks his older brother's more impressive academic credentials and charm. Since leaving what is seen by some as a successful turn in Florida, Jeb has stayed out of the spotlight and is said to prefer developing the nascent political career of his eldest son, George P. Bush. Jeb even declined to run for the Senate when his brother's former HUD Secretary, Mel Martinez, announced that he wouldn't seek re-election. So, Bush looks to be truly retired from politics. A couple of pols harboring national-level ambitions, Sen. John Ensign of Nevada and Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina both shot themselves in the foot last year when tales of adultery-twinged malfeasance came to light. Both are now a dead issue.
So, as anyone can see, the field is limited. This bodes well for President Obama, who seems to be on an upswing after a rough first two years. With Obama's approval ratings back in the mid-fifties and the economy slowly roaring back to life, the GOP will probably be hard-pressed to find anyone to beat the President next year. Barring scandal or another near-meltdown of the economy, I look for Obama to be re-elected. The real question is: by how much? The GOP's anger-stirrers and hatred-mongerers will be out in force, but it won't be enough to stop our nation's newest "rock star" President.
- Americus Paulytics (January 29, 2011)
(1) The first runner-up of the 2008 Republican GOP sweepstakes is debatable: Romney won more states and popular votes, but Huckabee finished with the second highest delegate total.
(2) About the only real controversy Huckabee really encountered was in commuting too many death sentences (e.g. more than his predecessors.) Arkansans love a good execution!
(3) Jerry Brown was re-elected Governor of California in 2010, becoming both the youngest and oldest man to hold the job.
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