READIN

Sunday, October 26th, 2008

🦋 Opinion Pieces

Here is a picture I am getting of the political landscape in the US right now. Bear in mind when reading it that I have been wrong about politics... Not sure exactly how often but way more frequently than not.

That said it seems to me like the wheels are really coming off the Southern strategy. I noted previously how the Republican racist innuendo tactics don't look like they're getting any traction -- tactics that have played a major role in not all, but several big national political contests I can remember. Frank Rich writes today (in an excellent column, I really recommend reading the whole thing) that "In the latest New York Times/CBS News and Pew national polls, Obama is now pulling even with McCain among white men, a feat accomplished by no Democratic presidential candidate in three decades, Bill Clinton included." -- This statistic really makes me do a double-take. It makes "white men" seem like a Republican voting bloc, one that is crumbling. And it seems obvious to me based on (again bear in mind that my political literacy is lacking in some key ways) that this bloc has been maintained over the last three decades through appeal to various bigotries. The Republican party has been banking on the strength of ignorance and god willing, they are going to see their investments go down the drain.

The right wing is almost certainly scared that this is exactly what's happening. Take a look at Belle's examination of this fright playing out at the National Review. The Apostropher links to an examination of what's going on at the top levels of the Republican party. 2004 made me extremely leery of hubristic thinking about political victory; but I am hoping against hope that Nixonland's publication marked the beginning of the end of the phenomenon it describes.

(And just to note: I have been waiting for this thing to happen, the thing that I'm speculating is about to happen, since I was 13 years old or so. Wishing for it is a major part of my political consciousness; this is part of the reason I'm skeptical about my accuracy of analysis. And anyways, well, I can still hope for some simulacrum of my dream...)

posted morning of October 26th, 2008: Respond

Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008

🦋 Conspiracy

Barbara Ehrenreich [Oh my gosh! Barbara Ehrenreich has a blog!! It's close to a year old.] explains the Socialist International Conspiracy to destroy the economy.

Things were going swimmingly until about a week ago, when the capitalists suddenly staged a counter-coup. We had thought that the nationalization of the banks would bring capitalism to its knees, but instead, the capitalists were craftily using it to privatize the government. ...

Ah well, we socialists still have the election to look forward to. After months of studying the candidates' economic plans, we have determined that one of them, and only one, can be relied on to complete the destruction of capitalism. With high hopes and great confidence, the Socialist International Conspiracy endorses John McCain!

posted morning of October 22nd, 2008: Respond
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Tuesday, October 21st, 2008

🦋 We'd Love to Take You Home

I endorse this message.

(Interesting: Joe = John, Jill = Ringo, Barack = Paul, Michelle = George.)

posted evening of October 21st, 2008: Respond
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Sunday, October 19th, 2008

🦋 Racism's last gasp?

Well obviously not... But it seems to me like there could be a silver lining in the dark cloud that is McCain's campaign tactics of racist innuendo -- if Obama wins (as I am expecting and hoping he will), it will be a pretty significant bit of evidence that racist attacks have lost their appeal with the American electorate -- or that the portion of the electorate they appeal to has shrunk into insignificance.

Update: Some analysis from Josh Marshall.

posted morning of October 19th, 2008: 8 responses

Thursday, October 16th, 2008

🦋 Realignment

I just heard Chris Kofinis on Keith Olbermann's show, saying that this election year could see a realignment similar to that of 1980. Could this be? It seems like in 1980 (from my loose memory of the Reagan years), people who had previously identified themselves as "liberal" or as "Democrats" started thinking of themselves as "conservative" and as "Republicans". Will voting for Obama make people start thinking of themselves as "Democrats" going forward?

posted evening of October 16th, 2008: 4 responses

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

🦋 Presidential elections I have seen

The fourth day of next month (a day I can hardly wait for!) will mark the second presidential election I've voted in while living in South Orange. Before that:

• One election in Jackson Heights, 2000. I was disappointed about Bush winning but truth be told, I was pretty apathetic that year. Soon afterwards I had cause to feel bad about my apathy.
• One election in Sunnyside, 1996. I remember being really keyed up and excited about Clinton being re-elected.
• One election in Park Slope, 1992. Was not really very engaged that year, I can't remember what I thought about the election. Pretty sure I voted for Clinton.
• One election while a student at Columbia, 1988. I had no clue that year, IIRC I voted for Lenora Fulani or something equally ridiculous and lame. This was the first election I had ever voted in.
• All previous elections (that I can remember), I was living at my parents' house in Modesto. I think the earliest election I have any real memory of is 1980.

So: this is the longest I've spent living in one place since childhood! This is also true of Ellen. Wild.

(Also, come to think of it: this is the second election since I started blogging. FWIW.)

posted morning of October 15th, 2008: Respond

🦋 7'8"

Awesome:

posted morning of October 15th, 2008: Respond

Friday, September 26th, 2008

🦋 A Culmination of Many Past Betrayals

(Warning: not-completely-coherent post by upset and angry blogger:)

The Republicans have scuttled an agreement to address the crisis in our banking system. Paul Krugman (whose blog The Conscience of a Liberal is absolutely vital reading right now) notes an interesting exchange between Henry Paulson and Nancy Pelosi:

In the Roosevelt Room after the session, the Treasury secretary, Henry M. Paulson Jr., literally bent down on one knee as he pleaded with Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker, not to "blow it up" by withdrawing her party's support for the package over what Ms. Pelosi derided as a Republican betrayal.

"I didn't know you were Catholic," Ms. Pelosi said, a wry reference to Mr. Paulson's kneeling, according to someone who observed the exchange. She went on: "It's not me blowing this up, it's the Republicans."

Mr. Paulson sighed. "I know. I know."

So the point is, if he knows, why isn't he -- why aren't responsible Republicans -- doing something about it? They have been spending the last 30 years building up and enabling and empowering the most vile, reprehensible elements of their party. Change at this point is their responsibility and their burden.

Note: and as far as, "What can we-who-are-not-'Responsible Republicans' do?", it seems to me like all we can do is concentrate the power of the Republican party in the hands of the irresponsible crazies -- the Republicans who can be forced from office by Democrats are more likely to be of the "RR" type, is how it seems to me anyways. Kind of paradoxical but giving power to RR's is giving power to those they enable.

posted morning of September 26th, 2008: Respond

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

🦋 Speak up

Today is an important day to contact your representatives in Congress. Tell them you are opposed to the bailout proposed by Secretary Paulson; tell them the country cannot afford to buy the banks' worthless assets at wildly inflated prices. We need a better plan, something with oversight and control. You can find some talking points in Paul Krugman's column today. As Brad says, this is a very big deal.

At Crooked Timber, there's a good comments thread on this subject.

posted morning of September 22nd, 2008: 4 responses

Friday, January 14th, 2005

I sent the following note to my senator today; I'd encourage you to do likewise:

Dear Senator Corzine:

Republicans have started to indicate the possibility of defaulting on the debt owed to Social Security -- we must nip this in the bud! The most recent indication was in Senator Wayne Allen's (R-CO) comment that he does not believe the money will ever be repaid to the fund.

The time is here for a resolution reaffirming the government's intention to repay fully all outstanding Treasury bills. Note that section 4 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution states,

"The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."

Republican lawmakers who call into question the debt owed to Social Security, are violating their oath of office and should be repudiated.

Regards,
Jeremy Osner
South Orange

posted morning of January 14th, 2005: Respond

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