Happy Super Tuesday! I trust this holiday finds you and yours well. Are you burning the traditional Hanging Chad Log? Will you be singing election carols? It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
It seems there's a real possibility that this thing will go down to the wire and there might even be a brokered convention. The conventional wisdom is that this is a bad thing for the two Democratic candidates. It always is.
Apparently the fact that the Republicans will have chosen their candidate today and the Democrats will be forced to continue campaigning is a bad thing. The Republican candidate will get to rest and begin fundraising and will have all sorts of advantages. Whatever.
Do we really think that after eight years of Bush the eventual Democratic candidate is going to be hurting for money? Donors big and small are going to be climbing all over each other to throw money and Obama or Clinton once they've received the nomination. For many of us this is going to be like paying to clear the Bush stink from our country. Money is no object.
A delayed determination of our nominee will force the inevitable Republican swift-boat-make-up-shit campaign to split resources in their search to find slimeballs willing to say anything about Clinton or Obama. Conservatives have been whistling pass the graveyard at the possibility of a Clinton nomination for partly this reason - they think the smear homework is already done on Clinton. I think they're seriously underestimating the desires of their mouth-breathing base for new material.
As for myself my state doesn't vote today but might actually play a factor for the first time in my life in the determination of the party candidate. I've been really crititical of both candidates and do absolutely believe that they are not the best the party has to offer when it comes to leadership but a couple of things really force the issue for me if I have to choose.
The first is Clinton's vote on the 2002 Iraq AUMF. I like Hillary Clinton and fiercly defended her and her husband from all the ridiculous crap thrown her way in the 90s. Today to listen to Republicans talk about her just raises my hackles. What a bunch of childish little boys scared of anyone that doesn't pee standing up they are. That said - I cannot forgive her vote on the AUMF. It was a stupid vote and a horrible indication of her judgement. There is simply no excuse for that vote.
So I've been leaning towards Obama. I continue to believe his message of bipartisanship plays to the bullshit frame that "partisanship" is what's causing all the problems in the country. Only one political party has acted in a purely partisan manner for the last 30 years and it hasn't been the Democrats. We don't need to reach across the aisle for anything other than to pimp-slap the other side.
But then I saw this video and I have to say it's pretty moving. Hope ain't policy. Hope won't feed a single American or provide healthcare or stop the stupid war in Iraq. But maybe, just maybe, hope might get us to a place where we can at least start to work on fixing those things.
Most importantly there's one thing about hope that can't be denied. It's a hell of a lot better than the alternative.
It seems there's a real possibility that this thing will go down to the wire and there might even be a brokered convention. The conventional wisdom is that this is a bad thing for the two Democratic candidates. It always is.
Apparently the fact that the Republicans will have chosen their candidate today and the Democrats will be forced to continue campaigning is a bad thing. The Republican candidate will get to rest and begin fundraising and will have all sorts of advantages. Whatever.
Do we really think that after eight years of Bush the eventual Democratic candidate is going to be hurting for money? Donors big and small are going to be climbing all over each other to throw money and Obama or Clinton once they've received the nomination. For many of us this is going to be like paying to clear the Bush stink from our country. Money is no object.
A delayed determination of our nominee will force the inevitable Republican swift-boat-make-up-shit campaign to split resources in their search to find slimeballs willing to say anything about Clinton or Obama. Conservatives have been whistling pass the graveyard at the possibility of a Clinton nomination for partly this reason - they think the smear homework is already done on Clinton. I think they're seriously underestimating the desires of their mouth-breathing base for new material.
As for myself my state doesn't vote today but might actually play a factor for the first time in my life in the determination of the party candidate. I've been really crititical of both candidates and do absolutely believe that they are not the best the party has to offer when it comes to leadership but a couple of things really force the issue for me if I have to choose.
The first is Clinton's vote on the 2002 Iraq AUMF. I like Hillary Clinton and fiercly defended her and her husband from all the ridiculous crap thrown her way in the 90s. Today to listen to Republicans talk about her just raises my hackles. What a bunch of childish little boys scared of anyone that doesn't pee standing up they are. That said - I cannot forgive her vote on the AUMF. It was a stupid vote and a horrible indication of her judgement. There is simply no excuse for that vote.
So I've been leaning towards Obama. I continue to believe his message of bipartisanship plays to the bullshit frame that "partisanship" is what's causing all the problems in the country. Only one political party has acted in a purely partisan manner for the last 30 years and it hasn't been the Democrats. We don't need to reach across the aisle for anything other than to pimp-slap the other side.
But then I saw this video and I have to say it's pretty moving. Hope ain't policy. Hope won't feed a single American or provide healthcare or stop the stupid war in Iraq. But maybe, just maybe, hope might get us to a place where we can at least start to work on fixing those things.
Most importantly there's one thing about hope that can't be denied. It's a hell of a lot better than the alternative.
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5 comments:
well said. Except you used a word that doesn't exist any more: underestimate. I think you meant misunderestimated.
Perhaps dean was left behind? Have you put food on your family?
I'm with you on the pimp-slapping. I don't want to hear about healing, and Satandammit, if Hillary or Obama pulls a Kerry and goes all high road, then fuck the Democrats. You can't play nice when the other side wants to stab you in the gut with a rusty blade, twisting it.
"Most importantly there's one thing about hope that can't be denied. It's a hell of a lot better than the alternative."
True.
Hilary's vote and lack of apology pisses me off too.
don-
Sorry. I meant to work in "strategery" as well.
randal-
I think the tone of the convention will say a lot. As I recall the last one was tempered by the word that Bush and Republicans should not be overly abused. Republicans went the other way and tore the Dems a new one.
Convention theme should be democrats are going to rebuild America by fixing Republicans mess. IMHO of course.
zaius-
Ah, but you're assuming I meant the opposite of hope was despair. Perhaps I meant Crosby.
Swine-
It's unforgivable as far as I'm concerned.
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