Of course the Republican party looks old, white and irrelevant in this 21st century, but it wasn't planned that way. The condition it finds itself in started in the nineteen sixties like the mythical flutter of the butterfly wings. My peers, who are not. as my wife fervently points out, part of the baby boom generation, were upset with our younger brothers and sisters who embraced the Drugs, Sex and Rock n' Roll culture. Some of us have been waiting for them to pay for their misdeeds, but, unlike what we had raised to believe, mom and dad never did make them truly answer for their adventures. Not only was this disappointing in the sense that secretly we knew they were having more fun, it was also defaming our values and mores.
Some of us, have never forgiven our parents and our siblings for this disappointment. It was like getting to the gates of heaven and finding out that all of the things you had been told were wrong as it turned out made no difference at all. Imagine finding out that Mother Theresa was no better than Broadway Joe. The malcontents and angonizers are called Conservative Republicans and they refer to the rest of us by various labels, but mostly we are liberals with some kind of pejorative associated.
This election maybe noteworthy in that it could be the last audible scream of that demon that lives in the mind of those kids that behaved in the sixties and it's anger with the kids that didn't. The sheep's cloak has been coming of this wolf ever so slowly. But the betrayal of the Republican party and a true conservative movement is so corrupt that it is no longer impossible to ignore. Social conservatives motivated by ultra conservative religious factions have fueled an intolerance in the political arena that is unprecedented in modern politics. It is so narrow as to exclude even worthy followers, such as Mitt Romney, for not being sufficiently Christian and John McCain for not being Conservative enough. Either one of these guys policies is enough to make a true progressive gag, but for the true believers they are not pure enough.
And that is why the spotlight is now shinning on the Campaign of John McCain. McCain is a war hero, stalwart Senator from Arizona, and a guy that gave the Bush administration fits with his observations of their incompetence in the handling of the Iraq War. He has been a man who can transcend partisanship and get things done. He was even mentioned as a possible running mate for John Kerry on what would have amounted to a coalition ticket against George Bush in 2004. He's the "straight talking', John Wayne like figure that a lot of independents like and he is going to be formidable competition for whomever prevails on the Democratic side of the ticket. But his problem is that to get the wholehearted support of his party he's going to need to sound like one of them and if he doesn't he will suffer the same fate as George Bush I and Bob Dole. The get-out-the-vote Christian right will not perform and his fate will be in the hands of the independent voters.
In any other election, that might be enough, but unfortunately this election has a true phenomenon in the person of Barak Obama, who also has wide appeal amongst independent voters and has made the mending of our divisions the corner stone of his campaign. As McCain makes his way to the right of his party, gets the nomination and than inevitably tracks toward the center, he will be spotlighted like a prisoner crossing the barbwire zone of a maximum security prison in the middle of the night. The only thing that can foul up this plan is to nominate the only person that can get right wing conservatives to vote no matter who their party nominates, Hillary Clinton. While this is regrettable, because I think she would make and excellent President, I would not want to risk the chance to hobble the far right movement in this country by playing into their hands strategically.
This is the Democrats moment, but they must make good use of it. Wanting leadership and being a leader is two different things. I'm sorry, you can win a nomination of your party, run a competent campaign and win the office, but that does not mean you're a leader. I present the George Bush II as my proof. Obama or Clinton, (I will vote for her if she wins the nomination) must build a coalition of the center and force the radical wings of the parties to co-operate or shut up. The Democrats are discussing the value issues that effect all of us. Health care, education, jobs and repairing this nations infrastructure are things that all of us can benefit from. If they don't keep their eye on the ball and get re-involved in partisan bickering the Republicans may lose the battle but the War may still be lost.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Big Ideas? It's to Soon
In his recent New York Times (NYT) column on Bob Herbert praises the candidacies of Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama for their historic significance and for the genuine quality of the candidates, yet he questions the lack of vision.
"What’s missing in this campaign is a bold vision of where the United States should be heading in these crucially important early years of the 21st century. In their different ways, Senators Clinton and Obama have shown themselves to be inspirational and at times even heroic figures. But neither has offered the vision that this moment in history demands."
What Mr. Hebert knows to well is that it isn't time to roll out your vision of the future. In this artificially long, election season, which began the moment the midterm election of 2006 was settled, we are just getting the chairs arranged around the table. Pundits and policy wonks are having a great time speculating on everything from hairdo's toneer-do's . Every special interest with a power position is weighing in on which candidate will serve them best. The candidates are keeping their cards very close to their proverbial vest in order to look as vanilla as they can across the board. Once the party nominations are settled, we will see a little ankle, a glimpse of the leg and the top button will loosen on this subject, but we aren't going to see the "vision statement" in anything but the broadest terms. Laying you cards on the table before the betting has closed is a mistake even the a rube inLas Vegas knows is stupid.
However, Mr. Herbert has a good point. We should be talking more about the candidates vision of the future and he is right to demand they give to us before we vote for them. There is little doubt that we really are at a turning point in our history. It is not a campaign slogan to merely spread a tent and try to get everyone under it. Fortunately a significant number of young people get it and are energizing this movement. Their support of Obama have surprised and gotten the attention of the public in general and the political wonks in specific. What these young people have realized and what their involvement in the this political process has highlighted are issues that have been on the back burner for too long.
We need to to do, in general, is invest in this country. We need to reassess our foreign policy. We need to restructure our government to answer the needs of this century.
Investment in this country is usually interpreted as code for isolationism by right wing politicians, but the truth is while we try to build roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure in Iraq, our own needs in this area is decaying. We need to set aside the rhetoric and take a clear look at the needs in our own country.
Leaders of the future need to recognize that the class structure in our society has changed forever and that protection for the former middle class need to be introduced n the face of global corporations. Unions, local and state government are generally helpless in the face of the strength and mobility of these entities.
Tax rules, health care protection, requiring the payment of a living wage and other so-called left wing issues become more reasonable when faced with the monolithic global corporation. We need to look at the rights and responsibility of citizenship in order to empower people to control their communities. On the other hand we have to increase the opportunity for education and underwrite that effort. We do not have a shortage ofeducatable workers in almost any field that you might name. What we have is a shortage of affordable opportunities for educable people to gain the knowledge and skills they need to serve.
(Example: Educated workers from foreign countries who are granted work permits in this country because there are shortages in their fields of expertise, are often educated for free in their own countries. College degrees in their fields can cost the American student thousands of dollars and usually is represented by debt upon graduation.)
We clearly need to debate the real issues of our time. Economic and social needs are important and have been neglected for far too long, however we still represent he strongest nation in the world and can't abandon that responsibility. Global terrorism is real, but engaging ourselves in land wars in the middle east is not the way to fight this battle.
We need to look at the world with fresh eyes. Unfortunately recent decisions by our government have damaged our reputation and standing in the world community. We need to repair that by making good decisions in our partnership with other countries to achieve a balance that allows the rest of the world to grow and prosper, rather than exploiting them for our own short term interests. We will not always like nor will it be in our best interest to witness the journey other countries will take in their own self interest. However, the directions they take and their goals, unless they include our destruction, are and never have been, any of our business. Currently, we relate to the rest of the world, like a meddling mother, who knows no limits on her justification to manipulate theirchild's lives and influence their actions. Instead, we need to be that shinning example of what works and the sympathetic good neighbor, not the global bully that gets it's way or strikes out in anger and vengeance.
Clearly, our armed forces are the best in the world, but as we have seen, and let's admit it the world has witnessed, we can not police the world. The military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched or resources to the maximum. We not only exhibit our limitations to the real enemies of freedom, but we are wasting our assets in yet another attempt to protect oil company assets. Rather than asking our selves why we are "hooked" on this oil consumption habit and how we could break it, we engage in war to feed our habit. Our foreign policy is always about us and as a result we are left with bitter and vengeful allies with the thinnest veneer of allegiance.
Yes, we need a big idea vision of the future, but we also have to have the dialogue in the public sector to build a coalition of thought and purpose to a new vision of America. Change does not happen quickly nor without resistance. The next President has to build a body of public approval that is prepared to remain committed and vocal in their insistence on change.
"What’s missing in this campaign is a bold vision of where the United States should be heading in these crucially important early years of the 21st century. In their different ways, Senators Clinton and Obama have shown themselves to be inspirational and at times even heroic figures. But neither has offered the vision that this moment in history demands."
What Mr. Hebert knows to well is that it isn't time to roll out your vision of the future. In this artificially long, election season, which began the moment the midterm election of 2006 was settled, we are just getting the chairs arranged around the table. Pundits and policy wonks are having a great time speculating on everything from hairdo's toneer-do's . Every special interest with a power position is weighing in on which candidate will serve them best. The candidates are keeping their cards very close to their proverbial vest in order to look as vanilla as they can across the board. Once the party nominations are settled, we will see a little ankle, a glimpse of the leg and the top button will loosen on this subject, but we aren't going to see the "vision statement" in anything but the broadest terms. Laying you cards on the table before the betting has closed is a mistake even the a rube inLas Vegas knows is stupid.
However, Mr. Herbert has a good point. We should be talking more about the candidates vision of the future and he is right to demand they give to us before we vote for them. There is little doubt that we really are at a turning point in our history. It is not a campaign slogan to merely spread a tent and try to get everyone under it. Fortunately a significant number of young people get it and are energizing this movement. Their support of Obama have surprised and gotten the attention of the public in general and the political wonks in specific. What these young people have realized and what their involvement in the this political process has highlighted are issues that have been on the back burner for too long.
We need to to do, in general, is invest in this country. We need to reassess our foreign policy. We need to restructure our government to answer the needs of this century.
Investment in this country is usually interpreted as code for isolationism by right wing politicians, but the truth is while we try to build roads, bridges, schools and other infrastructure in Iraq, our own needs in this area is decaying. We need to set aside the rhetoric and take a clear look at the needs in our own country.
Leaders of the future need to recognize that the class structure in our society has changed forever and that protection for the former middle class need to be introduced n the face of global corporations. Unions, local and state government are generally helpless in the face of the strength and mobility of these entities.
Tax rules, health care protection, requiring the payment of a living wage and other so-called left wing issues become more reasonable when faced with the monolithic global corporation. We need to look at the rights and responsibility of citizenship in order to empower people to control their communities. On the other hand we have to increase the opportunity for education and underwrite that effort. We do not have a shortage ofeducatable workers in almost any field that you might name. What we have is a shortage of affordable opportunities for educable people to gain the knowledge and skills they need to serve.
(Example: Educated workers from foreign countries who are granted work permits in this country because there are shortages in their fields of expertise, are often educated for free in their own countries. College degrees in their fields can cost the American student thousands of dollars and usually is represented by debt upon graduation.)
We clearly need to debate the real issues of our time. Economic and social needs are important and have been neglected for far too long, however we still represent he strongest nation in the world and can't abandon that responsibility. Global terrorism is real, but engaging ourselves in land wars in the middle east is not the way to fight this battle.
We need to look at the world with fresh eyes. Unfortunately recent decisions by our government have damaged our reputation and standing in the world community. We need to repair that by making good decisions in our partnership with other countries to achieve a balance that allows the rest of the world to grow and prosper, rather than exploiting them for our own short term interests. We will not always like nor will it be in our best interest to witness the journey other countries will take in their own self interest. However, the directions they take and their goals, unless they include our destruction, are and never have been, any of our business. Currently, we relate to the rest of the world, like a meddling mother, who knows no limits on her justification to manipulate theirchild's lives and influence their actions. Instead, we need to be that shinning example of what works and the sympathetic good neighbor, not the global bully that gets it's way or strikes out in anger and vengeance.
Clearly, our armed forces are the best in the world, but as we have seen, and let's admit it the world has witnessed, we can not police the world. The military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched or resources to the maximum. We not only exhibit our limitations to the real enemies of freedom, but we are wasting our assets in yet another attempt to protect oil company assets. Rather than asking our selves why we are "hooked" on this oil consumption habit and how we could break it, we engage in war to feed our habit. Our foreign policy is always about us and as a result we are left with bitter and vengeful allies with the thinnest veneer of allegiance.
Yes, we need a big idea vision of the future, but we also have to have the dialogue in the public sector to build a coalition of thought and purpose to a new vision of America. Change does not happen quickly nor without resistance. The next President has to build a body of public approval that is prepared to remain committed and vocal in their insistence on change.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Overconfidence
They haven't decided whose won the nomination yet, but the one thing I'm starting to hear is the don't count your chickens before they hatch speeches on the edge of the discussions. Electability has been and issue from the start on both sides of the aisle. McCain looks like he's cruising to a win for the Republicans. His job is to bring the factions of his party together and in his case, this is no easy matter. The insanity of the extreme right has reasoned that John, war hero, defender of Bush's War and fiscally conservative senate voter is not conservative enough. He is evidently not pure on the loony issues, fags, flags and fetuses.
Republican conservatives don't want to hear that he is popular among independent voters, that group that ultimately will decide the election. They don't want to hear that he and he alone may be the only candidate that can beat Hillary Clinton. They want to believe, evidently, anyone can beat Hillary because...well because..goll darn it she's wrong and we're right, don't ya know. That is what passes for policy in a party that is so splintered that the demographics probably look like phone book with each person believing themselves to be a power broker. These are the folks that still can't believe after all the energy and money they invested in trying to bring down Bill Clinton, that he's still kicking their ass.
But they do love their cheerleaders. Remember, if Rush Limbaugh didn't exist, some one would invent him. His constant campaign to bring down McCain will only bring down the party as it will further drive a wedge between the party faithful to the point they will not vote and give up the field of battle. This is a lesson the Democrats learned post McGovern and Clinton. Maybe.
The Democrats are posed on the edge of new era in American Politics. It appears they will nominate the first woman or the first black man to become President of the United States. This is no small thing. It is suppose to be the Democrats office to take. It's generally conceded, they have to lose the election. Anti Republican feelings are running high in the country. Most experts feel that they have to take their act out of town polish it and come back another day.
Or do they? Two things can happen that could be bad for the Democrats. The Obama-Clinton fight could get so vicious as to split the party. Not only would they squander the advantage they apparently have, but they would turn the country back to a revitalized Republican Party for yet another round of disastrous leadership. Secondly, they will have destroyed the chances of two very talented and important politicians. I for one am uneasy about this slam-dunk victory for the Democrats. Given the malevolence the Republicans will bring to the general election, after all if they will sacrifice their own, what do expect they will do to the competition, I think we have a right to worry.
Republican conservatives don't want to hear that he is popular among independent voters, that group that ultimately will decide the election. They don't want to hear that he and he alone may be the only candidate that can beat Hillary Clinton. They want to believe, evidently, anyone can beat Hillary because...well because..goll darn it she's wrong and we're right, don't ya know. That is what passes for policy in a party that is so splintered that the demographics probably look like phone book with each person believing themselves to be a power broker. These are the folks that still can't believe after all the energy and money they invested in trying to bring down Bill Clinton, that he's still kicking their ass.
But they do love their cheerleaders. Remember, if Rush Limbaugh didn't exist, some one would invent him. His constant campaign to bring down McCain will only bring down the party as it will further drive a wedge between the party faithful to the point they will not vote and give up the field of battle. This is a lesson the Democrats learned post McGovern and Clinton. Maybe.
The Democrats are posed on the edge of new era in American Politics. It appears they will nominate the first woman or the first black man to become President of the United States. This is no small thing. It is suppose to be the Democrats office to take. It's generally conceded, they have to lose the election. Anti Republican feelings are running high in the country. Most experts feel that they have to take their act out of town polish it and come back another day.
Or do they? Two things can happen that could be bad for the Democrats. The Obama-Clinton fight could get so vicious as to split the party. Not only would they squander the advantage they apparently have, but they would turn the country back to a revitalized Republican Party for yet another round of disastrous leadership. Secondly, they will have destroyed the chances of two very talented and important politicians. I for one am uneasy about this slam-dunk victory for the Democrats. Given the malevolence the Republicans will bring to the general election, after all if they will sacrifice their own, what do expect they will do to the competition, I think we have a right to worry.
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