That's my slogan, which I believe is better than "Let's get Real" and certainly better than "Together We Can Do Better."
Restoring American Values is something down home and apple pie, and might even sound conservative. And true, what Democrats would like to do is go back to the past...the 1990s.
By American Values I mean: respect for the Constitution and co-equal branches of government over certain political leaders, respect for hard work and sacrifice over wealth and priviledge, a Communitarian rather than a Hobbsian worldview, the Geneva Conventions, open government, accountable leaders, responsibile leadership, the American Dream, fairness and fair dealing, acting in good faith, reality over spin, patriotism as critique of the government's policies, a level playing field, freedom to believe in whatever you want without hurting others or yourself, freedom to say what you want within reason, reason over fear.
All of these have broad support, much broader support than: treating public policy as a business and expecting a return on "investments" in politican's campaigns/families, dividing Americans by religious expression, class, sexual orientation, utilizing fear to win, giving special deals to special interests, prefering communications experts over policy experts, Post-Modernist belief that their is no reality, denouncing critics as traitors and/or faithless, the infalibility of the president, torture, etc.
Join Democrats across the country demanding change, we need to restore America and American values before its too late.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Restoring American Values
That's my slogan, which I believe is better than "Let's get Real" and certainly better than "Together We Can Do Better."
Restoring American Values is something down home and apple pie, and might even sound conservative. And true, what Democrats would like to do is go back to the past...the 1990s.
By American Values I mean: respect for the Constitution and co-equal branches of government over certain political leaders, respect for hard work and sacrifice over wealth and privilege, a Communitarian rather than a Hobbsian worldview, the Geneva Conventions, open government, accountable leaders, responsible leadership, the American Dream, fairness and fair dealing, acting in good faith, reality over spin, patriotism as critique of the government's policies, a level playing field, freedom to believe in whatever you want without hurting others or yourself, freedom to say what you want within reason, reason over fear.
All of these have broad support, much broader support than: treating public policy as a business and expecting a return on "investments" in politician’s campaigns/families, dividing Americans by religious expression, class, sexual orientation, utilizing fear to win, giving special deals to special interests, preferring communications experts over policy experts, Post-Modernist belief that their is no reality, denouncing critics as traitors and/or faithless, the infallibility of the president, torture, etc.
Join Democrats across the country demanding change, we need to restore America and American values before its too late.
Restoring American Values is something down home and apple pie, and might even sound conservative. And true, what Democrats would like to do is go back to the past...the 1990s.
By American Values I mean: respect for the Constitution and co-equal branches of government over certain political leaders, respect for hard work and sacrifice over wealth and privilege, a Communitarian rather than a Hobbsian worldview, the Geneva Conventions, open government, accountable leaders, responsible leadership, the American Dream, fairness and fair dealing, acting in good faith, reality over spin, patriotism as critique of the government's policies, a level playing field, freedom to believe in whatever you want without hurting others or yourself, freedom to say what you want within reason, reason over fear.
All of these have broad support, much broader support than: treating public policy as a business and expecting a return on "investments" in politician’s campaigns/families, dividing Americans by religious expression, class, sexual orientation, utilizing fear to win, giving special deals to special interests, preferring communications experts over policy experts, Post-Modernist belief that their is no reality, denouncing critics as traitors and/or faithless, the infallibility of the president, torture, etc.
Join Democrats across the country demanding change, we need to restore America and American values before its too late.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Get real Senators
Roll Call reports there are too many Senators looking in the mirror these days.
Lord, save us! Let's do a run down on the wannabes and the reality. For the Democrats: Sens. Evan Bayh (Ind.), Joseph Biden (Del.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Chris Dodd (Conn.), Russ Feingold (Wis.), John Kerry (Mass.), Barack Obama (Ill.), and ex-Sens. Tom Dashcle (S.D.), and John Edwards (N.C.). For the Republicans: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.), who is retiring after this Congress, as well as Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Sam Brownback (Kan.) and George Allen (Va.). Oh and don't forget Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.).
Of the Democrats only Hillary, Edwards, Finegold, and Obama have a prayer. [Even then, I think Obama won't run, Finegold will fizzle out like Dean did, and Hillary will collapse under the weight of all her CW strategy] The marginals are Kerry and Bayh, but both of those two will flop by Super Tuesday. The rest, well they will do about as well as Sen. Orin Hatch did in 2000 or Sen. Lieberman in 2004.
Of Republicans: McCain and Allen are the only ones. Frist will be fun to watch implode. Brownback will say something too nutjob that pragmatic GOP folks will have to kill his candidacy lest he hand the White House to the Democrats (ditto for Tancredo). Hagel has no support from the base and is about the same as Joe Biden on the Democratic side: both think that being on Sunday talk shows nearly every week equals press love and/or actual support; it equals neither, rather it means you are a good counter-label guy and filler.
What is it about the senate that makes those electeds think they are somehow qualified to be president, or more importantly, able to get nominated and elected president? For 46 years, no guy whose most recent elected position was U.S. Senator was elected president. By 2008 it will be 48, I bet.
Senators can't talk like normal people after a certain number of years there. Senators don't actually accomplish much that voters can latch on to. They have long voting records which can be easily distorted.
This is why the best Democratic canididates are ex-Gen. Wes Clark, ex-Gov. Mark Warner, ex-VP Al Gore, and ex-Sen. John Edwards, in that order. Edwards is unique in that he spent only 6 years in the senate, and still talks like a normal person.
McCain is exceptional because most people know him from his presidential run in 2000 and the moderate reputation he built up by co-sponsoring popular Democratic legislation. McCain pretends to talk like a normal person, but an attentive listener can see through the facade.
Personally, I see Guillini taking it over McCain. I doubt Romney will do well, he seems gaff prone and a one term Massachusetts governor by choice is a lot different than a one term Virginia governor by law.
Please Sens. Dodd, Biden, Hagel, Frist, Kerry, Brownback, et al, save us all the hassle and pain and just don't run. For the love of your country and party, don't waste our time.
With an extraordinary 11 sitting Senators seriously eyeing a bid for the White House in 2008, both parties are already dealing with logistical and personality headaches as the lawmakers use the chamber as a testing ground for their competing agendas.
...
“It’s going to be an absolute circus,” acknowledged one GOP Senate aide. “There’s going to be a lot of thumping of the chests, a lot of third-person speaking.”
Lord, save us! Let's do a run down on the wannabes and the reality. For the Democrats: Sens. Evan Bayh (Ind.), Joseph Biden (Del.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.), Chris Dodd (Conn.), Russ Feingold (Wis.), John Kerry (Mass.), Barack Obama (Ill.), and ex-Sens. Tom Dashcle (S.D.), and John Edwards (N.C.). For the Republicans: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (Tenn.), who is retiring after this Congress, as well as Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), Chuck Hagel (Neb.), Sam Brownback (Kan.) and George Allen (Va.). Oh and don't forget Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.).
Of the Democrats only Hillary, Edwards, Finegold, and Obama have a prayer. [Even then, I think Obama won't run, Finegold will fizzle out like Dean did, and Hillary will collapse under the weight of all her CW strategy] The marginals are Kerry and Bayh, but both of those two will flop by Super Tuesday. The rest, well they will do about as well as Sen. Orin Hatch did in 2000 or Sen. Lieberman in 2004.
Of Republicans: McCain and Allen are the only ones. Frist will be fun to watch implode. Brownback will say something too nutjob that pragmatic GOP folks will have to kill his candidacy lest he hand the White House to the Democrats (ditto for Tancredo). Hagel has no support from the base and is about the same as Joe Biden on the Democratic side: both think that being on Sunday talk shows nearly every week equals press love and/or actual support; it equals neither, rather it means you are a good counter-label guy and filler.
What is it about the senate that makes those electeds think they are somehow qualified to be president, or more importantly, able to get nominated and elected president? For 46 years, no guy whose most recent elected position was U.S. Senator was elected president. By 2008 it will be 48, I bet.
Senators can't talk like normal people after a certain number of years there. Senators don't actually accomplish much that voters can latch on to. They have long voting records which can be easily distorted.
This is why the best Democratic canididates are ex-Gen. Wes Clark, ex-Gov. Mark Warner, ex-VP Al Gore, and ex-Sen. John Edwards, in that order. Edwards is unique in that he spent only 6 years in the senate, and still talks like a normal person.
McCain is exceptional because most people know him from his presidential run in 2000 and the moderate reputation he built up by co-sponsoring popular Democratic legislation. McCain pretends to talk like a normal person, but an attentive listener can see through the facade.
Personally, I see Guillini taking it over McCain. I doubt Romney will do well, he seems gaff prone and a one term Massachusetts governor by choice is a lot different than a one term Virginia governor by law.
Please Sens. Dodd, Biden, Hagel, Frist, Kerry, Brownback, et al, save us all the hassle and pain and just don't run. For the love of your country and party, don't waste our time.
Monday, June 12, 2006
In George W. Bush's America
Under a Republican White House, a Republican Congress, and a Republican majority Judiciary:
I could go on, but why bother. Democrats' only message thus far is "we can't mess it up any worse than the GOP." Well that doesn't get your base excited and it doesn't get your marginal swing voter to the polls either. Yet nothing less than the Republic is a stake here. Congressional Republicans have wholly abandoned their role under the constitution, except the spending part. Rather than write laws on various matters or make ruling, Congress has created hundreds of agencies which they have no desire to police. [Government is bigger under George W. Bush too] Rather than watch over these agencies, and the rest of the executive branch, Congress seems content to spend like a drunken soldier and not be bothered with violations of the 4th amendment or the like.
You can't trust Republicans with your saftey (home or abroad [did a mention that terrorist attacks are up too]); you can't trust them with your money; you can't trust them with your economy [stock market has tanked]; you can't trust them with your 'culture of life'...yet they keep on winning.
I am tired of being polarized and divided by Republicans. I am a proud Utahn, but in the Red State/Blue State culture they have created, I am destined to feel "Othered" in my home state. We have been sliced and diced in this county, designated as Soccer Mom, NASCAR Dads, Latte drinkers, Prius drivers, Security Moms, "Values Voters," etc. We are Americans, damn it.
The so-called Unity'08 ticket won't solve it. We need to denouce this kind of approach to governing by voting in droves to kick out anyone that uses our money too feed his donors, friend or home district just 'cus, anyone who plays on our basest fears and stereotypes to win elections or pass legislation, anyone who treats government jobs as paybacks to donors or party hacks, anyone who wants to lie to further a misguided foreign policy, anyone who calls people who disagree with them traiors or question their religion.
- Violent Crime is up 4.8%
- Abortions are up.
- Wages for the working class are stagnant
- The cost of Health Care is far outpacing wage growth.
- CEO compensation has grown much faster than working class wages
- Federal Spending has outdone the Johnson Era
- Federal Republican policy to treat public policy as a business, creating rates of returns that you get in business
I could go on, but why bother. Democrats' only message thus far is "we can't mess it up any worse than the GOP." Well that doesn't get your base excited and it doesn't get your marginal swing voter to the polls either. Yet nothing less than the Republic is a stake here. Congressional Republicans have wholly abandoned their role under the constitution, except the spending part. Rather than write laws on various matters or make ruling, Congress has created hundreds of agencies which they have no desire to police. [Government is bigger under George W. Bush too] Rather than watch over these agencies, and the rest of the executive branch, Congress seems content to spend like a drunken soldier and not be bothered with violations of the 4th amendment or the like.
You can't trust Republicans with your saftey (home or abroad [did a mention that terrorist attacks are up too]); you can't trust them with your money; you can't trust them with your economy [stock market has tanked]; you can't trust them with your 'culture of life'...yet they keep on winning.
I am tired of being polarized and divided by Republicans. I am a proud Utahn, but in the Red State/Blue State culture they have created, I am destined to feel "Othered" in my home state. We have been sliced and diced in this county, designated as Soccer Mom, NASCAR Dads, Latte drinkers, Prius drivers, Security Moms, "Values Voters," etc. We are Americans, damn it.
The so-called Unity'08 ticket won't solve it. We need to denouce this kind of approach to governing by voting in droves to kick out anyone that uses our money too feed his donors, friend or home district just 'cus, anyone who plays on our basest fears and stereotypes to win elections or pass legislation, anyone who treats government jobs as paybacks to donors or party hacks, anyone who wants to lie to further a misguided foreign policy, anyone who calls people who disagree with them traiors or question their religion.
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