For two reasons. Of course, the obvious one is the election of Barack Obama to President of the United States. I'm so thrilled and happy and moved at the outcome of this election. I truly believe that our nation will be able to heal from two terms of the divisive, fear-mongering politics of George Bush. Obama is a smart man who clearly wants what's best for the American people and is not beholden to rich corporations and big oil companies. We will see what's possible in solving our nation's problems. It's a good day for America.
Reason two is less optimistic. It appears that California's Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, is headed for a victory. There are still votes left to be counted, but it doesn't look good. It's obviously better if an outcome is not decided by absentee voters. Here I am truly disheartened by the turn of events. I had hoped that with the legalization of gay marriage in one of the largest states in the county, the rest of the country would soon follow suit. A general rule is that as California goes, so goes the rest of the country.
So what does today mean for gays and lesbians? It's hard to say. We're all excited that a Democrat took our country's highest office, but gay marriage isn't on his agenda. However, equal rights is on his agenda so maybe we'll see improvements on that front. But it is clear that marriage is getting further and further out of reach. Now that I have a child, the differences between marriage and any other "union" are crystal clear. I wanted a world for my son in which our family would look like any other. And it will in most respects, but most two-parent families involve the marriage of those two parents. I want to get health insurance for my partner. And I want there to be no question that she, too, is our son's mother. Now all I can say is that I hope one day in my lifetime I will see it happen.
It's possible. I know many African Americans who never dreamed a day would come when a black man was elected president. Now that day has arrived and as I said earlier, it is a good day for America. I'm elated at the direction our country has taken. It was a decisive victory and his mandate is clear. I know he is up for the challenge of leading our country during this difficult time. I am so confident of it that I finally feel like I can breath freely again.
It is a double-edged sword today. I want to celebrate with the rest of my friends the amazing victory of Barack Obama, but I also feel pain in my heart for my family and my friends since we will continue to feel bitter discrimination. I cannot reconcile these two places that I stand. Our country has taken a great step forward. But gays and lesbians have just been slapped.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
Coffee Makers, 7-Eleven and Politics
I have so many thoughts to share!
First, I'd like to share a recent experience regarding morning coffee. I have the option of getting coffee from Starbucks or 7-Eleven. Starbucks is a few feet further away, but no big deal. One recent morning I was pretty tired. Jacob had a pretty long night of frequent mini-wakings which required my attention. On the way into work I decided to get a cup of Starbucks coffee instead of 7-Eleven. I usually don't like Starbucks coffee, but 7-Eleven coffee is kind of weak and gives me the jitters if I drink straight-up caffeinated. But I need a strong cup of coffee.
So I went to Starbucks and decided on the Pike Place Roast which is described as smooth and nutty. That's my favorite combination. But I was terribly disappointed. It was bitter, as is all Starbucks coffee in my opinion. It's all about the roasting. Every coffee I've ever had from Starbucks tastes like it's been burned. So it's decided for me. 7-Eleven will be my coffee haven while I'm at work. Unless, I need a latte. Then it's a different story.
Now onto coffee makers. Recently I had to purchase a new one. My old one died. How does that happen? Planned obsolescence is my partner's theory. But poor design is my theory. I had a good coffee maker. It was the Cuisinart Brew Central. They are everywhere. I've had mine for maybe 4 or 5 years. Something called calcification happens with these (and maybe every) coffee maker. When it happens, you have to clean it using vinegar and water through a brew cycle or two. When the coffee maker needs it, it will light up the self-clean light. For years and years it never lit that light. I actually did put it through self clean every once in a long while. But last month it finally gave me the light. That was the beginning of the end. It refused to brew coffee from that point. I ran the self-clean cycle 5 or 10 times. Still no luck. In the middle of a brew cycle, the self clean would activate and stop brewing coffee. The self-clean amenity was actually the design flaw. I should be able to brew coffee no matter how much calcification exists. It's coffee for goodness sake. I need it.
So I was pretty desperate about the lack of coffee maker. I took this opportunity to purchase a grind and brew coffee maker from Cuisinart. I know some of you may be thinking, Why go with Cuisinart again? Well, I still like Cuisinart so I just looked into the features to make sure the same problem wouldn't happen. I purchased the Grind & Brew. I love, love coffee made with fresh coffee grinds. Who doesn't? I read a lot of mixed reviews on the coffee maker. Most of the reviews had to do with the amount of cleaning required to prepare the coffee maker again and again. I wasn't dissuaded by that argument. Here's what I was attracted to: Unlike some grind & brews, I could put in as many beans as I wanted to determine how strong I want my coffee. Other makers have a setting for this and then determine the amount of beans necessary. I don't trust the coffee maker to do this for me. This, for me, was the selling point ... and the fact that there was no self-clean cycle on this machine.
What I got was a good coffee maker. But the grinder is too small. I can't put enough beans in to make the coffee as strong as I like it. Another design flaw. So even though there's a 12-cup capacity, I can never brew more than 10 cups. And even then it might be weaker than I like because I have to overfill the grinder anyway. However, the grind-to-brew function is great and you can definitely taste the difference. The coffee maker does require a lot of cleaning. The problem is that the grinder gets "dirty" because of its proximity to the brewing. The heat from the brewing creates condensation on the grinder and the grinds then stick to it. So it's not perfect but I can live with it.
Politics. It's less than 3 weeks now to this historic election. I'm so excited. I feel pretty confident that the Democrats are finally going to win it. It's going to feel as good and even better than it did in 1992 when Bill Clinton won. I've been falling asleep through the debates to be honest. But the truth is that right now, I'm just enjoying the McCain/Palin free-fall. I know the Republicans will be licking their wounds throughout the country on November 5th. I know this isn't very analytic or insightful, but I just don't think we have a real contest anymore. McCain doesn't have any new ideas or energy to fix the immediate problems with our economy and the economy is the issue. I mean, if he hadn't been hit over the head with the free-falling stock market, he would still be saying that the economy is a psychological problem we're having. Our country is finally waking up to the fact that the Democrats have a better grasp on how to help the economy and everyday middle class Americans. And we're finally going to have our day on November 4. Go Vote!
First, I'd like to share a recent experience regarding morning coffee. I have the option of getting coffee from Starbucks or 7-Eleven. Starbucks is a few feet further away, but no big deal. One recent morning I was pretty tired. Jacob had a pretty long night of frequent mini-wakings which required my attention. On the way into work I decided to get a cup of Starbucks coffee instead of 7-Eleven. I usually don't like Starbucks coffee, but 7-Eleven coffee is kind of weak and gives me the jitters if I drink straight-up caffeinated. But I need a strong cup of coffee.
So I went to Starbucks and decided on the Pike Place Roast which is described as smooth and nutty. That's my favorite combination. But I was terribly disappointed. It was bitter, as is all Starbucks coffee in my opinion. It's all about the roasting. Every coffee I've ever had from Starbucks tastes like it's been burned. So it's decided for me. 7-Eleven will be my coffee haven while I'm at work. Unless, I need a latte. Then it's a different story.
Now onto coffee makers. Recently I had to purchase a new one. My old one died. How does that happen? Planned obsolescence is my partner's theory. But poor design is my theory. I had a good coffee maker. It was the Cuisinart Brew Central. They are everywhere. I've had mine for maybe 4 or 5 years. Something called calcification happens with these (and maybe every) coffee maker. When it happens, you have to clean it using vinegar and water through a brew cycle or two. When the coffee maker needs it, it will light up the self-clean light. For years and years it never lit that light. I actually did put it through self clean every once in a long while. But last month it finally gave me the light. That was the beginning of the end. It refused to brew coffee from that point. I ran the self-clean cycle 5 or 10 times. Still no luck. In the middle of a brew cycle, the self clean would activate and stop brewing coffee. The self-clean amenity was actually the design flaw. I should be able to brew coffee no matter how much calcification exists. It's coffee for goodness sake. I need it.
So I was pretty desperate about the lack of coffee maker. I took this opportunity to purchase a grind and brew coffee maker from Cuisinart. I know some of you may be thinking, Why go with Cuisinart again? Well, I still like Cuisinart so I just looked into the features to make sure the same problem wouldn't happen. I purchased the Grind & Brew. I love, love coffee made with fresh coffee grinds. Who doesn't? I read a lot of mixed reviews on the coffee maker. Most of the reviews had to do with the amount of cleaning required to prepare the coffee maker again and again. I wasn't dissuaded by that argument. Here's what I was attracted to: Unlike some grind & brews, I could put in as many beans as I wanted to determine how strong I want my coffee. Other makers have a setting for this and then determine the amount of beans necessary. I don't trust the coffee maker to do this for me. This, for me, was the selling point ... and the fact that there was no self-clean cycle on this machine.
What I got was a good coffee maker. But the grinder is too small. I can't put enough beans in to make the coffee as strong as I like it. Another design flaw. So even though there's a 12-cup capacity, I can never brew more than 10 cups. And even then it might be weaker than I like because I have to overfill the grinder anyway. However, the grind-to-brew function is great and you can definitely taste the difference. The coffee maker does require a lot of cleaning. The problem is that the grinder gets "dirty" because of its proximity to the brewing. The heat from the brewing creates condensation on the grinder and the grinds then stick to it. So it's not perfect but I can live with it.
Politics. It's less than 3 weeks now to this historic election. I'm so excited. I feel pretty confident that the Democrats are finally going to win it. It's going to feel as good and even better than it did in 1992 when Bill Clinton won. I've been falling asleep through the debates to be honest. But the truth is that right now, I'm just enjoying the McCain/Palin free-fall. I know the Republicans will be licking their wounds throughout the country on November 5th. I know this isn't very analytic or insightful, but I just don't think we have a real contest anymore. McCain doesn't have any new ideas or energy to fix the immediate problems with our economy and the economy is the issue. I mean, if he hadn't been hit over the head with the free-falling stock market, he would still be saying that the economy is a psychological problem we're having. Our country is finally waking up to the fact that the Democrats have a better grasp on how to help the economy and everyday middle class Americans. And we're finally going to have our day on November 4. Go Vote!
Friday, September 5, 2008
Breathing Easy
When I first heard that John McCain picked a woman as his running mate, I thought it was a good move on his part. The Republican Party needed a new look and bringing on a female VP was definitely a new look. I even thought for a minute that it's going to make Obama's job a little harder.
But now that Sarah Palin has been out in the open for a minute or two, I'm breathing easy again. Nice vetting job, folks. Not even the Republicans like her. I'm not going to rehash what everyone already knows about her (maybe later), but it's just the fact that clearly a lot of thought didn't go into this selection. What were they thinking? Maybe they thought that just by her wearing a skirt, all of Clinton's supporters would jump on board McCain's train.
Big mistake. Hillary Clinton's die-hard supporters are intelligent women who are really pissed off at the sexism Hillary had to face in this primary. They are holding a grudge. They aren't stupid. The Republicans just don't get it and Palin's selection is just insulting to feminists everywhere who wanted to see Hillary be the Democratic nominee.
I feel a pinch sorry for McCain. Now he has to spend the next 9 weeks on a sinking boat. He didn't want Palin. He gave in to pressure from the right wing to get some more conservative credentials. He will forever regret this play.
Now, enough of that. If you can't pick your own running mate, what can you do? How can you make other important decisions. You look like a fool, McCain! Obama looks strong for picking the man he wanted for the job. Obama didn't succumb to the pressure to pick Clinton. It makes him look like his own man. I'm once again feeling hopeful that the Democrats are going to win this one and the Republicans are going to be the ones with their tail between their legs this time.
But now that Sarah Palin has been out in the open for a minute or two, I'm breathing easy again. Nice vetting job, folks. Not even the Republicans like her. I'm not going to rehash what everyone already knows about her (maybe later), but it's just the fact that clearly a lot of thought didn't go into this selection. What were they thinking? Maybe they thought that just by her wearing a skirt, all of Clinton's supporters would jump on board McCain's train.
Big mistake. Hillary Clinton's die-hard supporters are intelligent women who are really pissed off at the sexism Hillary had to face in this primary. They are holding a grudge. They aren't stupid. The Republicans just don't get it and Palin's selection is just insulting to feminists everywhere who wanted to see Hillary be the Democratic nominee.
I feel a pinch sorry for McCain. Now he has to spend the next 9 weeks on a sinking boat. He didn't want Palin. He gave in to pressure from the right wing to get some more conservative credentials. He will forever regret this play.
Now, enough of that. If you can't pick your own running mate, what can you do? How can you make other important decisions. You look like a fool, McCain! Obama looks strong for picking the man he wanted for the job. Obama didn't succumb to the pressure to pick Clinton. It makes him look like his own man. I'm once again feeling hopeful that the Democrats are going to win this one and the Republicans are going to be the ones with their tail between their legs this time.
Friday, August 29, 2008
History
2008. This is history. We are in the midst of it. First, let me talk about the great moment. An African American man named Barack Hussein Obama is the Democrats' Presidential nominee. Who would have thought this could happen when 50 years ago our country was trying to grasp the idea that blacks and whites could live integrated lives? I'm so proud of our country today. I'm so excited that we have come this far! Of course, I could find many things still left to achieve as a country, but I'm going to take this moment to savor this milestone.
Having said all that, we can't let the significance of McCain's VP pick pass us by. It is amazing that the two parties have minority representation at the top of their tickets. This is a new day. We can't deny it. Never again will we see business as usual from either Democrats or Republicans. The lip service has stepped up to real representation.
I'm happy about this. I think I'm going to leave it at that and save the rest of the banter for another time (there's a lot of it).
Having said all that, we can't let the significance of McCain's VP pick pass us by. It is amazing that the two parties have minority representation at the top of their tickets. This is a new day. We can't deny it. Never again will we see business as usual from either Democrats or Republicans. The lip service has stepped up to real representation.
I'm happy about this. I think I'm going to leave it at that and save the rest of the banter for another time (there's a lot of it).
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Fuzzy Ethics
There never seems enough hours in a day to capture all of my rants. But recent Sun articles about Senator Currie and Mayor Dixon require a response. These two cases don't have much in common, except one thing - both the Senator and the Mayor took the opportunity to bend and blur ethical lines. I find this really frustrating to say the least.
Let's look at the Mayor's case. She had a relationship with a man who does business with the city. A lot of people want to look at the relationship itself - fancy trips and fur coats. But that's no one's business and really beside the point. The point is that when an elected official is involved with someone who does business with the city, that elected official is to recuse themselves from voting or lobbying on behalf of the individual. Who knows how the Mayor, then the City Council President, would have voted on the business at hand if she had not been involved with him, Ronald Lipscomb. She insists her votes wouldn't have been different. Maybe so. Who cares? She broke the rules. Ethics rules are there to reduce even the appearance of impropriety. Why doesn't the Mayor get it?
With Senator Currie, we have a similar situation. It's a little worse here. Senator Currie was actually being paid by Shopper's to consult and he didn't recuse himself of voting or using his position to give them an advantage with state agencies. He didn't disclose his relationship with Shoppers on his ethics forms. Malicious? No, I don't think so. Wrong? Yes. I'm going to guess that Senator Currie believed there were benefits to his actions beyond helping Shoppers get tax breaks and financial incentives. Getting a Shoppers at Mondawmin Mall was a great thing because that community was grossly underserved. But the Senator ignored the ethics laws.
Here's the problem. For various reasons, both the Mayor and Senator Currie felt they could ignore the ethics laws. They were clearly aware of them, otherwise why the secrecy? They may have been sincere in their goals, but we'll never know. The Mayor's relationship with Mr. Lipscomb can't be separated out from her actions. Same applies to Senator Currie. Again, that is why we have ethics laws. These are the situations people with power can get themselves into and the laws are very clear. Recuse yourself. Simple enough, but clearly too much to ask the Mayor or the Senator.
We deserve better. We really do. Not only are these folks ruining their careers, but they are creating a lack of confidence in our democratic system. That's unfortunate. I know I don't feel we can trust any politician. It's just those politicians who believe they are doing the right thing that ignore the ethics laws. They didn't believe their behavior was unethical. They forgot about the appearance of impropriety. It's really just as bad.
Quick coffee note - I'm loving, loving, loving Zeke's Italian Roast blend. It's so dark and rich and lovely. You must try some!
Let's look at the Mayor's case. She had a relationship with a man who does business with the city. A lot of people want to look at the relationship itself - fancy trips and fur coats. But that's no one's business and really beside the point. The point is that when an elected official is involved with someone who does business with the city, that elected official is to recuse themselves from voting or lobbying on behalf of the individual. Who knows how the Mayor, then the City Council President, would have voted on the business at hand if she had not been involved with him, Ronald Lipscomb. She insists her votes wouldn't have been different. Maybe so. Who cares? She broke the rules. Ethics rules are there to reduce even the appearance of impropriety. Why doesn't the Mayor get it?
With Senator Currie, we have a similar situation. It's a little worse here. Senator Currie was actually being paid by Shopper's to consult and he didn't recuse himself of voting or using his position to give them an advantage with state agencies. He didn't disclose his relationship with Shoppers on his ethics forms. Malicious? No, I don't think so. Wrong? Yes. I'm going to guess that Senator Currie believed there were benefits to his actions beyond helping Shoppers get tax breaks and financial incentives. Getting a Shoppers at Mondawmin Mall was a great thing because that community was grossly underserved. But the Senator ignored the ethics laws.
Here's the problem. For various reasons, both the Mayor and Senator Currie felt they could ignore the ethics laws. They were clearly aware of them, otherwise why the secrecy? They may have been sincere in their goals, but we'll never know. The Mayor's relationship with Mr. Lipscomb can't be separated out from her actions. Same applies to Senator Currie. Again, that is why we have ethics laws. These are the situations people with power can get themselves into and the laws are very clear. Recuse yourself. Simple enough, but clearly too much to ask the Mayor or the Senator.
We deserve better. We really do. Not only are these folks ruining their careers, but they are creating a lack of confidence in our democratic system. That's unfortunate. I know I don't feel we can trust any politician. It's just those politicians who believe they are doing the right thing that ignore the ethics laws. They didn't believe their behavior was unethical. They forgot about the appearance of impropriety. It's really just as bad.
Quick coffee note - I'm loving, loving, loving Zeke's Italian Roast blend. It's so dark and rich and lovely. You must try some!
Friday, August 1, 2008
"McNasty"
The DNC, the Democratic National Committee, really has to thank Gray's Anatomy for this little marketing morsel. I have to say, when I heard John McCain's new nickname, I laughed out loud. It's funny. And brilliant because it's bound to stick for the rest of this campaign. Another funny I came across yesterday was the title of this article in the New York Times, "McCain Tries to Define Obama as Out of Touch." Let's get a mental picture of that....
McCain is desperate and it's too early for all that. Look how quickly his campaign went negative. All his advertisements have been about Obama, not himself. "McNasty" is ringing true and it's ugly. I'm feeling really good about the election right now. McCain can't talk about the issues that are important to Americans. He's not Bush. He can't invoke 9/11 and get the same reaction. Americans are struggling with the high cost of everything in a tanking market where our money just isn't worth as much as it used to be. McCain doesn't know anything about the economy. That's why the New York Times article is so funny. It's beyond ironic that McCain, who is so obviously out of touch with what's on our minds today, wants to paint Obama as the one missing the boat. As I said, he's desperate.
The next phase of this campaign is running mates. McCain needs to pick someone who can jump start his rocky campaign. Obama needs to pick someone who isn't going to mess up a good thing. It's tricky in both camps. Word is that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is seriously considering the VP spot. I have to admit, I don't know anything about this man except that he's a Democratic governor in a state that usually elects Republicans. I think it's smart for Obama to look south for a running mate. I also think it's smart for him to pick a man instead of a woman. It's already going to be a historic moment when America elects a black man president. I think picking a female running mate would push the envelope. It sucks, but look at the way Hillary Clinton was treated. Sure, you can say it's because she's "Hillary." But the only reason Hillary was ever given such a hard time is because she's a strong, smart and opinionated woman.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again right now. The Democrats cannot afford to lose this election. Period. Another Republican administration will permanently put us in the toilet. So, pick a running mate that's going to get votes. Any Democrat who doesn't vote for Obama because he didn't pick a woman, specifically Hillary, doesn't care about this country or their party. Yes, I feel very strongly about it.
McCain is desperate and it's too early for all that. Look how quickly his campaign went negative. All his advertisements have been about Obama, not himself. "McNasty" is ringing true and it's ugly. I'm feeling really good about the election right now. McCain can't talk about the issues that are important to Americans. He's not Bush. He can't invoke 9/11 and get the same reaction. Americans are struggling with the high cost of everything in a tanking market where our money just isn't worth as much as it used to be. McCain doesn't know anything about the economy. That's why the New York Times article is so funny. It's beyond ironic that McCain, who is so obviously out of touch with what's on our minds today, wants to paint Obama as the one missing the boat. As I said, he's desperate.
The next phase of this campaign is running mates. McCain needs to pick someone who can jump start his rocky campaign. Obama needs to pick someone who isn't going to mess up a good thing. It's tricky in both camps. Word is that Virginia Governor Tim Kaine is seriously considering the VP spot. I have to admit, I don't know anything about this man except that he's a Democratic governor in a state that usually elects Republicans. I think it's smart for Obama to look south for a running mate. I also think it's smart for him to pick a man instead of a woman. It's already going to be a historic moment when America elects a black man president. I think picking a female running mate would push the envelope. It sucks, but look at the way Hillary Clinton was treated. Sure, you can say it's because she's "Hillary." But the only reason Hillary was ever given such a hard time is because she's a strong, smart and opinionated woman.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again right now. The Democrats cannot afford to lose this election. Period. Another Republican administration will permanently put us in the toilet. So, pick a running mate that's going to get votes. Any Democrat who doesn't vote for Obama because he didn't pick a woman, specifically Hillary, doesn't care about this country or their party. Yes, I feel very strongly about it.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Bursting Thru the Racial Frontier on the Back of Sexism
Finally the Democratic primaries are over and we have a winner - Barack Obama. I feel so bruised from just being a spectator of this contest, I can't imagine how Hillary and Barack feel. This historic event brought out the best and the worst of our party, and our country. I'm thrilled we've nominated a person of color to be our Democratic Presidential Candidate. I believe it will move our country forward as millions of us consider voting for Obama. Many middle Americans will realize that race is not as important as they once thought it was. Many Americans are going to make their decisions based on whether or not they believe the next president will improve our economy. As they weigh their choices, they will listen to each candidate's proposals and make a choice. I believe that many Americans will realize for the first time that it doesn't matter if the candidate is a black man or a white man. This election will force many to reconsider old notions of race and discard them.
While I'm very hopeful that our country will advance on the racial frontier, I am truly saddened that we haven't come very far when it comes to gender. It's clear to me that it is simply more acceptable to our society to continue to devalue and demonize women. If women are automatically "bitches," why do men rely and expect us to raise their children? The Democratic primary demonstrated that in the men v. women dialogue, men still win most of the time and open hostility to women is okay.
Everyone, including "feminists," said it would be inappropriate for Hillary to be offended by the gross amounts of sexism she encountered on the campaign trail. She would be whining. But any hint of a racial slur toward Obama set everyone on fire! Why must women be expected to bear the brunt of hostility towards their gender? Hillary's fight was harder than Obama's. That's a fact. Sexism is the reason Hillary has been demonized since she was the first lady. She dared have an opinion. There was really no way Hillary could approach this race without being criticized. Women can't win when we allow sexism to flourish.
Nonetheless, Barack Obama is a great candidate and a far better choice for president than John McCain. Any Democrat who chooses to stay home in November and not vote is not a Democrat.
While I'm very hopeful that our country will advance on the racial frontier, I am truly saddened that we haven't come very far when it comes to gender. It's clear to me that it is simply more acceptable to our society to continue to devalue and demonize women. If women are automatically "bitches," why do men rely and expect us to raise their children? The Democratic primary demonstrated that in the men v. women dialogue, men still win most of the time and open hostility to women is okay.
Everyone, including "feminists," said it would be inappropriate for Hillary to be offended by the gross amounts of sexism she encountered on the campaign trail. She would be whining. But any hint of a racial slur toward Obama set everyone on fire! Why must women be expected to bear the brunt of hostility towards their gender? Hillary's fight was harder than Obama's. That's a fact. Sexism is the reason Hillary has been demonized since she was the first lady. She dared have an opinion. There was really no way Hillary could approach this race without being criticized. Women can't win when we allow sexism to flourish.
Nonetheless, Barack Obama is a great candidate and a far better choice for president than John McCain. Any Democrat who chooses to stay home in November and not vote is not a Democrat.
Friday, May 9, 2008
A New View
This morning I watched a documentary called Escape from Suburbia. It's a very enlightening film on energy and how we will need to approach the future. The saying "the future is now" takes on new meaning for me. This film came out a little while ago and in just a short period of time, some of its predictions are now true. They weren't so much predictions as they were hypotheses. It hypothesised that the price of gas was going to be $3.50 a gallon and never get cheaper. The price of oil would rise and rise and never fall again. It's all happening.
Maybe because I have a child, or maybe because Earth Day was a couple of weeks ago, I have been thinking about what I can do to reduce my energy consumption and help heal the environment. It's not that I haven't thought or done anything about it before, but the urgency is greater now more than ever. The issue has hit home, literally. Who can afford gas at these prices? It's insane. It almost doesn't make sense to own a car. Unfortunately, Baltimore is not the mass transit capital of the world. Far from it. Currently, the Light Rail has less than half its normal amount of trains running. Bad timing? To say the least.
I know there's many things I can do and whatever steps I take will make a difference. But it's about time our government stepped up and helped create a sustainable society. Stop building roads and start building better mass transit. Maryland is in need of better solutions, especially since BRAC is bringing so many people to the state within the next five years.
One of the solutions I want to mention is buying locally produced goods. Get your vegetables at the farmer's market. It's a lot of fun, the vegetables are less expensive and it's environmentally friendly. Check out the Waverly Farmer's market on Barclay and 32nd Streets on Saturday and the Baltimore Farmer's Market downtown under 83 on Sundays.
Jacob Update: Jacob is doing great! He's approximately 12 pounds and growing! He smiles all the time. He's a bit of a night owl ... most of his wakefulness occurs in the late afternoon through 10 or 11 p.m.! He does great with tummy time and holds his head up a lot. He's working on turning himself over, but hasn't made it yet.
TTFN, as Tigger would say.
Maybe because I have a child, or maybe because Earth Day was a couple of weeks ago, I have been thinking about what I can do to reduce my energy consumption and help heal the environment. It's not that I haven't thought or done anything about it before, but the urgency is greater now more than ever. The issue has hit home, literally. Who can afford gas at these prices? It's insane. It almost doesn't make sense to own a car. Unfortunately, Baltimore is not the mass transit capital of the world. Far from it. Currently, the Light Rail has less than half its normal amount of trains running. Bad timing? To say the least.
I know there's many things I can do and whatever steps I take will make a difference. But it's about time our government stepped up and helped create a sustainable society. Stop building roads and start building better mass transit. Maryland is in need of better solutions, especially since BRAC is bringing so many people to the state within the next five years.
One of the solutions I want to mention is buying locally produced goods. Get your vegetables at the farmer's market. It's a lot of fun, the vegetables are less expensive and it's environmentally friendly. Check out the Waverly Farmer's market on Barclay and 32nd Streets on Saturday and the Baltimore Farmer's Market downtown under 83 on Sundays.
Jacob Update: Jacob is doing great! He's approximately 12 pounds and growing! He smiles all the time. He's a bit of a night owl ... most of his wakefulness occurs in the late afternoon through 10 or 11 p.m.! He does great with tummy time and holds his head up a lot. He's working on turning himself over, but hasn't made it yet.
TTFN, as Tigger would say.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Smiles and Giggles
Requests for videos haven't gone unnoticed. It does require some time with technology and time with 2 hands is rare. However, today we captured a moment with Jacob in the papasan, enjoying a few smiles. I think he sees himself in the mirror and has a little smiling game.
In this video, I sound a little silly trying to get smiles from Jacob, but he's still a cutie.
Life at home with Jacob is awesome! He's growing so quickly. His arms and legs are getting nice and plump. He makes all kinds of new noises everyday. He loves his noise-making stuffed animals and rattles. He's full of grins and sweetness.
There isn't much time that Jacob spends out of my arms. He sleeps in my arms or on my chest most of the day. When he's awake we play games with his rattles and smile at each other.
He's started drooling which is a precursor to teething. It's cute for now.
I'm acutely aware that this time with him is short and I intend to enjoy every moment.
The weather is beautiful. Time to go for walks and drink iced lattes. Enjoy.
In this video, I sound a little silly trying to get smiles from Jacob, but he's still a cutie.
Life at home with Jacob is awesome! He's growing so quickly. His arms and legs are getting nice and plump. He makes all kinds of new noises everyday. He loves his noise-making stuffed animals and rattles. He's full of grins and sweetness.
There isn't much time that Jacob spends out of my arms. He sleeps in my arms or on my chest most of the day. When he's awake we play games with his rattles and smile at each other.
He's started drooling which is a precursor to teething. It's cute for now.
I'm acutely aware that this time with him is short and I intend to enjoy every moment.
The weather is beautiful. Time to go for walks and drink iced lattes. Enjoy.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
LIfe at Home
Life at home has been great! I love motherhood. The first few weeks were really hard for me. Luckily, Caroline took time off from work while I recuperated from surgery. The first two weeks were particularly grueling. As some of you may know, newborns eat frequently. Every two hours we had to feed Jacob. And that time is measured from start to start so there wasn't much time to rest in between. Luckily, he slept most of the time so he wasn't very demanding.
Jacob has grown so much. He's almost 11 pounds now. He no longer sleeps most of the time, which is so fun. He doesn't play much, but it is so great just to spend time with him while he's awake. He smiles and coos and wiggles around. It's just so amazing to watch him change and grow. With his new wakefulness, I have less time to do stuff, so I'll just have to leave you with a picture.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Here He Is! Part II
The Hospital Stay, Continued
Since we had no idea when the baby would have to be delivered, Caroline stayed in the hospital with me every day. The baby was breech, so we knew there was a strong possibility he would be delivered by C-section.
After a week in the hospital, we had one false alarm. One of the many medical staff attending me freaked out about the swelling of my legs (which was pretty severe actually) and determined I might be getting worse. I was rushed back into Labor & Delivery. Everyone was saying this might be the day my baby is born. I was pretty freaked out. I wasn't mentally ready. I was still hoping we could cook him a bit longer. I was only 36 weeks and a couple of days. He was small already, so I wanted to grow him as much as possible. Eventually, the OB decided not to deliver and I was sent back to my room.
That false alarm told me I needed to get ready for my baby. He was definitely coming sooner than later. Good thing I decided to get real about it because sooner became the next day. There was a dip in my platelet count and finally the OB said she couldn't see a reason to wait any longer. The C-section was scheduled for that evening.
I was pretty nervous about the surgery. I was planning to deliver vaginally. I never thought about a C-section and what would be involved. I was nervous about the spinal. I don't know about you, but the thought of someone putting a large needle in my spine is pretty nerve wracking. I was scared of being one of the few who become paralyzed by accident. But mostly I was worried that I wouldn't have the emotional attachment to my baby the way I imagined I would after going through labor.
I needn't worry, though. It all went smoothly. Actually, Caroline and I watched the surgery with the help of a mirror. It was incredibly freaky seeing my body manipulated like that. But the most amazing moment happened when the OB pulled Jacob out of me. I can barely describe the amazement and joy I felt seeing him for the first time. I cried. The love was there instantly.
Because he was a preemie, the neonatal unit had to check him out right away to make sure all his parts were working. Caroline watched as they cleaned him, weighed him and did all the other stuff. Then Jacob was brought over to me as the OB was putting me back together. It was wonderful. His eyes were open and he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Then he was whisked off to the nursery for a thorough exam.
I was brought to recovery and placed on a magnesium sulfate drip for 24 hours. That stuff is used to prevent any of the preeclamsia symptoms from getting worse after delivery. They also gave me an IV pain killer. Little did I know how much pain I'd be in. The spinal started wearing off right away and I began to feel the incision. Thank goodness for pain medication. I had to stay in the Labor and Delivery unit until the magnesium was stopped. Another uncomfortable bed.
Caroline's sister, Katherine, flew in from San Diego that night. She planned to help Caroline get the house ready for the baby. But since I had the C-section, Caroline had to stay at the hospital with me around the clock. There isn't much one can do after their abdomen has been cut in half. So Katherine readied the house by herself. She ran around buying all kinds of things we would need that we hadn't yet bought ourselves. She cleaned, bought groceries, cleaned the litter boxes, took care of the cats, bought clothes for the baby, and on and on and on. I can't even list everything she did because I was pretty out of it most of the weekend.
Having a newborn and major surgery at the same time is a bit overwhelming. There isn't much sleep to be had when you have a newborn. You have to nurse him every 3 hours, start to start. And the first night was just so overwhelming, I forgot to sleep. Caroline was equally exhausted because I couldn't get out of bed. She was changing every diaper, taking calls, helping me with everything. She forgot to sleep the first night too. By the time 24 hours had passed, I was so tired I started to feel like I was going to black out.
And then the real pain began. After coming off the magnesium (which, by the way, every single nurse told me was a "nasty" drug), I was brought to the post-partum unit. I hadn't moved a muscle since before the surgery and now the nurse wanted me to get out of my bed and into the wheelchair so I could be moved. The first time I tried moving, I thought I would die. Now let me say, if you're ever going to have a baby, avoid the C-section at all costs. Really, take my word for it.
The next 96 hours I spent in the hospital was basically consumed by trying to breastfeed and waiting to fart. Really. I couldn't have solid foods until I farted. You'd be surprised how hard it is to fart after a surgery like that.
Since we had no idea when the baby would have to be delivered, Caroline stayed in the hospital with me every day. The baby was breech, so we knew there was a strong possibility he would be delivered by C-section.
After a week in the hospital, we had one false alarm. One of the many medical staff attending me freaked out about the swelling of my legs (which was pretty severe actually) and determined I might be getting worse. I was rushed back into Labor & Delivery. Everyone was saying this might be the day my baby is born. I was pretty freaked out. I wasn't mentally ready. I was still hoping we could cook him a bit longer. I was only 36 weeks and a couple of days. He was small already, so I wanted to grow him as much as possible. Eventually, the OB decided not to deliver and I was sent back to my room.
That false alarm told me I needed to get ready for my baby. He was definitely coming sooner than later. Good thing I decided to get real about it because sooner became the next day. There was a dip in my platelet count and finally the OB said she couldn't see a reason to wait any longer. The C-section was scheduled for that evening.
I was pretty nervous about the surgery. I was planning to deliver vaginally. I never thought about a C-section and what would be involved. I was nervous about the spinal. I don't know about you, but the thought of someone putting a large needle in my spine is pretty nerve wracking. I was scared of being one of the few who become paralyzed by accident. But mostly I was worried that I wouldn't have the emotional attachment to my baby the way I imagined I would after going through labor.
I needn't worry, though. It all went smoothly. Actually, Caroline and I watched the surgery with the help of a mirror. It was incredibly freaky seeing my body manipulated like that. But the most amazing moment happened when the OB pulled Jacob out of me. I can barely describe the amazement and joy I felt seeing him for the first time. I cried. The love was there instantly.
Because he was a preemie, the neonatal unit had to check him out right away to make sure all his parts were working. Caroline watched as they cleaned him, weighed him and did all the other stuff. Then Jacob was brought over to me as the OB was putting me back together. It was wonderful. His eyes were open and he was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. Then he was whisked off to the nursery for a thorough exam.
I was brought to recovery and placed on a magnesium sulfate drip for 24 hours. That stuff is used to prevent any of the preeclamsia symptoms from getting worse after delivery. They also gave me an IV pain killer. Little did I know how much pain I'd be in. The spinal started wearing off right away and I began to feel the incision. Thank goodness for pain medication. I had to stay in the Labor and Delivery unit until the magnesium was stopped. Another uncomfortable bed.
Caroline's sister, Katherine, flew in from San Diego that night. She planned to help Caroline get the house ready for the baby. But since I had the C-section, Caroline had to stay at the hospital with me around the clock. There isn't much one can do after their abdomen has been cut in half. So Katherine readied the house by herself. She ran around buying all kinds of things we would need that we hadn't yet bought ourselves. She cleaned, bought groceries, cleaned the litter boxes, took care of the cats, bought clothes for the baby, and on and on and on. I can't even list everything she did because I was pretty out of it most of the weekend.
Having a newborn and major surgery at the same time is a bit overwhelming. There isn't much sleep to be had when you have a newborn. You have to nurse him every 3 hours, start to start. And the first night was just so overwhelming, I forgot to sleep. Caroline was equally exhausted because I couldn't get out of bed. She was changing every diaper, taking calls, helping me with everything. She forgot to sleep the first night too. By the time 24 hours had passed, I was so tired I started to feel like I was going to black out.
And then the real pain began. After coming off the magnesium (which, by the way, every single nurse told me was a "nasty" drug), I was brought to the post-partum unit. I hadn't moved a muscle since before the surgery and now the nurse wanted me to get out of my bed and into the wheelchair so I could be moved. The first time I tried moving, I thought I would die. Now let me say, if you're ever going to have a baby, avoid the C-section at all costs. Really, take my word for it.
The next 96 hours I spent in the hospital was basically consumed by trying to breastfeed and waiting to fart. Really. I couldn't have solid foods until I farted. You'd be surprised how hard it is to fart after a surgery like that.
More difficult was the breastfeeding. Since Jacob was a preemie, there were all sorts of issues with his learning to suck. I won't get into it now, but let me tell you that Jacob was a champ. We got him on the breast and he amazed everyone in the nursery and the lactation station with how well he was learning. It was very challenging for me, but I was determined to give him breast milk no matter what I had to do.
Four days later, I went home. Here is one of the first photos of our son. He was 4 lbs and 8 oz when he was born.
Here he is!
Jacob Irving was born on February 21, 2008. It's been quite a rollercoster, but Caroline and I are feeling elated and loving life with our new son. Here's the how it all happened.
The Disappointing Ultrasound
On February 11, we had the 3rd trimester ultrasound. We were looking forward to seeing how big Jacob had grown and getting a more specific due date. What we learned was that Jacob was growing a bit too slow for my OB's taste. She put me on bed rest in the hopes that it would help Jacob get the much needed nutrients to grow. She also ordered twice-weekly nonstress tests for the baby.
High Blood Pressure and Spilling Protein, aka Preeclampsia
The following Thursday (February 14), we went to the hospital for a nonstress test. This is a test to show that the baby is moving around normally and his heart rate is strong while in the womb. While I was there, the technicians took my blood pressure and a urine sample. My blood pressure was pretty high and they found protein in my urine which isn't a good thing. Right away, I was sent to Labor & Delivery for monitoring. My OB said I had Preeclampsia. She ordered a 24-hour observation that involved constant blood pressure monitoring and a collection of my urine. Nice way to spend Valentine's Day. I was stuck in an uncomfortable birthing bed and poor Caroline was sleeping on a chair.
I had hoped to be going home from the hospital the next day. I felt fine and I wanted to complete my bed rest at home in a nice comfy bed. My OB had other ideas. Even though she ordered the 24-hour observation, she basically determined I had preeclamsia and I was going to be at the hospital until Jacob was born. He wasn't due for another 5 weeks.
The Hospital Stay
I was moved to the high risk pregnancy area and told to settle in. I was on bed rest with bathroom "privileges," meaning I was allowed to walk myself to the bathroom to pee. Apparently, I was lucky because there are lots of women who are put on bed rest without such privileges.
Let me say first that the staff at the hospital were mostly very nice and compassionate with both myself and Caroline. The high risk unit gets lots of long-term visitors. My days consisted of laying, getting my blood pressure taken every 4 hours, getting my sugar tested twice a day, getting blood taken daily and having my pee collected and tested for urine. The only treatment for preeclamsia is delivery of the baby. I wasn't full-term yet, so we were trying to avoid this. Therefore, my symptoms had to be monitored to make sure my health wasn't in danger. The 3 major symptoms being watched were my blood pressure, the amount of protein in my urine, and my platelet count. Don't ask me what the platelets have to do with anything.
Every day could be the day my son would be delivered.
Time to Nurse
I have to nurse my son now, so stay tuned to part two of the adventure...
The Disappointing Ultrasound
On February 11, we had the 3rd trimester ultrasound. We were looking forward to seeing how big Jacob had grown and getting a more specific due date. What we learned was that Jacob was growing a bit too slow for my OB's taste. She put me on bed rest in the hopes that it would help Jacob get the much needed nutrients to grow. She also ordered twice-weekly nonstress tests for the baby.
High Blood Pressure and Spilling Protein, aka Preeclampsia
The following Thursday (February 14), we went to the hospital for a nonstress test. This is a test to show that the baby is moving around normally and his heart rate is strong while in the womb. While I was there, the technicians took my blood pressure and a urine sample. My blood pressure was pretty high and they found protein in my urine which isn't a good thing. Right away, I was sent to Labor & Delivery for monitoring. My OB said I had Preeclampsia. She ordered a 24-hour observation that involved constant blood pressure monitoring and a collection of my urine. Nice way to spend Valentine's Day. I was stuck in an uncomfortable birthing bed and poor Caroline was sleeping on a chair.
I had hoped to be going home from the hospital the next day. I felt fine and I wanted to complete my bed rest at home in a nice comfy bed. My OB had other ideas. Even though she ordered the 24-hour observation, she basically determined I had preeclamsia and I was going to be at the hospital until Jacob was born. He wasn't due for another 5 weeks.
The Hospital Stay
I was moved to the high risk pregnancy area and told to settle in. I was on bed rest with bathroom "privileges," meaning I was allowed to walk myself to the bathroom to pee. Apparently, I was lucky because there are lots of women who are put on bed rest without such privileges.
Let me say first that the staff at the hospital were mostly very nice and compassionate with both myself and Caroline. The high risk unit gets lots of long-term visitors. My days consisted of laying, getting my blood pressure taken every 4 hours, getting my sugar tested twice a day, getting blood taken daily and having my pee collected and tested for urine. The only treatment for preeclamsia is delivery of the baby. I wasn't full-term yet, so we were trying to avoid this. Therefore, my symptoms had to be monitored to make sure my health wasn't in danger. The 3 major symptoms being watched were my blood pressure, the amount of protein in my urine, and my platelet count. Don't ask me what the platelets have to do with anything.
Every day could be the day my son would be delivered.
Time to Nurse
I have to nurse my son now, so stay tuned to part two of the adventure...
Friday, February 8, 2008
On a More Personal Note
I've been getting bogged down in politics. It's hard to avoid because I love it, but I don't want it to become all consuming. For those who love my political banter, don't worry. I can't resist being an armchair pundit.
However, today I'd like to just catch up on my personal life for those of you folks who actually read this. The countdown to delivery is getting dramatically smaller and smaller. I used to count this in months. Now it's weeks. Five weeks to be exact. It's fair to say I'm freaking out a bit.
It's a whirlwind of emotions really. I'm so excited to meet my son and be able to hold him in my arms and look into his eyes. I can't wait to see him in Caroline's arms. Our love grows more and more everyday and he's not even here yet!
I visit the message boards on Babycenter.com. There's actually a bunch of message boards for GLBT parents. My signature has a little tickler. It looks something like this:
Isn't it cute? I like to post on the boards just so I can see how the numbers change from day to day. Less than 40 days to go! I can't believe it.
The other part of the whirlwind is fear. I'm so scared something will go wrong like I won't be able to get him out or something like that. I know that's a little silly. I mean, women give birth everyday. It's a job that doesn't require any prior experience. My body will take over. I just have to learn to let that happen and trust that nature knows what it's doing. It's kind of funny that I just think too much. This is just one of those times where IQ plays no part.
So that's where we are today. Baby is weeks away from arrival. Caroline worked on the nursery this past weekend. She dismantled the guest room and put the crib together. Lined up all the Pooh animals. Hung the curtains.
I feel like a house. I'm so huge I can't even remember what it was like when I could bend down and reach my feet. My body doesn't resemble anything I once knew. It's comical at times.
To top it off, I got all my hair cut off. I've been growing my hair to donate to Locks of Love. It's a great organization that helps disadvantaged children suffering from medical hair loss (often due to cancer or some other condition). They make wigs from donated hair. I was moved to contribute my hair after participating in the Race for a Cure in 2006. I wanted to do something more personal in the fight against cancer. And those who know me, know that I'm vain about only one or two things, my hair being number 1. So I thought it would be really significant to grow it out to give to someone else. And now my hair is insanely short! Here's the end result:
The donated hair is actually 11 or 12 inches long, but my hair is a bit curly, so it's hard to tell. I'm sending that pony tail off to Locks of Love today.
Finally, I'll leave you with my most recent belly shot. This is me at 34 weeks pregnant (8.5 months):
What did I tell you? A house.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
This Way or That???
I know I'm confusing things with this post, but I have to share this Paul Krugman editorial from Monday. It's nothing new, per se, but it again revists the difference in Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's "universal" healthcare proposals.
This is the biggest policy issue I have with Obama. He has demonized mandates which are just plain necessary if our true goal is universal healthcare.
You might be saying, Hey, make up your mind already! I have. Like I said before, I'm voting for Obama. Again, it's about who will win the general election and I think his chances are better. But we have to stay informed on this issue because when it comes before congress, we, you and I, have to act.
Also, Obama's position on GLBT rights is SO much better than Hillary's. I've talked about that before too.
Just a note, check out the links over to the right. I've added a new one called Maryland Politics Watch. I thought this was interesting, but warning, it's PG and Montgomery County focused as far as I can see. The title of the blog is misleading and all the contributors live in the DC suburbs.
This is the biggest policy issue I have with Obama. He has demonized mandates which are just plain necessary if our true goal is universal healthcare.
You might be saying, Hey, make up your mind already! I have. Like I said before, I'm voting for Obama. Again, it's about who will win the general election and I think his chances are better. But we have to stay informed on this issue because when it comes before congress, we, you and I, have to act.
Also, Obama's position on GLBT rights is SO much better than Hillary's. I've talked about that before too.
Just a note, check out the links over to the right. I've added a new one called Maryland Politics Watch. I thought this was interesting, but warning, it's PG and Montgomery County focused as far as I can see. The title of the blog is misleading and all the contributors live in the DC suburbs.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Now What? Or Who?
I've been saying for weeks that my vote won't count when the Maryland primary rolls around. Guess I was wrong. But what I'm not wrong about is the threat that is John McCain. And this is what my vote will be about on February 12.
For months I anticipated that Giuliani or Romney was going to be the Republican nominee. In either scenario, the general election was going to be a breeze, enjoyable even. Now, Giuliani is done and after Tuesday, I expect Romney will be too. A general election against McCain will be tough and hardly enjoyable.
Here's the situation. McCain is on his way to winning the nomination. During the Republican debate in California the other night, Romney was constantly on the defensive. It appeared really easy for McCain to be the reasonable truthful one while Romney spent all his air time on rebuttal after rebuttal. Given that the Republican field never had a "favorite," it won't be that difficult for McCain to keep the tide flowing his way.
Even though the Democrats have narrowed their field to two, the outcome is not as certain. It's anyone's guess who's going to take this contest. That's why the ambitious John Edwards isn't picking sides. He's hedging his bets and hoping he'll find a place in one of their administrations.
It's been a rare occasion for us Marylanders to have any say in Democratic nominee. I thought the contest would be decided by now, so I was ready to vote for one of my lefty favorites. Now I have to take this vote seriously (not that voting isn't serious, but you know what I mean).
So how really should one decide between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? This is the question of the day. Either nominee is historic. And despite what people will say about Hillary Clinton, she is not business as usual. A woman in the White House is change. Barack Obama doesn't have a monopoly on representing change. As a matter of fact, despite his race, a man in the White House would be more like business as usual than Hillary Clinton. Will his race really affect his decision-making? I doubt it. The historic nature of having an African American in the White House means that despite the persistant nature of racism, our country is really moving towards healing the racial divide. Barack could really have a huge impact as president on our racial problems.
Hillary has tried to make the contest about young versus experienced. She knows how to get things done. She has the command of the issues that Barack doesn't have because he hasn't been around long enough. He's a great public speaker, very inspirational, but according to Clinton, it ends there and that's not enough for the next president. Obama says he does understand the issues and he's always on the right side of them. He believes we need inspiration and a commitment to heal our country. He's right. And so is she.
Neither will talk about electability, but that's what we need to talk about today. A year ago, the Democrats were on top. They were starting a new term with Dems in control. The tide of the country was change. We were tired of the disaster the Republicans have made of the war and home. A year ago, electability was not one of our problems. Today, with McCain as the nominee, it is the problem.
And the answer is to vote for Barack Obama. This isn't an endorsement or anything. As I have stated before and implied above, either Hillary or Barack would make a good president. But they have to win a general election first. And that's why Barack is who I'm voting for. I can't take another Republican president. It sickens me. We HAVE to win.
Just close your eyes for a minute and clear your head. Then, imagine a picture of McCain versus Clinton. What's your gut telling you? Now, imagine a picture of McCain versus Obama. What's your gut telling you now? If you're paying attention, you know that Hillary doesn't have a chance against McCain. While the Democrats could swallow a McCain win, Republicans will succede from the nation if Hillary wins. As one pundit has said, Hillary has toxic coat-tails.
Barack does inspire and that is what's going to help him win. Hillary inspires, but she inspires the wrong people. She inspires the Republicans to get off their butts and vote against her. As unfair as it is that Hillary has been judged so harshly, it's the reality. I'm not going to roll the dice on this election just because I think Hillary has been held to a higher standard and been set up to fail.
That's the direction this primary season has taken us. The Democrats are going to make history by electing a minority as their nominee. Hopefully, the country will follow suit in November.
For months I anticipated that Giuliani or Romney was going to be the Republican nominee. In either scenario, the general election was going to be a breeze, enjoyable even. Now, Giuliani is done and after Tuesday, I expect Romney will be too. A general election against McCain will be tough and hardly enjoyable.
Here's the situation. McCain is on his way to winning the nomination. During the Republican debate in California the other night, Romney was constantly on the defensive. It appeared really easy for McCain to be the reasonable truthful one while Romney spent all his air time on rebuttal after rebuttal. Given that the Republican field never had a "favorite," it won't be that difficult for McCain to keep the tide flowing his way.
Even though the Democrats have narrowed their field to two, the outcome is not as certain. It's anyone's guess who's going to take this contest. That's why the ambitious John Edwards isn't picking sides. He's hedging his bets and hoping he'll find a place in one of their administrations.
It's been a rare occasion for us Marylanders to have any say in Democratic nominee. I thought the contest would be decided by now, so I was ready to vote for one of my lefty favorites. Now I have to take this vote seriously (not that voting isn't serious, but you know what I mean).
So how really should one decide between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama? This is the question of the day. Either nominee is historic. And despite what people will say about Hillary Clinton, she is not business as usual. A woman in the White House is change. Barack Obama doesn't have a monopoly on representing change. As a matter of fact, despite his race, a man in the White House would be more like business as usual than Hillary Clinton. Will his race really affect his decision-making? I doubt it. The historic nature of having an African American in the White House means that despite the persistant nature of racism, our country is really moving towards healing the racial divide. Barack could really have a huge impact as president on our racial problems.
Hillary has tried to make the contest about young versus experienced. She knows how to get things done. She has the command of the issues that Barack doesn't have because he hasn't been around long enough. He's a great public speaker, very inspirational, but according to Clinton, it ends there and that's not enough for the next president. Obama says he does understand the issues and he's always on the right side of them. He believes we need inspiration and a commitment to heal our country. He's right. And so is she.
Neither will talk about electability, but that's what we need to talk about today. A year ago, the Democrats were on top. They were starting a new term with Dems in control. The tide of the country was change. We were tired of the disaster the Republicans have made of the war and home. A year ago, electability was not one of our problems. Today, with McCain as the nominee, it is the problem.
And the answer is to vote for Barack Obama. This isn't an endorsement or anything. As I have stated before and implied above, either Hillary or Barack would make a good president. But they have to win a general election first. And that's why Barack is who I'm voting for. I can't take another Republican president. It sickens me. We HAVE to win.
Just close your eyes for a minute and clear your head. Then, imagine a picture of McCain versus Clinton. What's your gut telling you? Now, imagine a picture of McCain versus Obama. What's your gut telling you now? If you're paying attention, you know that Hillary doesn't have a chance against McCain. While the Democrats could swallow a McCain win, Republicans will succede from the nation if Hillary wins. As one pundit has said, Hillary has toxic coat-tails.
Barack does inspire and that is what's going to help him win. Hillary inspires, but she inspires the wrong people. She inspires the Republicans to get off their butts and vote against her. As unfair as it is that Hillary has been judged so harshly, it's the reality. I'm not going to roll the dice on this election just because I think Hillary has been held to a higher standard and been set up to fail.
That's the direction this primary season has taken us. The Democrats are going to make history by electing a minority as their nominee. Hopefully, the country will follow suit in November.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Now is the Time
I'm not going to talk presidential primaries. What I would like to talk about is the new level of oppression I'm experiencing as a lesbian. Not a great way to start off a topic, I'll admit. The problem is that now that the baby is nearly due, my partner and I are getting our "affairs" in order, as they say. Wills, powers-of-attorney, adoption. Because we're not married, we can't assume our family is secure. We have to weave our safety net together from scratch. We own a house together, but because we're not married, I have to specifically leave my interest in the house to my partner in a will. It doesn't even matter that both our names are on the deed! How crazy is that?
She's not my next of kin, so I have to label her the beneficiary to my life insurance. She's not my wife, so I have to create a living will which names her as my health care agent. She's not our child's mother until some court says so, so if something goes wrong when I give birth, our lawyer's number is on the speed dial. We have to prove to the court that we conceived of this child together, even though we truly conceived the child together! She gave me the sperm. She was there too. And when she files her taxes, she has to say she's single, even though she and I are about to have our first child together. We can't put each other on our health insurance plans even though it would save us money. We can't protect one another without a litany of legal documents.
It's unfair. It truly is. These are not the principles our country was founded on. Just because a history of oppression exists, doesn't mean it is right. I've thought a lot about this. Gays and lesbians are not receiving equal representation under the law. If someone is being denied their rights, our elected officials should stand up and do something about it. Neither of us has committed a crime, but we're treated with hostility by the law. As a matter of fact, both of us work for society's greater good, doing non-profit work. That's not a requirement for rights, mind you, but it's just ironic.
This year, the Maryland General Assembly is going to consider gay marriage, but I'm not holding my breath. There's no way that bill will get further than committee. Our legislators already pushed the envelope with higher taxes (which I supported) and they aren't going to cast another difficult vote this year. Unfortunately, I'm feeling more urgent than ever that something needs to happen. My family's well-being is at risk. Now may not be the time for politicians, but the time is long overdue for me and all the other GLBT families out there.
No one gains by oppressing and denying others. I'm frustrated by this everyday. No one has a right to define my family for me or take away my ability to care for it and protect it.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop here.
Just a quick note, I like feeling right. Since I said no presidential primary talk, I'll make this brief. I know I've said it recently, the Dems will have a really difficult time winning back the White House if McCain wins the primary. It feels good when someone who gets paid to have opinions agrees with me. Check out this Op-Ed piece from today's Washington Post.
She's not my next of kin, so I have to label her the beneficiary to my life insurance. She's not my wife, so I have to create a living will which names her as my health care agent. She's not our child's mother until some court says so, so if something goes wrong when I give birth, our lawyer's number is on the speed dial. We have to prove to the court that we conceived of this child together, even though we truly conceived the child together! She gave me the sperm. She was there too. And when she files her taxes, she has to say she's single, even though she and I are about to have our first child together. We can't put each other on our health insurance plans even though it would save us money. We can't protect one another without a litany of legal documents.
It's unfair. It truly is. These are not the principles our country was founded on. Just because a history of oppression exists, doesn't mean it is right. I've thought a lot about this. Gays and lesbians are not receiving equal representation under the law. If someone is being denied their rights, our elected officials should stand up and do something about it. Neither of us has committed a crime, but we're treated with hostility by the law. As a matter of fact, both of us work for society's greater good, doing non-profit work. That's not a requirement for rights, mind you, but it's just ironic.
This year, the Maryland General Assembly is going to consider gay marriage, but I'm not holding my breath. There's no way that bill will get further than committee. Our legislators already pushed the envelope with higher taxes (which I supported) and they aren't going to cast another difficult vote this year. Unfortunately, I'm feeling more urgent than ever that something needs to happen. My family's well-being is at risk. Now may not be the time for politicians, but the time is long overdue for me and all the other GLBT families out there.
No one gains by oppressing and denying others. I'm frustrated by this everyday. No one has a right to define my family for me or take away my ability to care for it and protect it.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop here.
Just a quick note, I like feeling right. Since I said no presidential primary talk, I'll make this brief. I know I've said it recently, the Dems will have a really difficult time winning back the White House if McCain wins the primary. It feels good when someone who gets paid to have opinions agrees with me. Check out this Op-Ed piece from today's Washington Post.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Watch out for McCain!
And this is what I'm saying... McCain is really the only candidate out there we could lose 
the White House to. Toles demonstrates this perfectly. The same thing is happening in the Republican primary. While Romney and Giuliani have peaks and valleys in their campaigns, McCain stuck it out and is actually winning races. The first year of the campaign, Romney and Giuliani were fighting for the number 1 spot, while McCain's campaign seem to tank before it got started. Months later, voters are showing that they are uninterested in the "unknown" adventures of America's Mayor and his Mormon counterpart. McCain isn't a very exciting guy, but he's always been straightforward. His candidacy is something we should be afraid of.
I'm getting a little nervous, frankly. I figured, just like most people, that Rudy or Mitt would be the Republican candidate. McCain has very little money. I don't know how he's sustaining his candidacy. Actually, once he won in New Hampshire, I'm sure some funds started rolling in. It gives contributors confidence that their money won't go to waste. I'm still enjoying the Republican race, but with Fred dropping out, others will follow. At some point, the Republican party will find their candidate. And that moment is approaching.
Meanwhile, it's getting pretty ugly for the Dems. After Iowa, the most interesting candidates aren't even given the time of day anymore, thereby limiting our choices. Why aren't Kucinich and Gravel and whomever else was running allowed in the debates anymore? It's really unfair and counter to the democratic process. I hope their ideas will make it into the Dem's platform, which is why I'm going to vote for one of them on February 12, Maryland's primary.
If I had to vote for Hillary or Barack, I wouldn't know what I was going to do. I'm really torn. I think their platforms are really close enough in terms of being alike, that either is fine. Where I'm annoyed at Hillary's position on gay rights, I'm equally annoyed at Barack's position on healthcare and social security. I think Barack is truly inspirational and a smart enough guy to have a decent cabinet and staff to support him. I mean Bill Clinton was no genius, but he was a good president in part because of his staff. On the other hand, I think Hillary is very smart and she's been getting a really raw deal as a woman. I don't think Barack has suffered nearly as much criticism for his race (nor should he) as Hillary as suffered for her gender. I'd rather see no criticism for either on those issues, but nonetheless, Hillary has been stabbed by the double edged sword way too much. And the amazing thing is that she's still going strong. That says a lot about her desirability and electability. But I think she lacks the ability to inspire. One could say her campaign is in itself an inspiration, but I think she has to take it further. And that's where Barack is clearly stronger. Not only is his candidacy an inspiration, but he can inspire with words and vision.
The end of the primary season is approaching. Soon we'll know what we're dealing with. I'm still hoping for a Romney/Giuliani win. That will make for a much more entertaining campaign. Let's hope the Republicans don't wise up to McCain's electability.
the White House to. Toles demonstrates this perfectly. The same thing is happening in the Republican primary. While Romney and Giuliani have peaks and valleys in their campaigns, McCain stuck it out and is actually winning races. The first year of the campaign, Romney and Giuliani were fighting for the number 1 spot, while McCain's campaign seem to tank before it got started. Months later, voters are showing that they are uninterested in the "unknown" adventures of America's Mayor and his Mormon counterpart. McCain isn't a very exciting guy, but he's always been straightforward. His candidacy is something we should be afraid of.I'm getting a little nervous, frankly. I figured, just like most people, that Rudy or Mitt would be the Republican candidate. McCain has very little money. I don't know how he's sustaining his candidacy. Actually, once he won in New Hampshire, I'm sure some funds started rolling in. It gives contributors confidence that their money won't go to waste. I'm still enjoying the Republican race, but with Fred dropping out, others will follow. At some point, the Republican party will find their candidate. And that moment is approaching.
Meanwhile, it's getting pretty ugly for the Dems. After Iowa, the most interesting candidates aren't even given the time of day anymore, thereby limiting our choices. Why aren't Kucinich and Gravel and whomever else was running allowed in the debates anymore? It's really unfair and counter to the democratic process. I hope their ideas will make it into the Dem's platform, which is why I'm going to vote for one of them on February 12, Maryland's primary.
If I had to vote for Hillary or Barack, I wouldn't know what I was going to do. I'm really torn. I think their platforms are really close enough in terms of being alike, that either is fine. Where I'm annoyed at Hillary's position on gay rights, I'm equally annoyed at Barack's position on healthcare and social security. I think Barack is truly inspirational and a smart enough guy to have a decent cabinet and staff to support him. I mean Bill Clinton was no genius, but he was a good president in part because of his staff. On the other hand, I think Hillary is very smart and she's been getting a really raw deal as a woman. I don't think Barack has suffered nearly as much criticism for his race (nor should he) as Hillary as suffered for her gender. I'd rather see no criticism for either on those issues, but nonetheless, Hillary has been stabbed by the double edged sword way too much. And the amazing thing is that she's still going strong. That says a lot about her desirability and electability. But I think she lacks the ability to inspire. One could say her campaign is in itself an inspiration, but I think she has to take it further. And that's where Barack is clearly stronger. Not only is his candidacy an inspiration, but he can inspire with words and vision.
The end of the primary season is approaching. Soon we'll know what we're dealing with. I'm still hoping for a Romney/Giuliani win. That will make for a much more entertaining campaign. Let's hope the Republicans don't wise up to McCain's electability.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Shhhh... lest you talk about race and gender
Wow, race and gender are being forcefully stuffed back in the closet by both Clinton and Obama. Seems we just can't be grown up about this.
I'm a little behind the times regarding the all the gaffes this week that led to yet another Clinton oopsie, but I decided to check it out today. Hillary did make a big oopsie, and then she just made it bigger ... and bigger. First let me say, that I don't think Bill's "fairytale" comments were bad at all. It's really the fact that he was so animated about it that made people pay attention. He clearly isn't talking about race in his comments about Obama's position on the Iraq war.
Now that I got that out of the way, what the hell is wrong with Hillary??? Is she pulling a Howard Dean on us? I really think she is. Her comments did truly diminish Dr. King's role in getting civil rights legislation passed in this country. Clearly, Hillary is trying to say that as president, she knows it's her role to get important legislation passed and it takes a lot of work - not just a hope and a prayer, which she implies will be Barack's strategy. But she's taking this campaign theme too far and every time she gets caught up in trying to explain herself, it just gets worse and worse. Okay already, being president is hard work, but what Barack is saying is being president is about being a leader. Being a leader is about having a vision for the country. Hillary has the nuts and bolts of it down; Barack has the vision. Morph them together and they'll make a great candidate.
But Hillary's foot-in-the-mouth episode has opened up the Democrat's Pandora's box. I know we're all really proud of ourselves for having two viable candidates who are also minorities, but that's as far as we're willing to take it, apparently. Now that we got the minority representation out of the way, let's not discuss what this means and how it will impact the way we will vote. It won't impact our decision, right? We're beyond that, right? Here's the real fairytale.
"We both have exuberance and sometimes uncontrollable supporters," Clinton said, adding that "neither race nor gender should be part of this campaign." I found this quote in today's Washington Post. This is the worst thing I've heard her say yet. And unfortunately, Barack whole-heartedly agrees.
Race and gender are ABSOLUTELY a part of this campaign. Hello??? A Black man has a real chance at winning the nomination. Oh, and a woman has a real chance of winning the nomination. This is historic. How could we not talk about it? For one thing, if the campaigns talked about it, they'd be giving their opponents' campaigns some credibility. At least Bill Clinton had the guts to admit that the African American community has a lot to be proud of with Barack's success as a candidate. It is significant, and each campaign would have to acknowledge it if we talked about it.
No, I don't think Hillary should be standing around saying "Vote for me and FINALLY get a woman in the Oval office." Nor should Barack be asking for votes because he's black. The discussion should be about what work is left on our race and gender issues and how this historic moment might bring the country closer to healing the wounds of oppression.
Our country is desperate to heal and this campaign provides the perfect opportunity to move forward. However, the Democratic leaders are afraid of having their record reviewed on this topic. Frankly, the Democrats have been pretty complacent in allowing the demise of the Black middle class, urban centers, education for the poor and disenfranchised, and I could go on and on. Republicans haven't done a better job. Frankly, I think they could care less. But that's not the point. If the Democrats are going to claim to be the party for minorities to have safe haven, then they have to relentlessly advocate on their behalf. And let me make clear that the list above may look like I'm targeting the causes of African Americans, but they are women's causes too. Who make up the majority of the poor? Women. Women of color are disproportionately represented, but it's women nonetheless.
So why shouldn't race and gender be a part of this campaign? All of our progressive initiatives are really about race and gender because of the disproportionate representation of minorities and women in the big gaping cracks of the American Dream.
These two need to grow up and demonstrate the leadership they say this country so desperately needs.
I'm a little behind the times regarding the all the gaffes this week that led to yet another Clinton oopsie, but I decided to check it out today. Hillary did make a big oopsie, and then she just made it bigger ... and bigger. First let me say, that I don't think Bill's "fairytale" comments were bad at all. It's really the fact that he was so animated about it that made people pay attention. He clearly isn't talking about race in his comments about Obama's position on the Iraq war.
Now that I got that out of the way, what the hell is wrong with Hillary??? Is she pulling a Howard Dean on us? I really think she is. Her comments did truly diminish Dr. King's role in getting civil rights legislation passed in this country. Clearly, Hillary is trying to say that as president, she knows it's her role to get important legislation passed and it takes a lot of work - not just a hope and a prayer, which she implies will be Barack's strategy. But she's taking this campaign theme too far and every time she gets caught up in trying to explain herself, it just gets worse and worse. Okay already, being president is hard work, but what Barack is saying is being president is about being a leader. Being a leader is about having a vision for the country. Hillary has the nuts and bolts of it down; Barack has the vision. Morph them together and they'll make a great candidate.
But Hillary's foot-in-the-mouth episode has opened up the Democrat's Pandora's box. I know we're all really proud of ourselves for having two viable candidates who are also minorities, but that's as far as we're willing to take it, apparently. Now that we got the minority representation out of the way, let's not discuss what this means and how it will impact the way we will vote. It won't impact our decision, right? We're beyond that, right? Here's the real fairytale.
"We both have exuberance and sometimes uncontrollable supporters," Clinton said, adding that "neither race nor gender should be part of this campaign." I found this quote in today's Washington Post. This is the worst thing I've heard her say yet. And unfortunately, Barack whole-heartedly agrees.
Race and gender are ABSOLUTELY a part of this campaign. Hello??? A Black man has a real chance at winning the nomination. Oh, and a woman has a real chance of winning the nomination. This is historic. How could we not talk about it? For one thing, if the campaigns talked about it, they'd be giving their opponents' campaigns some credibility. At least Bill Clinton had the guts to admit that the African American community has a lot to be proud of with Barack's success as a candidate. It is significant, and each campaign would have to acknowledge it if we talked about it.
No, I don't think Hillary should be standing around saying "Vote for me and FINALLY get a woman in the Oval office." Nor should Barack be asking for votes because he's black. The discussion should be about what work is left on our race and gender issues and how this historic moment might bring the country closer to healing the wounds of oppression.
Our country is desperate to heal and this campaign provides the perfect opportunity to move forward. However, the Democratic leaders are afraid of having their record reviewed on this topic. Frankly, the Democrats have been pretty complacent in allowing the demise of the Black middle class, urban centers, education for the poor and disenfranchised, and I could go on and on. Republicans haven't done a better job. Frankly, I think they could care less. But that's not the point. If the Democrats are going to claim to be the party for minorities to have safe haven, then they have to relentlessly advocate on their behalf. And let me make clear that the list above may look like I'm targeting the causes of African Americans, but they are women's causes too. Who make up the majority of the poor? Women. Women of color are disproportionately represented, but it's women nonetheless.
So why shouldn't race and gender be a part of this campaign? All of our progressive initiatives are really about race and gender because of the disproportionate representation of minorities and women in the big gaping cracks of the American Dream.
These two need to grow up and demonstrate the leadership they say this country so desperately needs.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Who the hell is gonna win this thing???
I was going to write a blog about what happened in Iowa. Then I waited too long and decided to write a blog about New Hampshire. Now that's old news. But what is surprising is that there's no clear front runner in either the Democratic or Republican race. I love it.
I'm going to hypothesize, theorize and opine about the primaries. I'm going to make random predictions. I'm as qualified as anyone. Just consider how well the pollsters called it in New Hampshire.
The next primaries to watch are South Carolina, Michigan and Nevada. I love that we've come this far in the race, which really isn't that far, and we don't have a clear winner. Now we get to hear the bullshit the contenders will heap upon these states. This is actually a good thing. Usually, after New Hampshire, the primaries fade a bit from the news and we don't get to hear the rhetoric. The thing is, the rhetoric we hear in New Hampshire is dramatically different than the rhetoric in Michigan. Michigan is the solid blue collar state with a deep history in the auto-making industry which has suffered massively for decades. I want to know what the contestants believe is important to this crowd. The Republicans should be afraid to step foot in this state. It's their policies (which the Dems have been complacent with) that allowed the auto industry to take their jobs overseas.
I predict that Clinton will win this state. Why? Just call it a gut feeling. Actually, there was a poll released today in the Washington Post with Obama nearly erasing her lead, but I think her strong showing in New Hampshire is going to help her in Michigan. It won't be over by a long shot for Obama if he comes in second, but he'll really have to work his ass off to keep in it.
The more interesting race by far is the Republicans. The same Washington Post poll showed McCain taking the lead in public opinion. This concerns me. I think he has a good chance of being elected president if he wins the nomination. I think he's the only Republican with a chance of winning. And a race between him and Hillary would be ugly. Frankly, this is a worst case scenario. Obama needs to be the Dem's nominee if McCain wins the Republican nomination. Obama is squeaky clean really. The baggage that Hillary brings to race would sink her and the rest of the Democrats.
Of course, if anyone but McCain wins, I think Hillary or Obama have it in the bag. I can't wait to see the Republicans take a hit. Unfortunately, McCain's been vetted. He's a good guy, reasonable even. I don't agree with him 98% of the time and I'd hate to see him win, but he can't be attacked with much. On the other hand, it makes me giddy to think of the mud-slinging that would go on if, say, Rudy Guilliani wins the nomination. Evangelical Christians would be bombarded of pictures of Guilliani in drag. Not to mention, pictures of his many wives!!! This would be the best. Far better than any of Hillary's crap.
My prediction: McCain wins it. It's bound to happen that my anticipation of a good, juicy race would be ruined by the rise of McCain. And why should he win? He is the best Republican candidate. That's just a fact. The others are jokes.
Let me just note my fear of Mike Huckabee. A win by him would be truly scary. If the evangelicals mobilize around that guy, welcome to hell. Check out these books for a glimpse into the future: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk. These are two of my favorite books, and both describe some sort of takeover of the country by the Christian right-wing conservatives. These are the same evangelicals that put Bush in office. We can't underestimate their mobilizing capabilities.
So we'll see what happens tomorrow. Maybe by the time the primary comes to Maryland, my vote will actually count. But count me out. I'm voting for Gravel. Neither Hillary or Barack need my vote, and the things that bother me about both of them cancel each other out. By voting for Gravel, I'm letting the Dems know I like what he has to say and maybe they ought to consider his ideas. I think he's still on the ballot. If not, the socialist from Ohio gets my vote.
I'm going to hypothesize, theorize and opine about the primaries. I'm going to make random predictions. I'm as qualified as anyone. Just consider how well the pollsters called it in New Hampshire.
The next primaries to watch are South Carolina, Michigan and Nevada. I love that we've come this far in the race, which really isn't that far, and we don't have a clear winner. Now we get to hear the bullshit the contenders will heap upon these states. This is actually a good thing. Usually, after New Hampshire, the primaries fade a bit from the news and we don't get to hear the rhetoric. The thing is, the rhetoric we hear in New Hampshire is dramatically different than the rhetoric in Michigan. Michigan is the solid blue collar state with a deep history in the auto-making industry which has suffered massively for decades. I want to know what the contestants believe is important to this crowd. The Republicans should be afraid to step foot in this state. It's their policies (which the Dems have been complacent with) that allowed the auto industry to take their jobs overseas.
I predict that Clinton will win this state. Why? Just call it a gut feeling. Actually, there was a poll released today in the Washington Post with Obama nearly erasing her lead, but I think her strong showing in New Hampshire is going to help her in Michigan. It won't be over by a long shot for Obama if he comes in second, but he'll really have to work his ass off to keep in it.
The more interesting race by far is the Republicans. The same Washington Post poll showed McCain taking the lead in public opinion. This concerns me. I think he has a good chance of being elected president if he wins the nomination. I think he's the only Republican with a chance of winning. And a race between him and Hillary would be ugly. Frankly, this is a worst case scenario. Obama needs to be the Dem's nominee if McCain wins the Republican nomination. Obama is squeaky clean really. The baggage that Hillary brings to race would sink her and the rest of the Democrats.
Of course, if anyone but McCain wins, I think Hillary or Obama have it in the bag. I can't wait to see the Republicans take a hit. Unfortunately, McCain's been vetted. He's a good guy, reasonable even. I don't agree with him 98% of the time and I'd hate to see him win, but he can't be attacked with much. On the other hand, it makes me giddy to think of the mud-slinging that would go on if, say, Rudy Guilliani wins the nomination. Evangelical Christians would be bombarded of pictures of Guilliani in drag. Not to mention, pictures of his many wives!!! This would be the best. Far better than any of Hillary's crap.
My prediction: McCain wins it. It's bound to happen that my anticipation of a good, juicy race would be ruined by the rise of McCain. And why should he win? He is the best Republican candidate. That's just a fact. The others are jokes.
Let me just note my fear of Mike Huckabee. A win by him would be truly scary. If the evangelicals mobilize around that guy, welcome to hell. Check out these books for a glimpse into the future: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk. These are two of my favorite books, and both describe some sort of takeover of the country by the Christian right-wing conservatives. These are the same evangelicals that put Bush in office. We can't underestimate their mobilizing capabilities.
So we'll see what happens tomorrow. Maybe by the time the primary comes to Maryland, my vote will actually count. But count me out. I'm voting for Gravel. Neither Hillary or Barack need my vote, and the things that bother me about both of them cancel each other out. By voting for Gravel, I'm letting the Dems know I like what he has to say and maybe they ought to consider his ideas. I think he's still on the ballot. If not, the socialist from Ohio gets my vote.
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