How Democrats fucked up in 2004...and what they'll need to have a chance in 2008...
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: I'm Back...Baby Bash featuring Akon...
Topic: elections
David Brooks is right...

David Brooks...Kerry, Edwards worlds apart...

...and brilliant as always...can I say that David Brooks has thoroughly impressed me over the last couple of years as a voice of sanity and constructiveness and intelligence in a sea of liberal and conservative cynicism:):):)...

Thank you, David...

David's basic observation...is that after Katrina...Kerry was obsessively anti-Bush...and John Edwards did something that Kerry didn't even do very well when he was running for President...

He was thinking...

John Edwards, according to Brooks, was talking about the pressures that economic insecurity place on families and their ability to function effectively, especially in the midst of serious catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina...

That and John's Washington Post editorial taking responsibility for his vote for the war in Iraq make him, effectively, in my mind, the Democratic front-runner...Hillary has shown almost zero leadership ability her entire tenure in the Senate except for a very safe and constructive, but also kind of no-brainer, bill sponsored publicly with the help of former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich...a shrewd move, to be sure...but a very basic bill that allowed for better sharing of medical information that involved very little political courage at all, really...that seems to be Hillary's forte, at this point...avoiding policies that involve courage...

John Edwards and Barak Obama are the two most impressive potential Democratic candidates, right now, I think...

The reason?...

Because they both have ideas about how to govern...as strange as that might seem to power-obsessed Democrats right now...

You know what Bill Clinton told John Kerry that he should have done in his election contest with George Bush that he failed to do...and which I think is the biggest reason that he lost that election...

Articulate a vision...and some big ideas about what he might want to do with all that power...

But instead John furrowed his brow...and kept his focus on winning power...and making every anti-Bush plea that his handlers wrote for him...

And this is for all the liberals who might be reading...

Do you remember what happened to John in the 2004 election?...

He lost, motherfuckers...

And if Democrats want to lose again...if I were them, I'd just keep focussing on power and give very little attention to ideas...just like they did in that election...

John Edwards is getting wise...

Because he's tired of losing, I'm sure...

But at least he's thinking...

And you know who I'm voting for in the 2008 election...

The candidate with the best ideas...

I don't know who that is...

Rudy Guliani...John Edwards...John McCain...Barak Obama...Hillary Clinton (though she's shown almost no inclination towards good constructive ideas, at this point)...Evan Bayh...

Whoever has the best ideas...

And America will be doing the same...I guarantee it...

And if liberals want to learn the lesson on this one, for good...

I'd suggest they run a power-focussed rather than an idea-focussed campaign like they did in 2004...

And if they have a Republican challenger with even a smidgeon of decent policy ideas...

Watch them beat the shit out of your candidate...

And then you'll come to me...and I'll say, "I told you so"...and you don't want that...because I'm a gloating motherfucker...especially when you do something stupid that I've been telling you to stop doing for at least 3 years, now...

And you know what the worst part is...

If you -- meaning liberals -- do run a campaign that is power-based...and you win...

You'll know you won't deserve it...

Uhh...what an icky feeling...to win something as important as the Presidency when you don't deserve it...

I guess it will be a test of just how low liberals can go...

They've gone pretty low, at this point...as have conservatives...

But it'll be a pyrrhic victory...and I won't be cheering with you...and will be, either, 1) eagerly awaiting when your candidate starts thinking and stops being an asshole...and engaging him/her until we get them there and/or 2) eagerly awaiting for the next election, when we can get rid of him/her...

And if Hillary Clinton -- the resident non-thinking candidate gets nominated...

You better hope John McCain or Rudy Guliani doesn't get nominated by the Republicans...

Wikipedia...opinion polling for 2008 Presidential election...

Because, right now...they would cleanly spank Hillary's red little ass...

And notice...the only candidate who beats either Rudy or John McCain, right now...on the Marist College poll...

Is John Edwards:):)...

Hmm...

I would suggest that Democrats start thinking more...and engaging in power gambles less...

Because...while I will buy you a beer when Republicans kick your tight little heinies...

I don't want your hear you're whining when I say you, "I told you so"...because I did...

And because I'm getting tired of Democrats acting like they have some kind of entitlement to office just because Bush is a less than ideal President...just like every President is a less than ideal President...

So a friendly suggestion to Democrats...from an independent...

Start thinking more...or get used to losin'...

Some tough love for a party with too much tough...not enough love...and far too few ideas, right now...

John Edwards has started to figure this one out...

Perhaps other Democrats can start following his lead:):):)...

Let's hope so...for the sake of the country...which deserves better than most liberals and Democrats (and conservatives and Republicans, for that matter) seem to be offering, right now...

Love,
Ben

By the way...can I say that John McCain is probably the shrewdest motherfucker on the face of this fuckin' earth...have Democrats not figured out, yet, that George Bush will not be running in the next election?...which means that we have two anti-Bush candidates for the next election...whichever Democrat gets nominated...and John McCain...so he rides the wave of anti-Bush feeling in the country, right now, and rides his favorables...and kicks the ass of every Democrat running or potentially running, right now...

"Uhh...we'll get just keep bringing down Bush's favorables and we'll beat him with any candidate"...duh-duh-duh...fuckin' dumbass Democratic handlers...you're gonna get your asses handed to you with that strategy, you fuckin' manipulative morons...and you'll deserve it...

"Uhh...we don't have to be for any good ideas...we'll just be against Bush"...fuckin' stupid assholes...the one saving grace is that once your candidate gets beat with that stupid-ass strategy, you lose your jobs, too, you fuckin' dickheads...

Political consultants and the cowardly fuckin' politicians who follow their advice are the fuckin' bane of democratic politics, today...and the only correction to their behavior that they care about is getting their asses whooped in the next election..and so be it, you fuckin' evil little Machiavellis...I hope you end up in someone's mailroom after you lose those gambles you arrogant pieces of shit...

Power obsession is a sickness..."Precious...my precious"...

Get some brains, some heart, and some fuckin' courage and walk your asses down the fuckin' yellow brick road...

And stand up and be leaders, you fuckin' cowards...

It's just beginning to occur to me...
Mood:  chillin'
Now Playing: The Blower's Daughter...Damien Rice...
Topic: elections

...just how much the last 6 years or so, in American politics...

...has been this really great exploration of what honesty and intelligence in politics and honest and intelligent policy looks like...

...as well as one long rationalization, for far too many people, of why honesty and intelligence -- in politics...but...by extension...in life -- really just doesn't matter...

Bill Bradley was the smartest candidate I think I've ever seen run for the Presidency...

Alan Keyes has a Ph.D. in political science from Harvard (if I'm remembering that correctly)...

But definitely not that intelligent, by my lights...

I don't say that at all because I disagree with Alan's social conservative politics...

I say it because Alan never really had much new to say, ever, about most issues...his big issue was abortion...he didn't really say much new about that...nor really many of the other really important political or other issues of the day...

Alan was an excellent example of an overeducated man without too much intelligent to say (the other version of that joke is a little harsh...but you get the jist)...

Bill Bradley, on the other hand...while only having an undergrad from Princeton (I'm not even sure what it was in, to be honest:):):)...

Was one of the most thoughtful Senators and Presidential candidates I've ever seen, frankly...

Bill Clinton is pretty thoughtful, too...

Bill Clinton's real stregth (arguably better than Bill Bradley's...or...rather...more public than Bill Bradley's similar behind the scenes work in a similar vein) was how he brought people together...

Both Bill's understand that they are not the only or often even the most important actors in the political process...

That people from all different sorts of backgrounds must be brought together to resolve important policy matters...

Bill Clinton's race dialogue initiative and his work to bring environmentalists and business people to the table to resolve environmental matters are excellent examples of how Bill excelled as a more collaborative President than the traditional command and control model that President Bush has tried more -- with much less sucess than his predecessor -- to engage in...command and control, remember, is what brought down the Soviet system and model of governance...and no matter who engages in it -- liberals, conservatives, socialists, theocrats...whomever -- it functions far less effectively than a more collaborative approach to governance...as the last 5 years have served to demonstrate for us, I hope...

But Bill Bradley both is engaged in such efforts -- Bill is associated, you will notice, with the democratic dialogue efforts cited on the center-left of this blog with groups like America Speaks...but really...Bill is involved with a million groups like this...either personally...or more indirectly -- and he is/was just a more honest player in those discussions, as well, I think...

What I really admired about Bill...is that he was not ashamed of being smart...and of talking smart...even when he got all kinds of hell for doing so...

And he was/is honest...about himself...about the political process in America...

Bill Bradley -- unlike President Clinton -- talked honestly about his marijuana use in the 2000 primaries...

And Bill was willing to be thoughtful and critical of the more fundamental problems/issues in American politics...namely...the way that money corrupted the process...but I would add...the way that power is often averse to a more honest intellectual discussion...and was willing to be critical of both parties when they allowed that money and power to wag the dog, so to speak...and to hold himself and his campaign to a higher standard on the issue...even if it didn't win the election for him...

And here's the real irony...

Whereas other candidates were skittish about talking about the money/power nexus...and the ways that it undermined confidence in American democracy...for fear of pissing off the money folks, as much as anything else...

Guess how Bill Bradley's been making his living for the past few years?...

Bill Bradley...Wikipedia...

As an investment banker...and a corporate consultant:):):)...

Ironic, huh?:):):):):)...

That a guy who would be honest with the money world about how it exercised too much influence over politics:):):)...

Would go on to make his living (I'm sure quite well, knowing Bill:):):)...

As a investment banker and corporate consultant:):):)...

I suppose investment banking and the corporate world need honest people just like anyone else:):):)...

And Bill Bradley is just about as honest as they come:):):)...

Ironic, huh?:):):)...

That Americans would spend so much time in the last 6 years or so:):):)...

Trying to argue for themselves and one another:):):)...

That honesty and intelligence just don't matter:):):)...for the general culture...and definitely not for their personal welfare:):):)...

And that the one guy who served as our best example of intelligence and honesty in the last few elections:):):)...

Would be making what I imagine is pretty decent bank as an investment banker and a corporate consultant:):):)...

Isn't it ironic?...don't you think?:):):)...a little too ironic:):):)...but yeah I really do think:):):)...

The truth is that too many people are not just not honest enough:):):):):)...

They're just kind of dumb, I think:):):):):)...

Thinking that somehow the world can function as well without us being more and more honest with ourselves and with one another:):):):):)...

How dumb:):):):):)...

We'll get better, I think:):):)...we already are, think:):):)...

I've got to get ready for work:):):):):)...

Have a great day, everyone:):):):):)...

Love,
Ben

Bill Bradley...a walk down memory lane...
Mood:  crushed out
Now Playing: Damien Rice...The Blower's Daughter...
Topic: elections
As we gear up for the 2008 election...

As I've commented on the prospects of various Presidential candidates:)...

I always come back to the person I thought was the last great American Presidential candidate:):)...

Bill Bradley...former New York Knick...and former Senator from New Jersey:):)...

It was so nice to hear Bill's voice again on these two clips:):):)...

Bill Bradley...One on one with PBS Online Newshour's Margaret Warner...

...and...

Bill Bradley/Al Gore...The Last Debate of the 2000 Election...Online Newshour...

Bill and I disagree on a lot these days...two issues, in particular, we agreed on during that election...and I disagree with him on them now...campaign finance regulation and gun rights...

But I COMPLETELY support Bill's intentions with such efforts...and still support voluntary efforts to clean up the American democratic process and to promote responsible gun ownership...but the Bush Presidency made completely clear for me what big and arrogant government looks like...how people view such government...and how that leads to reactions and responses to legislation that even the best-intentioned leaders, like Bill, never imagine...and how the best policy thinking must account for those realities, no matter how great and honest Bill's intentions are with these two and other important policy ideas that he has shared with the American and world democratic community...

So...I don't think Bill was the last great candidate because I agree with him on everything...campaign finance reform and gun control, after all, are two of his signature issues...

And I don't just support candidates that I've voted for in the past...

In 1992...like a ghost that will forever haunt me:):):):):)...I voted for George Herbert Walker Bush for President over Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton:):):)...a collosal error of judgment on my part, I think:):):):):):)...not because George senior was a bad President...he was a pretty good President, actually, I think:):):)...FAR better than his much more stubborn and foolhardy son:):):)...

It was an error of judgment on my part because -- by all really important data on the positive consequences of a Presidency, I think -- Bill Clinton was, by far, the better of the two candidates as President:):):)...

So I don't just support Bill because I voted for him:):):)...if I make a mistake, I acknowledge it:):):)...

I support Bill...meaning I would LOVE if he would throw his much needed hat into the ring for this Presidential election and elevate the public discussion...

For who Bill is...

Bill Bradley...in addition to being the smartest man, I think, to run for the Presidency...smarter than Bill Clinton, I think...

In addition to being the most kind and decent and genuine:):):)...

Is also the man with the most integrity, I think, that I've ever watched run for the Presidency:):):)...

He is an essentially decent and good man...and I was so proud to work on his campaign in the months leading up to the Iowa caucuses for the Democratic Primaries:):):)...

If you listen to these audio clips...I think you'll get the jist of what I mean...

Bill was a real inspiration during that campaign...and he raised the standard for what, eventually, became a really nasty and bitter battle for the Presidency between Al Gore and George Bush...

And he is the proudest vote I've ever made in an American election...

And I'd love to do it again this next election...if he'd consider running again:):)...

But mostly I love Bill Bradley...because...as he said in that interview with Margaret Warner:):):)...

Because he's just himself:):):)...

And because I really respect that a lot about him:):):)...

And miss his brilliant, creative, decent, and kind-hearted contributions to the democratic discussion...from a broad worldview with a long-term perspective...

I miss what a good man Bill Bradley is...and how good Bill demonstrated that American politics can be...given the commitment by a leader to be that good:):):)...

Thanks, Bill...for all the memories (including looking up at you and Bill Russell and the HUGE men that you two are...and having you sign an autograph for me with me, in one of the rare moments of my life, speechless...because I just couldn't think of anything to say to you that didn't leave me feeling like you'd think I was an idiot:):):)...

And a really lovely trip up to Iowa with Brandi...to join the other really idealistic campaign workers, there:):):)...and to just appreciate the warmth that comes when a lot of people -- especially young people -- get together to do good...for goodness sake...not because we know it will win...not because it will make us any money...or doing anything for us, personally...

But just to do good:):):)...

Thanks, Bill...

For demonstrating that politics can be that good:):):) (and perpetually better:):):):):):):)...

Love,
Ben

How often can I be wrong...let me count the ways:):)...
Mood:  lazy
Now Playing: Damien Rice...The Blower's Daughter...
Topic: elections
I was looking into the possibility that I read in a news report that Chuck Hagel, Republican from Nebraska, who has been critical of the war and the President over the war, might be running for President...

Chuck Hagel...at Wikipedia...

When I happened upon this fairly comprehensive review of potential Presidential candidates in 2008...

Wikipedia review of the 2008 Presidential election...

I've been saying for a while, given the falling poll numbers for the President, that a Democrat was likely to win the Presidency in 2008...

But the poll numbers don't seem to bear that out...

If you'll scroll down to the bottom of that page...

You'll find a list of polls of potential races between Democrats and Republicans...

John McCain seems to be the slightly better candidate,in terms of likelihood of beating a Democrat, over Rudy Guliani...though polls of Republicans just a little bit lower on that page seem to indicate that, at this point, Rudy seems to be the slightly favored choice of his party...

Jeb Bush, apparently, would be beat by almost every Democrat put against him (as it should be with his rightward lurch in all the wrong ways Florida, right now)...

And though Hillary Clinton is the clear front-runner among Democrats right now...

She would be beat by both Rudy and John according to those polls...John Edwards could edge out Rudy, but not John...

As someone who has more often voted Democratic in my lifetime (I voted Clinton in '96 and Kerry in '04, Bush in '92 -- a terrible mistake that I very much regret:):) -- and Nader in '00 -- a protest vote in a state that Gore had no chance of winning for a candidate who at least said something publicly about the dominance of money in the Democratic Leadership Council in the Democratic party), I think I could even vote for John McCain over Hillary Clinton, actually...even though he is pro-life...and he and Ms. Clinton are pro-choice...the campaign will bear out the candidates' leadership abilities and stances on issues (I do think that Ms. Clinton would likely assemble a stronger international policy team, which will matter a great deal to me in this election)...and if Hillary would just chill out a little, personally (a move that I have to applaud Rudy Guliani and John McCain on...Rudy doing all that Saturday Night Live and David Letterman...and John doing his controversial cameo in The Wedding Crashers) and if she'd learn to embrace market-based equity reforms on health care issues...then she would have my vote in a heartbeat:)...but I have concerns about her leadership abilities (though she does have one of the greatest living or non-living Presidents to guide her in better developing more collaborative, relaxed, perspective-guided leadership abilities)...and about her major policy goof, I thought, during Bill's tenure, of proposing a national government-driven health care reform proposal, rather than working with doctors, nurses, insurance companies, hospitals, and other major health care for-profit and non-profit players to develop equity-concerned health care proposals that could be developed not only with the cooperation of the health care community...but with their active and willing collaboration, over the long haul...

Abortion isn't likely to get more restricted much, I don't think...which is just good by me...though removing restrictions would be a fine thing in my mind...so Rudy and Hillary have appeal to me on that front...

And I am no fan of campaign finance regulations that John would impose on campaign spending...I agree with John's aims...while looking squarely at what to me seems like the pretty clear evidence that campaign finance regulations -- like drug control and gun control -- are regularly circumvented by politicians...Tom Delay being one offender among a whole sea of them in Washington, D.C...it's kind of laughable, really, to have Washington riding Major League Baseball about steroids as a federal offense when so many of their own get away with a much more serious moral, nevertheless legal, offense against American democracy...

Having said that...I oppose campaign finance regulations (this was not always the case...I supported them and one of their other major supporters, Bill Bradley, in the 2000 election) as an unrealistic, counter-productive, and ultimately speech-limiting influence on American elections...George Will did a very nice column on this last facet of this issue that he is so rightly passionate about referring to an abrogation of free speech, I believe, in an August 22nd, 2004 editorial for the Washington Post...

Campaign Cops and Car Ads...

...that outlines the very sad case of Russ Darrow, the Republican challenger to Congressional campaign finance champion Russ Feingold...whose used-car business ads were challenged by Common Cause, the leading non-profit champion of campaign finance regulation, in their 2004 Senate campaign...

And, as George argues...essentially because Russ Darrow was running against Russ Feingold...who Common Cause saw as their man to end the ugliness of money having so much influence in Washington and over the political process...

Having said that...

I like John McCain's integrity a lot...like Bill Bradley...though I disagree with them on one of both of their signature issues...

I like them as men...

I like the kind of temperament (I like John's temper, frankly...tells me he lays everything out on the table...and doesn't hide it under layers of pretense and denial) and gravitas they would bring to the office of the Presidency...I like both of their genuine desires to look out for the little guy and the underdog...

Bill was pro-choice...as is Hillary Clinton...as is Rudy Guliani...which I prefer...

But Rudy's stances on crime I take issue with him...again...clearly I agree with his intent...but Rudy both took way too much credit for the bettering crime situation in New York I think (which had started -- both in some of the constructive approaches and in their consequences, before his Administration)...and engaged in some really questionable practices to reduce crime in the Big Apple, his signature issue...

Rudy Guliani...Wikipedia...

I love that Rudy is both pro-choice and supports gay rights (staying with a gay couple while he was divorcing his first wife...and I don't like that he cheated on his wife, of course...but I prefer a sinner to the self-righteous, any day...so it kind of endears me to him, actually:):):)...as it endears me to John McCain, as well, whose shown a lot of remorse for cheating on his wife...though I imagine Rudy feels some remorse, as well)...

But the best thing that I love about all of these candidates...

Is that there are some very fine, decent, intelligent people running for the office of the Presidency in 2008...they have disagreements...I have disagreements with them...I'm sure everyone does...

But they would all make fine Presidents...well...each of these would...and many of the others running for office would, as well...

It's not a perfect process...democracy...including American democracy...

But that's the beauty of it...

That it is so diverse...that there are so many different ways at coming at issues...and that we learn to respect one another, as much as possible, in the meantime...I've learned that sometimes people need a little check on their democratic behavior when its aggressive and not civil...but...all in all...learning to respect and embrace and support one another as people...is far more important than any of the issues, alone...

We so lose track of this in politics, I think...

That the whole purpose of the whole spectacle is to help people...to support them...not just in the abstract...but real, live, breathing people...including the politicians who volunteer to enter the muck that is American and democratic politics, much of the time...and to still try to do some good amidst all the cynicism and assumptions of bad faith...

The reason why I think each of these people would make fine Presidents, actually...is because I've now had the pleasure of meeting the politically cynical and apathetic, up close...

And the truth is that cynicism in a democracy is one of the most corrosive influences within it...

Idealism really does matter...and it is a damned shame when people lose track of the ideas...to validate their bitterness and disappointment that the world doesn't live up to their expectations...

Rather than simultaneously to having better expectations for the world...making their expectations more realistic for the world we live in...rather than being perpetually disappointed that the world we live in is not the world we wished we lived in...

I'm disappointed by that quite a bit, actually...but in the context of also accepting people as they are...and expecting them, realistically, to get better:):):)...

And...the more time I spend doing them...expecting more from people, really, as I do from politics...

As Alexis DeToqueville quite insightfully noted almost 200 years ago...

American...and all democracy, really...is more dependent on the quality of the efforts by its people...than just by its politicians...

And Americans and democratic citizens all over the world...perpetually get a pass in how they corrode their own communities and societies with their cynicism...

And then...for whatever asinine reasons...they're completely and utterly surprised when the world matches their cynical expectations...

Rather than making their expectations more realistic and more idealistic simultaneously...developing an idealism that is not romantic...but that is based squarely on the realities in front of you...

That is democracy at its best...and these candidates do a fairly good job of doing it...and the American and democratic peoples all over the world need to do a better of it, as well, I think:)...

Many of them do...despite my concerns about democratic backsliding in the last 4 or 5 years, or so...

This is one of the most robust times for freedom and democracy in the history of freedom and democracy and humanity and the world...

The enlightenment thinkers who made all this possible would be quite proud, I think...that we have so surpassed their expecations...by far, I imagine...

We take those thinkers so for granted...when they made so much of the freedom and equity that we love possible for us...

When they dreamed of a better world...when there was much more darkness in that world...and only glimmers of the light...

We live with more light in our world...and with the possibility of even more light...if we open up the dark places within ourselves...and find room for the light in our own hearts and minds...

It takes work...loving and caring about people...it takes a lot of work...

But it's work well worth it...those who wanting to hope and believe that we can be better with and to one another...

I believe...more and more each day:):):)...

Have a great day, everyone:):):)...

Love,
Ben