Three months and counting. I have more confidence today toward Obama’s re-election than I’ve had all year, but the truth is, this campaign season will get even uglier in the few remaining months. We can’t be too surprised, we saw Democrats go for the jugular 4 years ago in the primaries as Obama and Hillary…
Where everybody knows my name…
Let me preface by saying that I have not agreed with President Obama on every decision he has made in his crisis-from- the start presidency. I believe he mishandled the health care debate by not personally taking the case directly to the American people and I believe that he allowed too much leniency to Congress…
The Gorey Details
2000 was the year Al Gore didn’t become President. The historical record of his “not becoming President” is pretty clear and I will never be happy about a fraudulent re-count in Florida or Supreme Court interference driven by partisan manipulation, but I was able to reconcile the “defeat” because that was Al Gore’s election to…
My Apologies
I have an apology to make to my Republican/conservative friends, and, no, this is not a facetious apology. I often state that my politics are to the left of moderate and that I approach opposing views with an open mind, but, sometimes I’ll express a very negative attitude toward many of the things they believe.…
Take Me Out to the Ballgame!
I saw a Mitt Romney commercial where Obama is castigated for being a liar. The spot includes Hillary Clinton saying, “Shame on you Barack Obama!” Bear in mind, this quote is from the contentious 2008 primaries and I simply can’t imagine what will be culled from the Republican debates as the other candidates called Mitt Romney…
Here in our little village of Anatevka
Every year I am delighted to be asked to emcee our annual Sturgis Falls Days parade. It’s essentially our local founder’s day event and every year the Black Hawk County Republicans have a float, and the Democrats, as well, and every year there are several candidates from both parties running for office who work the…
Malcolm in the Middle
I grew up in the middle of America, in the middle of the middle class and was weaned on the middle of political ideology. I was given a perspective that lends itself to making reasonable observations and, perhaps, less myopic than a scientific approach might require. I relate to Malcolm Gladwell, the journalist who wrote the books, The Tipping…
Tree Huggers, Tea Baggers, and Baby Seals
I don’t like extremism. I’m not so far left that I can’t recognize left wing extremism and I will acknowledge that sometimes I cringe at their antics. I have remarked, “You know you might be taken more seriously if you weren’t in a thong while protesting the chemical plant.” Usually, the left stages dramatic support…
Fairy Dust
I’ve been watching politics for several decades and there are trends I have noticed that stay pretty consistent. When George Bush Sr. was campaigning against Michael Dukakis I heard my father coin the term “Political Fairy Dust.” It was his dismissal of a strategy that he noticed every election cycle; Republicans always promise “lower taxes,”…