Tag Archives: 2012 Election

Soundbite Garden

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“The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

“Prolonged growth in income inequality undermines the basic American belief that hard work should pay off. Anyone who contributes to the nation's economic growth should reap the benefits of that growth. But for decades now, those benefits have been skewed in favor of the wealthiest members of society.” Elizabeth McNichol, of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Indianapolis Star, “Report: Indiana's income gap is among the fastest-growing,” Maureen Groppe.

“A society is judged by how well it treats the least of its citizens, and using our resources to support families is not only a moral imperative, it is economically wise.” Shelli Yoder, who, at 43% of the vote, lost her bid for Indiana's 9th congressional district seat against the better-funded incumbent,Todd Young (R), but will hopefully run again in the next election.

President Obama “smiles when he misses [a basket]; when he makes one, he looks even more serious.” Michael Lewis, “Obama's Way,” Vanity Fair (another highly recommended read from earlier this year)

“Obama does not promise or threaten fundamental change. He personifies it. He is its product.” Dan Carpenter

“The president's campaign, if you will, focused on giving targeted groups a big gift.” Mitt Romney, considering the cause of his failed 2012 presidential bid. (Maybe it's just that the President's a better singer. No offense, Mr. Romney.)

“We've got to give our political organization a very serious proctology exam. We need to look everywhere.” Post-election Republican, erm, soul-searching by former Mississippi governor, Haley Barbour (R).

“Look, if you want voters to like you, the first thing you've got to do is to like them first. And it's certainly not helpful to tell voters that you think their votes were bought.” Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal (R) in reference to Mitt Romney's supposition that he lost because the President bought the votes of the young and minority populations.

“Teachers aren't against reform. They just don't like to be slapped around.” Jon Easter, on his Indy Democrat blog, speaking about Glenda Ritz' (D) election as the next State Superintendent of Public Instruction in Indiana.

“Educators now know in their hearts because of this election that they are respected members of their communities. When they talk, people respect their opinion.” Glenda Ritz

“Is it any worse…to leave a wounded man in battle than to have him return home and struggle alone?” Cpl. Aaron Mankin

“Our military and weapons prowess is a fantastic and perfectly weighted hammer, but that doesn't make every international problem a nail.” Rachel Maddow, Drift (Highly-recommended reading. I even added it to the Bookshelf.)

“Only an idiot would drive on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.” Message printed on a sign a 32-year old Cleveland woman was sentenced to hold at an intersection for one hour on Tuesday, November 13 after she had, in fact, driven on the sidewalk to avoid a school bus.

 

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Endorsements, Predictions, and Ephemera: The (2012) Jig is (Almost) Up!

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Indiana Gubernatorial Race: The Emerald/Orange endorsement goes to John Gregg (D). I think he and his running mate, Vi Simpson, are more connected to this state and its interests than is opponent Mike Pence (R). Besides, the combined legislative experience of Gregg and Simpson (55 years total in the General Assembly) gives them a huge advantage in working with the legislative branch. Gregg is moderate and his policy positions are very safe. They should be appealing to a broad range of Hoosiers. Unfortunately, the Emerald/Orange prediction is that Pence and his running mate, Sue Ellspermann will win this race.

Indiana– U.S. Senate: You know, if it hadn't been for Richard Mourdock's (R) highly-publicized “God intended” statement, this race would look a lot different at this point in time. When Joe Donnelly (D) was announced as the candidate, my first thought was that West Wing quote “I wanted a Democrat. Instead I got you.” Nevertheless, the official Emerald/Orange endorsement is for Donnelly anyway; mostly because he isn't Richard Mourdock. And between Mourdock's mouth and Donnelly's conservatism, the prediction here is that Donnelly will win the seat. However, as a representative for the entire state, that's probably the best fit: we are a conservative-leaning state (no kidding) so a conservative-leaning senator is probably the right choice. Despite what the negative campaign ads tried to accomplish in linking Donnelly with “the extreme Pelosi-Obama agenda,” Donnelly prides himself on being the 6th most conservative Democrat in the House; he's quite probably the Hoosier Mean. And I think he'll be in Washington for the next 6 years.

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction: By some happy accident, a high proportion of my friends and acquaintances are in the field of education. Most of them are non-plussed at best by incumbent Tony Bennett (R). I have listened to Tony Bennett tell both ISTA representatives and callers to a public-affairs radio program that “If you had read my dissertation, you would…” and I've heard Mr. Bennett wax hostile to educators and public education while funding in the state was cut by $300 million dollars. I have never heard Mr. Bennett (and I've listened to him with an open mind on multiple occasions) sound like his primary interest wasn't Tony Bennett. I have also never heard him throw in a couple of bars of “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which tells me he's humorless besides. So I'm endorsing Glenda Ritz (D) because she sounds like she believes in public service and public education; because she says “teachers” like they matter; and because many of my teacher friends tell me I should. Another sad prognostication here though: I'm predicting Bennett will retain his position. I'm also predicting it's going to be close and it's going to be–mostly– caused by a slew of Republican straight-ticket voters.

IN-9 U.S. House of Representatives: Surprising no one, I'm endorsing Shelli Yoder (D). I've been in agreement with her policy positions since Day One. She's intelligent, incredibly well-informed, and compassionate besides. In her debate with opponent Todd Young (R) at Franklin College, she not only emphasized her familiarity and concern with every inch and every person in the Ninth District, she fact-checked Young at every turn: if his statement was overdone, she came back with the statistic or study that corrected it; if he went for a classic Talking Point, she immediately countered with the rest of the story. Which means she knew those things. And she said repeatedly that she was going to listen to her constituents: this is a huge difference between herself and Young. Young's closing statement at that debate was to highlight that at the end of the day, he was going to vote his conscience. Fair enough, and admittedly, there's always a fine line to walk between representing the public and choosing the best policy for that public. But Young's expressed methodology of governance seems to negate the representation with a paternalistic “let me choose for you.” I don't want his conscience to be louder than the vox populi. And on the majority of things done (or not) in the House, I don't think his conscience is the best guide. I don't see that it even belongs in a discussion on tax reform or infrastructure, agriculture or energy, or any of the most common, mundane housekeeping and budgeting chores which he would be responsible for. No prediction here: I think this one's going to be close.

Indiana General Assembly, House District 93: The endorsement goes to Democrat Ryan Guillory. He's energetic and he thinks big: mass transit and pre-K education. Like Shelli Yoder, he seems to be both responsive to and genuinely interested in the actual community he's campaigning to serve. Additionally, he shows an openness and transparency about his thinking: his website has been very good at highlighting issues, saying what he wants to do, and better, explaining why. The Indiana General Assembly is a high-retention environment: it holds those that get in there for decades. I think it needs more new faces. I think at this time, it needs Ryan Guillory more than it needs 20-year incumbent David Frizzell (R). No prediction here, either: the Republican straight-party ticket scares me in this race, too.

President of the United States: Emerald/Orange endorses President Obama and Vice President Biden. But then, it's been endorsing them since it started, hasn't it? I'll keep it brief because everyone's writing about this one– and doing it better. I support the President because I think he's honest, objective, and careful. I also think he tends to govern as a mostly moderate problem-solver, especially since he's a Kenyan Muslim Socialist and all. I am voting for Obama because I believe he's unusually adept at balancing immediate necessities with long-term stability; because I believe in government, too, and I believe in good, smart government. And I think the President actually does believe that personal responsibility means nothing if people don't start on a level ground of actual opportunity and access to basic, basic things like decent, affordable education; safe food, drugs, water, and environment; fair laws that don't privilege banks over humans; and access to health care. The President emphasizes fairness and justice, as well as personal responsibility. He has shown himself to be a strong leader internationally. And I think the things people are viscerally angry about like gas prices, rising costs, stagnant economic growth, and declining wages are all conditions of a changing America and have been quietly happening for 40 years. Four years ago, I believed he was the right man for the right time and that he had the ability to be a thoughtful and capable president. That's still what I think. I don't think the country will benefit with the leadership of Mitt Romney. I don't think what America needs right now is a man who thinks $7 an hour Staples jobs are the path to greatness or that large societal problems can be solved by community and religious charity organizations alone. I don't trust a viewpoint that suggests that personal responsibility and hard work can magically solve every problem–and should. I don't want to ascertain that my milk isn't tainted with melamine and I don't want to bet that the market will do that for me. I don't want the Wall Street Masters of the Universe to bet the American house on bad cards– and do it overnight in less time than it takes to order a pizza online. I certainly don't want them to do it unchecked. See, it's in all of our interests for banks to work and to be perceived as working. “Trust me” just isn't an adequate plan: not for financial institutions, not for a president. Of the two candidates, I think one of them agrees with that. I think one of them understands that these beliefs and policies and positions can build or destroy lives, can build or insidiously destroy a country's welfare. And I think one of them just wants to be president to be president. He's not the one I'll be voting for. No prediction here, either. I'm just praying Nate Silver is right again.

Et Cetera, Et Cetera, Etc (or, as it's sometimes inexplicably seen around town, “ect”):

  • Man, oh, man, I want Elizabeth Warren to win today!
  • I still think we need more scientists, doctors, and teachers in the House and Senate. Truthfully, a couple of Joe-the-Plumbers might also be refreshing. And some more women. Let's work on all of that for 2014.
  • Blue Politics Future Cast– Faces that we're going to keep seeing more of (the up-and-comers): Mayor Cory Booker, Governor Deval Patrick, the aforementioned Elizabeth Warren, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Governor Brian Schweitzer, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and, hopefully, Shelli Yoder, and Ryan Guillory.
  • You know what I hope will happen next (besides infrastructure and tax reform)? That combining beer and politics will be fun again, beginning on Wednesday. The political air has been so toxic that posting on Facebook, no matter how delicately, has become a perilous act. I can't remember the last time I wasn't seeing that a “friend” was disowning anyone with an opinion because they were sick of the campaigns. And I really can't remember the last time I was able to engage in one of the smallest and best pleasures of the world: solving all the world's problems with a table of friends and some pints (or coffee or whatever). It just hasn't been possible because we've all gotten a bit crazy this past year. Yes, I know the proverbial rule that the two things you don't discuss are God and politics. But I say you're not in trouble when you're discussing The Big Stuff. You're in trouble when you can't. So, much as I love Election Day (and, seriously, I really love Election Day), bring on Wednesday or the day after when friends and family can speak to each other again and say what they really think without guilt or recrimination. The world is crazy and interesting and beautiful. I miss talking about it.

 

Midnight Endorsement: IN-House 58

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Indiana State Congressional District 58


Prediction: Incumbent Woody Burton (R) will win this race. It's a lock. There's no opponent. But Emerald/Orange is going to go crazy and endorse her author-owner-operator. Yes, folks, the official Emerald/Orange endorsement is for…me. I'm writing myself in (maybe) — not because I think I'm the best candidate. The best candidate is out there somewhere but (a) I don't know them personally yet and (b) they're sitting this one out, apparently. So, I'm endorsing myself as a write-in because here's what I'd get to work on in the Indiana General Assembly if I were going to be sworn-in to office in January:

 

  • Lifting the state minimum wage. Yes, that's right. Because working full-time at any job should pay a living wage. Because if we as a society and a state say that we value work, we should actually, radically, you know, value work. $7.25 per hour just isn't good enough. Indiana looks smarter and governs smarter if it not only acknowledges reality but actually responds to it. This is a good place to start.
  • Repealing Right to Work legislation.
  • Creating a tax deduction for technology. This would operate similarly to the Renter's Deduction on state taxes. A portion (up to a cap) of the expenses that people shell out for their internet access, mobile phone service, and computers, modems, routers would be deductible. Why? Because paying for that stuff is really expensive and really necessary. It's no longer possible to fully participate in life or have equal opportunities to anything unless you have solid, convenient, and affordable 24-hour access to the internet. It just isn't. For the lower middle class, for the working poor, for the poor-poor, relegating them to libraries for their 20 allotted minutes on line at the libraries' convenience is not the answer. It's not good enough. It's not democratic. It's not fair. And there's a collective interest for all of us, I think, in ensuring that we have as many Hoosier players on the field as possible. So let's give a deduction for the equipment.
  • Creating a tax deduction for any business that paints their roof white or installs a green roof.
  • Working with farmers to create a bill and some incentives that might encourage farmland preservation. Indiana is blessed with some of the best agricultural property in the country. And every day, more and more of it is put up for sale for some new housing development or yet another strip mall. For starters, central Indiana is over-supplied with housing stock (not necessarily affordable housing, of which there's a dearth, but still) so we don't have an immediate need for another suburb at this point. For seconders, central Indiana has empty and partially vacant pre-existing retail spaces. So building a pretty one isn't a looming crisis, either. But the primary issue here is this: while right now our production is high thanks to genetic engineering, hybrid varieties, mostly fertile soil, inexpensive water, and a couple centuries of know-how (We're Indiana. We're really good at this.), in a reality-based universe, climate change will cause disruptions to food supplies. Climate change– or even a spell of bad summers, a new agricultural disease, or water supply issues could reduce the productivity per acre. That would be bad. And making sure we still have preserves of farmland to use if that happened would be a solid investment in the future. I'm not saying farm every acre all the time; I'm just saying it's worth keeping the farmland on reserve as opposed to degrading it and canceling that option out.
  • Working with teachers and the Department of Education to double-down on public schools and to create systems of assessing teacher performance that, frankly, don't suck. If we're going to keep the voucher program in place, fine. But I want public schools to be competitive choices. I want every school (public or private or whatever) to provide a solid, well-rounded education, to be the pride and core of their communities, and to have appropriately compensated and encouraged staff– and that includes cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and janitors. And while we're at it, we should add universal pre-K to the list.
  • Removing pension and 401 disbursements from the list of income that is deductible from unemployment insurance benefits. This is a small, wonky little thing, but seriously, unemployed people earned those things while they were employed, so deducting it like it's discretionary income isn't reasonable. It'd be like deducting any cash they withdrew from savings accounts. It already isn't deductible in cases of extreme and unforeseeable emergency. Oddly, losing one's job and having no income doesn't fall under that definition. I think it should.
  • And while I was working on these things, this is what else I'd do: create a website for myself-as-legislator that's actually helpful and informative. Yes, legislators already have websites. I don't think they're good enough. So if I were in the whole business of representative government, I'd put up a website that actually works toward that ideal. For every bill that was in progress, up for a vote, or through a vote, there'd be an entry that would describe the bill and what it does; what's good, bad, and neutral about it– and for whom; and I'd say why I support or don't support it. Because I'd think my constituents might want to know that stuff. And even if they didn't, it should be out there, just in case. It should be right up front so people don't have to be insiders or political junkies or have an indecent amount of free time or risk tying themselves up in google-knots to suss out what just happened at the Statehouse.
Well, or I could just vote for Woody Burton. He really does seem nice. And, oh yeah, he's going to win. So I suppose he'll be alright if he isn't endorsed by a second-rate blog.

 

2012 Election: IN-93 and IN-58

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Indiana General Assembly: House District 93.

Candidate Ryan Guillory (D) v. Incumbent David Frizzell:

David Frizzell has served in the House since 1992. He is currently the majority whip for the Republicans. In 2011-2012, he served on the Education, Insurance, Public Health, and Utilities and Energy committees. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola College. Congressman Frizzell does not have a campaign website but his House site can be accessed here.

His opponent for the House seat is Ryan Guillory, an attorney in Indianapolis. He earned a B.S. in Neuroscience and a B.A. in History from Tulane, a Master's in U.S. History, also from Tulane, and his J.D. from Indiana University. His website is ryanguillory.com which, helpfully, he updates frequently. His top three priorities are mass transit, repealing Senate Enrolled Act I (which would protect first responders and improve public safety), and education. His policy on education is: returning control of schools to local government (much like candidate for Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz), supporting teachers, and expanding pre-K opportunities and funding statewide full-day kindergarten.

Indiana General Assembly: House District 58.

Woody Burton (R) is the incumbent. There is no challenger. He has two websites: his personal site is here, his House site is here. His personal site does an excellent job of providing generalized information and some of his policy positions. Mr. Burton follows the dictum of “show your work.” Additionally, more than many politicians' sites, he has an ongoing invitation for input and civic engagement. He encourages people to contact him at his office or through surveys he mails to constituents or through frequent town-hall meetings. His website welcomes citizens to contact him if they are having issues with any branch of state government. He is to be commended for the message of his site. He explicitly states that his goal is to be “accessible and responsive to all Johnson County voters.”

The one drawback to his public websites and statements is that he is prone to the same non-specific platitudes that plague politics. “Prioritizing economic development and education while preserving fiscal integrity” means little if there is no discussion about how one does that or which measurements of fiscal integrity or, even, which definition of fiscal integrity; or, fiscal integrity in which timeframe. Burton's websites do not address these things but he does a better job than many politicians at linking to policy papers and pdf's that, again, show his work. And I can't say enough about the tone of invitation to constituents, regardless of party, that his site exhibits.

In the House, he has most recently served on the Financial Institutions Committee (Chairman), the Elections and Apportionment Committee, and the Insurance, Judiciary, and the Rules and Legislative Procedures committees. He has served in the General Assembly since 1988.

He is a real estate broker in Greenwood and has many professional certifications as a realtor, residential specialist, and auctioneer.

That being said, there really should be a Democratic candidate for this House seat. While I genuinely have respect for Mr. Burton and appreciate the welcoming attitude found on his public sites, I also believe that District 58 deserves a choice. Despite the openness that Woody Burton displays, it is disappointing that there is no representative of the Democratic Party up for election this year. If only I knew of a Democrat living in the district who was passionate about government and believed wholeheartedly that solid legislative policy can be used to create a better way of life for Hoosiers. If I knew of a Democrat living in House District 58 who was interested, I might be tempted to write her name in on my ballot on November 6th.

Pence-ive and Gregg-arious with Moons over my Boneham-my

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After Wednesday's Indiana Gubernatorial debate, I had originally tweeted that it was the good, the bad, and the ugly: interpret as you wish. But I removed it shortly after tweeting because I figured the chances for it being taken significantly more negatively than I wished were pretty darn high. I thought John Gregg's (D) performance in the debate was basically strong. He did a really nice job laying out some specifics and covering the broadest range of policy terrain in the debate. His weakest (probably necessarily so) moment was going on the attack towards Mike Pence (R) and Pence's record (missing a truly extraordinary number of votes in the House; severity on social issues; and giving the impression of being more interested in D.C. than Indiana). I mean, he kind of had to do it, and he was careful about maintaining a mostly respectful demeanor while attacking, which is a fine line to walk, but it was a bit jarring coming at the end of what was, in the main, a cordial hour.

Pence, on the other hand, seemed to be trying so desperately to avoid saying anything to offend a potential voter that he didn't say much at all, beyond platitudes and generic “I'm for freedom”, “I'm for business,” “I'm for values,” “I'm for fiscal responsibility.” To which, the only responses could be “so am I” or “which ones” or “by what definition,” all of which would have gotten a bit parse-y. It's really a shame: this was a good opportunity for Pence to stand up and say a couple specifics about what he would want to do as governor. Instead he perpetually referred to his website and his Roadmap for Indiana, which seemed pretty dismissive of the people who had tuned in to the TV to hear the candidates say what they had in mind; the best chance to speak to voters who wanted to go beyond what's been printed on postcards and sent to their mailbox over this campaign season. Perhaps Pence should have stayed home and let the Roadmap stand behind the lectern in his place. It's a fair bet the Roadmap would have been marginally more appealing than the wooden and nervous-seeming Pence. The Roadmap's arguments certainly would have been more specific and substantive.

And Mr. Boneham, Indiana's reality television star…(sigh). I get the impression that this Libertarian's running from a really good place of wanting to make a difference. All the same, it was a rough night for the candidate, at times spilling into the unreal (is this an SNL skit?) and, at its worse, the painful-to-watch. His ideology seems inconsistent, as though he chose being a Libertarian because it wasn't Red and it wasn't Blue and not because he's for Libertarian principles of individual choice and responsibility and strongly limited/reduced government. Libertarianism isn't a moderate, purplish, middle of the road sort of ideology but many of Candidate Boneham's arguments seemed to waver between Left, Right, and confused. Additionally, many of his ideas were thematic (empowerment and common sense) and not directional; others seemed much more suited to the legislative than to the executive branch. Still, he did have a really good moment when delving into incarceration and the spot young adults find themselves in when they've served their time after committing a (presumably minor) felony and are discriminated against for the rest of their lives. In that moment, he seemed compassionate and he brought a genuinely new and important topic to the debate. And frankly, that led to Pence's most human moment as well: the rebuttal went first to Mr. Pence, who looked at Boneham as though Boneham had made him think about something new. Of course, the moment passed.

The Indianapolis Star called John Gregg the winner of the debate, Pence the loser, with Boneham doing rather better than expected. I think they got the winner right but, like so many Indiana Democrats, I don't know that it will be either adequate or timely enough to tighten up the gubernatorial race.

Upcoming Debates:

Monday, October 15, 7 p.m. Indiana U.S. Senate Debate between Richard Mourdock (R) and Joe Donnelly (D). In-studio only, broadcast on WFYI-TV.

Tuesday, October 16, 9 p.m. Presidential Debate between Mitt Romney (R) and Barack Obama (D), town-hall format. Moderator Candy Crowley of CNN.

Monday, October 22, 9 p.m. Presidential Debate between Mitt Romney (R) and Barack Obama (D). Moderator Bob Schieffer of CBS.


 

The Hostess with the Quotes-est

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Quotes from the News

“If you're sick of hearing me approve this message, believe me, so am I.” Barack Obama

“There are some things about being president that I still have difficulty doing. For example, faking emotion. Because I feel it is an insult to the people I'm dealing with. For me to feign outrage, for example, feels to me like I'm not taking the American people seriously. I'm absolutely positive that I'm serving the American people better if I'm maintaining my authenticity. And that's an overused word. And these days people practice being authentic. But I'm at my best when I believe what I'm saying.” Barack Obama

“…and [Romney's] trying to get [Obama] to stand up and to be a man and to be an American.” Caller to On Point with Tom Ashbrook (WBHR-Boston). I consume a fair bit of media, but how'd I miss the part where Romney's goal was urging the president to become two things he's been since birth? Is this another stunning achievement for Romney or the reason the media often dismisses The Average American?

“One problem for the Obama administration, in my view, is that the stimulus [Recovery and Reinvestment Act] included 5 or 6, or arguably even 10 or 12, bills that, if passed on their own, would be major achievements that the administration would be bragging about today. A stand-alone $29 billion bill to digitize the country's medical records is a big deal. A $90 billion investment in jump-starting renewables is a big deal.” Ezra Klein

“What do we believe…We believe that government has a role to play, not in solving every problem in everybody's life but in helping people help themselves to the American dream…If we want to earn the privilege to lead, it's time for Democrats to stiffen our backbone and stand up for what we believe.” Deval Patrick

“I am the 6th most conservative Democrat in the House of Representatives.” Indiana candidate for U.S. Senate and current Congressman Joe Donnelly

“Facts matter.” Joe Biden

“The American dream is not a sprint, or a marathon, but a relay.” Julian Castro

“Like so many American families, our families weren't asking for much…They simply believed in that fundamental American promise that, even if you don't start with much, if you work hard and do what you're supposed to do, that you should still be able to build a decent life for yourself and and even better life for your kids and grandkids.” Michelle Obama

“Because when you give a speech, you don't give a laundry list. You talk about the things that you, uh, you think are important.” Mitt Romney, explaining to Bret Baier of Fox News why he didn't mention Afghanistan or the troops in his RNC convention speech. Yes, old, but it still rankles. What's that old saw about a gaffe being when a politician accidentally speaks his mind?

“Reporting as 'fact-checking' might have started as a check on outright falsehoods, but it has morphed into a technique for supposedly non-partisan journalists to present opinions as 'facts'. The credibility of reporting has enough problems without claiming objectivity while practicing subjectivity.” L. Gordon Crovitz

“All that exists for any president are the odds.” Michael Lewis

And, your moment of What the Hell are You Saying?!?

A caller from Iowa City to WBHR-Boston's On Point with Tom Ashbrook: “I would like [Obama] to explain why gay marriage is good for the United States and why we should…look forward into the future where gay men can use the women's bathroom and showers.”

Tom Ashbrook: “So you're being facetious?”

Mr. Iowa City: “No, I'm not. I'm saying gay rights is gay rights. Gay men deserve to use the women's bathroom. Well, when will he come out and say that?”

Now, what you need to know about this interchange is: it begins hopping-mad and finishes bewilderingly insistent. I honestly don't know if this guy is in favor of unisex bathrooms by executive order.

Man, oh man, people are weird. Or, as Mr. Iowa City might say, “nuttery is nuttery.” And you can't argue with that.

 

Justin Time’s 2012 PDG (Political Drinking Game)

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Happy debate night! Grab your favorite beverage and drink when a candidate says:

Gin up (for obvious reasons)

Sword of Damocles or fiscal cliff or sequestration (because what else are you going to do?)

To be clear (here) or Let’s be clear (here)

A (whole) host

Look (only at the beginning of the sentence)

Obamacare (if you’re a Democrat, for self-evident reasons. If you’re Red-leaning, because it’s the government infringing on your liberties)

Average American or Average Voter  or Ordinary American or Average Joe (because you are in that chair, Blanche, you are!)

Middle class

Job creators or small business (because you are one or you’re beholden, Caulfield)

Disingenuous (because “You Lie” was already taken)

Self-deportation (because what are the chances that’ll get used again)

Economy (because it’s …say it with me…the economy, stupid)

Our brave men and women in uniform or our troops (because if anyone deserves a toast, it’s them)

 

Call for entries: I left some good ones off the list. Once you’ve sobered up, add your suggestion to the comments and I’ll add it to the list before the next debate (Veeps on 10/11).

 

 

 

My Brush with Ayn Rand

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It's a strange confession for a fully-grown Democrat: I had a brief affair with Ayn Rand.

Let me take you back for a second to an embarrassing moment in my life (anyone want to place bets on how long this post stays up? What's the over-under? 24 or 12? Hours or minutes?). The year was 2000. Y2K was a non-event followed by spring followed by a surprise divorce. I found myself living in my parents' basement in my little sister's old bedroom, with a junker car, working a dead-end job at a bookstore cafe. My wheels were spinning and I was bereft. And in moments when I wasn't working or driving around aimlessly at night in the dark just for space, just to be alone, just to not be looked at (is she okay?), I did what I always did (still do), read and write. Incessantly, constantly, obsessively. The perma-student.

And, having heard of it, knowing it as a Work with a Reputation for Serious People, I picked up The Fountainhead (10% off, thank you very much, bookstore cafe job).

I read it. Having already had a thing for architects, there was something mildly appealing about Howard Roarke. And what that thing was, was competence. And that was something I found necessary, vital, grounding; It was something solid that I could glom on to in a universe that had, for me, not only flipped upside down in an unrecognizable way, but had actually nearly disintegrated to the point that it was like being in mid-air with just bits and pieces of objects floating by, not a one of which I could grasp, not a one of which would settle into place. After all, there was no longer a place. So there was competence and an impersonal effectiveness– it wasn't real, it was Randian, it was selfish, but it made sense at the time.

So then I read Atlas Shrugged (again, at a lovely 10% off: working at a bookstore is a blessing if you're a reader– a very expensive blessing: Library, what library, I'll pick it up on my half-hour break). And there I discovered more competence. Lovely, competent people who got things done, who made the world work, and that made sense to me. It was Dagny Taggart in her asymmetric black dress with her titanium steel bracelet being smart and compelling and lovely and successful. Everything I wasn't being; everything I wasn't capable of being.

And I'm not proud of it, but for a brief flash of time, I thought those books were Deep. I thought those books made a bit of sense of How To Be.

And, luckily, thankfully, I grew out of it. They didn't stick with me.

And I'm so grateful for that. Who I was following that miserable period of time was the most self-absorbed person imaginable. Yeah, I hurt. But I was so consumed by that, that I forgot that other people in the world had it far worse than I did. That if the Randian view celebrated strength and competence, it also rejected the worth of everyone who wasn't Dagny or Reardon, John Galt, or Roarke.

So selfish and blind and non-thinking was I that I didn't question these stupid books I was reading. That whole critical thinking thing went out the window, into the swirling ether. I remember reading the sections on the humanist–Toomey?, Elmer?–the scholar or newspaper guy, the “villain,” who said things about the poor, said things that I kind of agreed with and I remember knowing from his status as creep, from the sneering tone that surrounded him, that I was supposed to think he was inauthentic and wrong. It's not like I agreed with Rand, or the protagonists, or found myself pumping my fist and cheering against Everyone Else; I just sort of dismissed that part, and any moral discomfort that went along with it. I do remember it struck me as dissonant, that this guy who was saying words of kindness was the Bad Guy, the Weak Guy. Perhaps I thought it was clever to take the guy saying the right things and make him the one you love to hate.

Little did I know (again, self-absorbed, lost, and despite daily newspaper intake, ridiculously ignorant) that there were Important People in politics who were taking the big Randian picture seriously: not the competence part, but the “screw 'em; they're not worth it” part. And they were using it to help define their worldview and then using that skewed worldview, culled from fiction, to cordon off their policy positions.

At any rate, we fast forward to the now, when I'm embarrassed by everything I was then and constantly feeling like I need to apologize to everyone I knew between the ages of 16 and 34 because I was such an ass and I'm embarrassed to say that, yes, I've read Ayn Rand. I've fallen (briefly) victim to her charms. And I (it's really just so gross) understand the appeal.

Or rather, at one point, I did. I know it's anecdotal (so the least effective argument possible), but the Rand thing–it's a worldview that belongs to a juvenile phase of mind; that appeals to the most limited, selfish, and insecure version of one's self. It belongs to a phase. It's something you grow out of. You know, when you grow up and read Better Stuff, More Stuff, and begin critically thinking about the ideas behind the words on the page– when you realize the world you're living in is The World, not just yours, and when you further realize that while you were absorbed in your psychic navel-gazing, really bright, good people were struggling and falling through cracks in that world, despite their best efforts and it had less to do with their failure to be talented or competent and more to do with Everything Else.

So for any politician passing The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged out to his/her staffers; for any politician thinking that the world is divided into good-bad, job-creators and riff-raff, 47% to 53%, I call “foul.” Ayn Rand was a fiction-writer with a very personal world view. She may have thought seriously about it, but that doesn't mean it was Serious. It never grew, it never developed, it never looked at the big picture. And that's fine for a novelist but, frankly, ridiculous for a policy-maker in the real world. There is something very limited about the world of Ayn Rand and I don't think limited thinking derived from a set of novels is the most effective tool for solving real-world problems that affect the broadest range of citizens.

And, FYI, while for a delusional month and a half it seemed to be, it really wasn't such a great tool for dealing with a brutal divorce and a messed-up half-life either.

 

From the Mixed-Up Files

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By the Numbers

180. Number of bills introduced in the U.S. to restrict voting rights since the beginning of 2011. 14 states have passed legislation to restrict voting. (Brennan Center for Justice; MSNBC)

329. Number of consecutive months, as of July, with global temperatures above the 20th century average. (NOAA; The Hill)

700. Number of water mains in the U.S, on average, which break every single day. A third of the country's water pipes are 40-80 years old. This undoubtedly figures in to the D- grade the American water infrastructure received from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Repairing the infrastructure will cost approximately $335 billion over 20 years. (MSNBC)

30,000. Number of education jobs lost since the official end of the recession in 2009. Student-teacher ratios increased by 4.6% from 2008-2010, from 15.3 in 2008 to 16:1 in 2010, bringing student-teacher ratios back to levels last seen in 2000, according to a White House study. These ratios include special education and special needs classroom ratios. These classroom ratios are on track to increase even further. (AP; Washington Post)

396,906. Number of undocumented immigrants deported in 2011, the largest number in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements history. (CNN)

7.5 Million. The fine, in U.S. dollars, The Artists Formerly Known as Xe-Formerly Known as Blackwater-Now Known as Academi LLC agreed to pay to settle federal charges for possessing automatic weapons in the U.S. without registration, lying to federal regulators about weapons provided by them to the king of Jordan, passing secret plans for armored personnel carriers to Sweden and Denmark without U.S. approval, and illegally shipping body armor overseas. And this is just the stuff they've admitted to. (AP; Indianapolis Star)

So You Say

“First rule of journalism: Whenever you see elephants flying, shut up and take notes.” Tom Friedman

Paul Ryan's “not the kind of guy you pick to win Florida. This is the kind of guy you pick to win Fox and Friends.” Rachel Maddow

“And if you add in addition [to taxes paid] the amount [of our wealth] that goes to charity, why the number gets well above 20%.” Mitt Romney. To which Amy Davidson of The New Yorker shrewdly wrote “…what is the name for the category he refers to as 'the number?'– the sum of taxes and charity? Those are, after all– and one hopes that Romney recognizes this– two different things.”

“The political conventions are among the few 'shared' national political events left.” Jim Lehrer

“I mean, the conventions don't really do any work anymore. They're just three-day long infomercial parties for the party and the candidate.” Rachel Maddow

Climate change “is the biggest market failure the world has ever seen.” Former World Bank economist Nicholas Stern

Children of undocumented immigrants “study in our schools, play in our neighborhoods, befriend our kids, pledge allegiance to our flag. It makes no sense to expel talented young people who are, for all intents and purposes, Americans.” Barack Obama

“The central conservative truth is that it is culture, not politics, that determines the success of a society. The central Liberal truth is that politics can change a culture and save it from itself.” Daniel Patrick Moynihan

“There are 250 million guns in this country. If a person wants to get his hands on a gun, they're going to be able to do it…But we also have this situation where we have a lot of 20 year olds who are living in this under-institutionalized world, lonely, not a lot of people dealing with them; at the same time, a tremendous hunger for fame and you see the rise of these spectacle killings. And I'd like to see a debate about that. There's not an obvious political solution but…there's a civil society solution where we all look out for people who are just drifting between the cracks.” David Brooks

Excerpt: Matthew Tully regarding Indiana candidate for U.S. Senate Richard Mourdock

“If I had to pinpoint the moment at which I went from thinking Richard Mourdock would be an ineffective senator to a downright disaster, it was probably when he answered a question this spring about his top goals for the Senate. [He] told several reporters and editors that day that if he were a member of the Senate next year but in the minority, his top goal would be to travel the nation campaigning for fellow conservative candidates. The answer was as petty as it was depressingly political and partisan. And it underscored Mourdock's deep misunderstanding of the responsibilities and power every senator has–even those in the minority.” Matthew Tully, “Coats has things to teach Mourdock,” Indianapolis Star, 08/08/2012.

 

Paul-apalooza!

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In case you were under a rock today and hadn’t heard, Paul Ryan (R-WI) became the Chosen One today, the vice presidential pick for Team Romney. It’s just so exciting, isn’t it? Real News! On a Saturday! Not to take anything from the Iranians and their earthquake or the deaths by lightning strike in India, but ohmygosh, Mitt Romney has a running mate and it’s the physically fit, intellectual powerhouse from Wisconsin, House Representative Paul Ryan. The word of the day in the media is “energized:” the Romney campaign is energized, the Republican base is energized, the fiscal conservatives are energized. It’s almost as if the Romney campaign was lacking energy before or something.

Well, I know I’m breathless from all the excitement and coming up with something smart is going to be ridiculously difficult. Frankly, I’m just so excited and, well, teeming with energy, that I can’t really think straight. So I’m going to do a little P90X and then lay down in a hammock and try to calm down a bit. In the meantime, here’s the short list of highly-energized thoughts that have struck me in these few, electrifying hours since Paul Ryan was crowned the Republican Veep candidate.

The headline for today could also be “Mitt Romney Cedes Foreign Policy Issues in Presidential Race.” Sure, ever since the Republican Primary Show ended, Romney has been focused on the economy. His recent trip abroad was gaffe-filled and generally regarded as graceless, but “it’s the economy, stupid” and the polls show the 2012 candidates in a dead heat, so no big deal, one might say, if Romney puts most of his chips on the electoral kitchen table and talks almost exclusively about domestic issues, particularly the economy. Only, here’s the thing, international issues are still going to need debating. There’s governance to do after the election. That whole being-president thing doesn’t happen in an American vacuum. It might have been wise to choose a VP with some foreign policy credentials or some deeply respected positions on international issues. Instead, Mitt Romney chose Paul Ryan. Paul Ryan is also primarily known for domestic issues, specifically the budget, and also his abs. So, two things there: one, Mitt Romney today looked at the upcoming debates and said “Eurozone crisis? Iran? Israel? China? Global trade? Global climate change? Afghanistan, Pakistan, Egypt, Syria? Boy, I don’t know. Let’s talk about something else, like maybe the economy. And the economy. We could also just talk about the economy. The one here.” And two, Mitt Romney basically admitted to the American public that he’s concerned with winning the election and not the 4 to 8 years that follow it. You know, those 4 to 8 years when he might actually have to deal with the rest of the world, too.

The GOP is energized, which is good, if you’re a Republican. But this makes Paul Ryan an even more interesting choice for candidate Romney. It’s possible that instead of Ryan electrifying Romney, he’ll simply electrocute him. Ryan’s speech following the State of the Union didn’t make a case for Ryan’s charisma or excitement factor. But he’s been the fresh new thing for the Republicans for awhile, one of the bona fide rising stars of the party. Romney, well, his singing skills aren’t great, that whole “I like trees” thing was possibly one of his most entertaining moments on the campaign trail, and Bill Maher, whether fairly or no, has referred to him as “The World’s Least Interesting Man.” So maybe Romney-Ryan won’t be the Dynamic Duo, but, if you’re Romney, do you want to run the risk of being overshadowed by the light of the newest, freshest, fittest star of the Republican party? It’s a question I would have asked if I were running the campaign.

The upside of the Ryan pick, though, is this and I think it could be good for everyone: Choosing Ryan ensures that some substance will find its way into the conversation. There will be no way to avoid talking about the budget and taxes. This is to the good. Now, for Republicans, my guess is this is the big reason they chose him. After the last election and Palingate, there had to be a smart pick for this election. It’s nearly impossible to read or listen to anything about Ryan that doesn’t include the effusive use of “serious” and “intellectual.” That’s largely due to his budget. Hopefully, there will actually be a real discussion of what Americans want for the country and how we pay for what we want. That would be refreshing.

For Democrats, if they are able to accurately and concisely slice and dice that Ryan budget up so that a fourth-grader can understand it, the choice could be like Christmas morning came early for the Blues. Matt Miller has called Ryan’s budget a “path to nowhere.” Martin Wolf referred to it as “a political fantasyland” and then said about it “You can only say that this is a revolutionary proposal. It would mean the U.S. is going back to the sort of country it was in 1900.” So further discussion about Paul Ryan and his budget, if it’s intense and if the public will sit still for it, could electrify the Democrats, Independents, and anyone else who might not cotton to a taxidermic approach to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

Well, it’s a big “if:” serious policy discussions are much less entertaining than “Uz-beki-beki-stan-stan.” They’re mind-numbing in comparison to scandals, snark, and gaffes. And in that spirit, you gotta hand it to Paul Ryan. He began his campaign to become the next vice president with a gaffe of his own. “I’ve some good news and I’ve got some bad news. Why don’t we get rid of the bad news first, okay? President Obama is the president of the United States. And the good news is, on November 6, he won’t be any longer.”

Oh, Mr. Ryan, I guarantee you, even if you and Mr. Romney win the election, Barack Obama will still be the president on November 6. See, he’s the president until the new one is inaugurated. But I know, big guy, it’s been a very exciting day. Probably best to get your first Highly Public Gaffe out of the way early.