Gayle Force Press

Justified Use of Force

 

Every year there’s a new one

A Diallo, King or me

Clamoring loudly

Broken faces on TV

We ask so many questions

But no one’s forced to answer

 

With sympathy’s short half-life

Soon most are hoping for the noise to stop

And the questions to disappear once again

Just like us

In our lives

And our deaths

 

 
 © Gayle Force Press 2003

 

 

Romney’s Troubles Begin in New Hampshire?

 

New Hampshire?!?

 

It’s amusing to watch the coverage of the GOP Presidential nominating process in New Hampshire.  For the last year, Mitt Romney’s camp has attempted to create an aura of inevitability around his candidacy with some success.

 

Even last week, after the photo finish in the Iowa caucuses, Rick Santorum’s success there was portrayed as a boon to Romney as Santorum could help clear the rest of the field of candidates. To some extent that worked with Michele Bachmann dropping out and Rick Perry’s hours long exit. Overall, though, it appears to me that this race will continue much longer than Romney guessed it would. I anticipate today’s New Hampshire primaries will make Romney’s inevitability strategy look incredibly vulnerable.

 

My guess is that Romney will win with something less than 40% of the vote. That will be a classic case of losing by winning. It won’t be LBJ in 1968 but it’s gonna make things ugly for Romney.

 

If Huntsman continues his surge and finishes in 2^nd place, he will receive the boosts in money and media that will make him a viable candidate in Florida and Nevada in a few weeks. Santorum and Gingrich will continue to point to South Carolina as a state they can win and is more representative of the GOP than New Hampshire is. Ron Paul will stay in this race for the long haul.

 

This means that for at least the next month, Romney will have to stave off attacks from at least 4 other candidates. All the unflattering stories, all the gaffes and the harsh glare of contention will continue to dog his campaign.

 

While I think Romney is still a solid front runner, his candidacy is in great peril for the long haul. A weak showing today may be a harbinger of more trouble to come for him.

 

 

FDO

 

Update: It's worse for Romney than I anticipated. Huntsman underperformed and Perry has no momentum at all yet they are still committed to running. Between their continuing campaigns and Gingrich's scorched earth policy, Romney will be forced to continue competing. Exactly what he doesn't want. 

Tweet Your Way to Third

 

Well, it looks like Ron Paul finished a disappointing third in the Iowa caucus. That's despite having the very best social media campaign as evidenced by this CNN piece. Unfortunately for him, Iowa's demographics are still Iowa's demographics. 

 

 

FDO

 

 

Tweet Your Way to a Win?

 

I wonder how much influence social media will have on the Iowa caucuses. Isn’t there a real possibility that there will be important outcomes during the caucus based on the (perceived?) momentum of candidates?

 

It’s easy for me to anticipate scenarios wherein early caucus victories for one candidate have a cascading effect on other caucuses’ outcomes. Small caucuses or caucus sites with relative unanimity can realistically finish their process quite early.  Even before there are official announcements, folks on the scene can relay their information to large numbers of other Iowans via Twitter. Especially in a contest with such a vast number of uncommitted voters, it’s not hard to imagine many folks deciding to go with the flow and vote for the candidate with early success.

 

Is this where Ron Paul’s ground game will win the day? After all, his network in Iowa is largely built around the kind of young, energetic supporters who will be likely to connect with each other and ardently encourage others to support the Good Doctor.

 

If Paul has a surprisingly good showing tonight, the ability of his supporters to share information broadly and instantly may be a key factor.

 

Will the rise of social media be permanently transformative in Iowa politics? National politics? 

<shudder>

 

 

FDO

 

 

 

Free the Libertarian!

 

It was reported last month that Gary Johnson had decided against creating a 3^rd party candidacy as a Libertarian. I was surprised that Johnson would rule out that option because it seemed clear that Johnson’s one chance at a prominent national position is creating a 3^rd party campaign. Now, apparently, that’s all changed and Johnson will run after all. It’s going to make the 2012 election more interesting to have Johnson involved.

 

Gary Johnson won’t win the Presidency this year but that’s ok. What he needs is not a win but relevance.  As a 3^rd party candidate, Johnson will have a chance to receive increased media attention, substantial fundraising, a debate presence and the potential to launch a 2016 GOP candidacy with a chance of success.

 

I’m convinced many Ron Paul supporters will shift their allegiance to Johnson (and that Paul will encourage them to do so) as a Libertarian and he will gain more than 5% of the national vote next November. If that happens, Johnson will be the primary frontrunner for the GOP nomination in 2016 (followed up by Jeb Bush, Chris Christie and Marco Rubio/Bobby Jindal), a position impossible for Johnson to achieve without making this run.

 

Now, Johnson’s run will cement Obama’s re-election bid next fall but will also supply the GOP with a ready made excuse for failure.  The GOP will be so desperate to regain the White House in the 2016 election cycle that Johnson will be warmly welcomed back into the fold. At this point, there’s virtually no downside for Johnson and lots of potential gain.

 

I imagine Johnson’s candidacy will also help enhance the 2012 campaign conversations involved in determining the direction of national issues like human rights, education initiatives and drug policies. Considering the present likelihood of personal attacks and partisan views in one on one debates, I’ll be excited to have Johnson’s voice moderating the tone of the political conversations.

 

Well, I can hope at least!

 

FDO

 

 

Some Bonds Can’t Be Cashed In

 

Barry Bonds was convicted of obstruction of justice in the BALCO case. Apparently our government has spent something like $50 million on this effort. It’s stunning on multiple fronts. Bonds won’t have to serve any jail time and isn’t banned from working Major League Baseball. Typically, a player with his pedigree would have his pick of jobs but that won’t happen for Bonds.

 

ESPN’s Tim Kurkjian says that the taint of steroids is too strong for baseball teams to take a chance by hiring a player who is associated with the drugs. That’s why Barry Bonds won’t be employed by a major league team again. I disagree strongly with his reasoning.

 

Mark McGwire's job as the hitting coach in St. Louis is evidence that it's not about steroids; it's about personality. If you're beloved, you're more easily forgiven. In ‘98 McGwire lied repeatedly about his use of PEDs but he's been given a chance to work in MLB again. He never demonstrated any attempt to give back any gains he made from his drug use. He never donated the money he made or asked to be removed from the record books. Nope. He just apologized.

 

And that was enough apparently to gain a high level of forgiveness. There were virtually no fans who were abusive to him as the Cardinals traveled this season and his history only came up a couple times during the teams unlikely run to a World Series championship. Big Mac is back!

 

The contrast could not be clearer when it comes to Barry Bonds. As much as some people would like to see Bonds back in the game, it won't happen simply because he won't a) put on the cape of public contrition or b) have the fan support to allow a team to hire him without issue. The Giants know that he (and they) would be publicly vilified as soon as he wore their uniform again, even as a hitting coach just like McGwire. 

 

Ultimately, Kurkjian is right and Bonds is likely done with MLB.  (Rather, MLB is likely done with Bonds.)  But don’t believe that it’s because of what he did. After all, we now know that scores of players knowingly, willingly and deliberately took PEDs. It’s not the what; it’s the who. And that’s the last sad chapter of this entirely sad story.   

 

 

FDO

 

 

Average Obama

 

I liked President Obama’s Osawatomie speech and recognize the obvious resonances it has with Teddy Roosevelt’s  New Nationalism  speech. That connection has been made in multiple places and is well worth reading and reading about. I think Obama's speech was the start of something else too. Something with great potential for Obama’s re-election campaign against Mitt Romney in 2012*. I mean the re-branding of the President as “Barack Obama, regular American.”

 

I believe that in this campaign Obama will try to present himself as a typical American with a very American story. Even though he has often been defined as an outsider, I don’t think that Obama has ever believed that to be true. Obama considers himself to be quintessentially American. That belief will be easier to spread to the public at large if Obama is running against Willard Mitt Romney.

(Much in the way that Obama’s middle name became a campaign issue, I’m convinced that Romney’s first name will be tossed about and made the subject of jokes. I assume the story about Mitt being named after George Romney’s best friend Willard Marriott is true. That’s not gonna be helpful.)

 

Obama’s campaign will work hard to present Romney as the embodiment of America’s elite. Romney is, after all, the son of a governor and was born into a highly affluent family. His own professional career has placed him squarely in the 1% as defined by Occupy Wall Street. In 2000, those would have been helpful characteristics but in the midst of our Great Recession, economic privilege is no longer perceived as indicative of inherent merit. Instead, his extraordinary level of privilege is probably a major detriment to Romney’s candidacy.

 

Obama’s own American story is well known and his recent speech cleverly emphasized his rootedness via his family of regular folks from Kansas. His single mom spent time on public assistance rolls and Obama only became an elite himself through educational attainment. He legitimately is a contemporary Horatio Alger. Even as an adult, his South Side of Chicago bona fides are clearly intact. Describing his career as working for the people of his community as opposed to having the people work for him will be a winning presentation.

 

And while folks often describe Obama’s rise to national prominence as meteoric, he will be able to define himself as a political plugger compared to Romney. Obama’s political career began in the Illinois State Senate before moving on to the US Senate and then the White House. He has been an elected official since 1997. Obama can reasonably describe himself as having climbed the political ladder, albeit with tremendous speed. Romney’s sole electoral victory was his one term as Massachusetts governor. In just those four years, Romney made many choices he has since disavowed. While I personally believe Romney’s Olympic experience is very impressive, I doubt that he’ll be able to use that time as a proxy for holding office.

 

There will likely be one other interesting area in which Obama can define himself as average and Romney as exceptional: religion. Obama’s Chicago church experience was a problem for him in 2008 but in 2012 it’ll be a big advantage. Jeremiah Wright is old news and the President has so comfortably and consistently invoked God that his religiosity seems safe, normal and generically American. Romney’s Mormonism makes him suspect in the eyes of many and makes him an outsider in the eyes of many more.  I don’t want to link to some of the vicious portrayals of Mormonism in the world of mainstream punditry but it’s very easy to find scary talk about Romney’s church. The ham handed “I’m a Mormon” campaign might have helped had it begun several years ago but in the short term it will likely make Romney (and Jon Huntsman) seem even more suspicious to non-Mormon conservative Christians.

 

In terms of family, work and faith, Obama can claim common cause with ‘the American people’ in ways that Romney simply can’t. It’s a strange world wherein the half-Black guy with the Arabic name can present himself as more authentically American than the White guy who looks like middle age Superman but I think that’s what we will begin to see in the next few months. Perhaps even more strangely, I think it’s gonna work.

 

 

FDO

 

*- I've been asked if any of this applies to the President if Newt Gingrich were the GOP nominee.

2 responses- 1- If Newt's the guy, Obama won't have much to worry about anyway. 2- Yes! Obama's team will paint a picture of the President, First Lady and their two young daughters compared to Newt's 3 marriages, adulterous affairs, Clinton era sexual hypocrisy, the cancer-ridden wife divorce story and late in life conversion to Catholicism. That's a lotta grist for the campaign mill.

 

Combine that with the difference between making lots of money by writing books about your family and making lots of money by using your government contacts to (almost) lobby for corporations and it's game over. 

 

 

 

Obama’s Magic Number

 

This weekend is the most confident I’ve felt concerning President Obama’s re-election chances. The key element in this feeling is a single number, 8.6%.  That’s our current unemployment rate. It’s a clear, surprising improvement from all our recent numbers. There are lots of important caveats to consider and 8.6% is not ideal... but relatively speaking, Obama can point to this figure as a very clear indicator of positive movement in the economy.

 

In terms of foreign policy, I’d argue that Obama’s term has been much more successful than anyone could have reasonably asked. Unfortunately for him, America’s so tired of looking beyond our shores, the President’s team will have to work to remind people of his litany of accomplishment. We’re focused on home.

 

While the economy continues to sag and broad successes are hard to find, being able to tout a specific number like an 8.6% unemployment rate will give voters the impression that the economic climate is improving.  Considering the weakness of the GOP field, this kind of improvement will probably be enough to secure a second Obama term.

 

 

FDO

 

 

NBA Fan Opt Out

 

No, I don’t want to encourage anyone to abandon the NBA, whenever it returns. We should welcome it with open arms. We should not be so kind to the owners who have deprived us of games. As a response to this ultra public manifestation of corporate greed, basketball fans should opt of using NBA owners’ businesses. Again, not their playthings, our beloved NBA teams, but the businesses that provide these guys enough money they can feel comfortable simply choosing not to have a season.

 

If you have to choose between Quicken Loans (Cav owner Dan Gilbert’s company) and Speedy Pay, choose Speedy Pay.  It may be surprising to discover how much of a game these negotiations are for some owners for whom the money involved is miniscule. See Paul Allen.

 

The owners have already gained immense concessions from the players’ union, not because the players have done anything wrong, but because the owners made bad business decisions. Those concessions have still not been enough for them. The players ARE the product yet they are being forced to accept far less of the revenue THEY produce. The owners’ stance is profoundly anti-worker, anti-union and greedy.

 

The best way to express our disapproval is to use the voice owners are sure to hear; our wallets. This is not a fight between Billionaires and Millionaires. It’s a fight working people, some of whom are millionaires, and their bosses, all of whom are worth more than anyone most of us will ever even meet. Roger Mason Jr. signs the back of his check while Jim Dolan’s name is pre-printed on the front of it.

 

Whose side are you on?

 

FDO

 

PS- To be sure, NBA players have jobs many of us dream about. But the guys we typically think about are the rare exceptions even in that world. For every Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce who have long careers at top dollar, there are dozens of guys who have short careers with league minimum salaries. It’s clearly those folks who need to preserve their incomes; Dwight Howard and Dywane Wade are gonna get theirs. 

 

 

Say It Loud!*

*- I've linked to a great article at the bottom of the page. It helpfully amplifies some of what is already here. 

 

 

Occupy Wall Street is an interesting manifestation of a new recognition of increased people power. Part of what excites me most about it is that I believe OWS is just one indication of how (many) things are changing in American life.

Two examples: Last month, Netflix announced that it was shelving the revolutionary new business model they’d been trumpeting. Not because the business model made too little sense but because the backlash against it was so strong. People didn’t care how much sense it made; they balked. Similarly, Bank of America has ended its proposed debit card usage fee. Bank of America could have weathered the storm of negative feedback better than Netflix but it recognized that the brand damage the fee generated was coming to dominate every story about the bank. Had these same changes been instituted five years ago, I’m convinced that the public response would have been a brief gasp of distress followed by a long, boring sigh.

 

Now that sigh does not seem to be enough for us. I don’t want to make any grandiose statements but I do believe that there’s a quickly increasing sense of agency among regular people. While most would probably trace this change to the Arab Spring movements, I think that it goes back a bit further. I am convinced that the 2008 Presidential election was a critical turning point in developing populism for the 21^st century. After all, much of the early work of the Arab Spring seemed to take important cues from Barack Obama’s campaign.

 

Most critically, each of these populist movements created a broad enough range of connection points to transform individual interests into a perceived network of shared values.  Social media was widely credited with the successes of both the Obama campaign and Arab Spring. What I believe to be more true is that both movements used social media as a formation tool. Eventually, the networks grew large enough and loud enough to be perceived as an authentic voice of the people and achieved enough momentum to become virtually self-sustaining.

 

As much as they’d hate to acknowledge it, the TEA Party has used much of the same style to launch itself as a viable national brand. Much like Obama, the TEA Party presents itself as the representative of the regular person fighting against ‘The System’. They’ve made good use of some pre-existing networks but have built their own communities too as they continue to work outside the existing infrastructure. Preserving their independence provides them autonomy and credibility with their base.  

 

All these movements have rooted themselves in the belief that individuals and small groups of people can make the behemoths of the world yield power. At least in America, we’d forgotten about the ultimate source of that power. For too long, we’d neglected our own strength. I’m excited to be living in a time when we’re beginning to reclaim our voices and use them.

 

I’m determined to be one of those voices.

 

 

FDO

 

Here’s an intriguing article that addresses some of the issues I wrote about in this post, namely, some of the ways social media is changing the organizational possibilities of broad based movements. The author also suggests some of the ways groups like Wikileaks make information sharing more dangerous.

http://www.capitaljewishforum.org/jeffrey-bleich-from-obama-rsquo08-to-the-arab-spring-ndash-the-political-impact-of-social-media.html

 

Marching Orders

 

Holy warriors 

Prepared for battle

Thin bellies still empty

Aching hearts still full

Gone in the sudden flash

Of a heaven sprung fire

 

 

© Gayle Force Press 2006

 

Lessons of Andrew Johnson

 

I’m reading an interesting biography of Andrew Johnson by Annette Gordon-Reed. Her primary contention is that Johnson was a wonderfully talented man who rose far beyond the expectations of his birth. Johnson utterly failed to recognize that his ability to transcend his station came from the sheer accident of his Whiteness.

 

Johnson’s intense disdain for the aristocrats of the South was almost entirely about the status of poor Southern Whites. He never connected the condition of poor Whites and poor Blacks who were slaves then newly freed people. It’s sad that the poor of America’s 21^st century still struggle so much to make cross-racial coalitions.

 

It's amazing that we can still learn so much from one of the 19th century's most dramatic failures.

 

 

FDO

 

Gay Marriage as a Civil Rights Issue

 

I believe that marriage is a public expression of a private relationship. Folks are allowed to think their own thoughts about the private element of any relationship. However, in the respects that marriage is a public issue, isn’t allowing same gender marriage simply a matter of civil rights? How can our society feel comfortable picking and choosing which people are allowed to participate within our legal frameworks?

 

The array of legal and economic benefits that marriage provides is astonishing. Telling people that the gender of their spouse should disqualify them from receiving those benefits is an obvious injustice. Yet, that’s what most of the states continue to do. It was more than forty years ago that miscegenation laws were finally lifted via Loving v. Virginia. Those laws denied marriage rights to people based on the race of their spouses. What’s the difference between race and gender here?

 

I hope that we move quickly enough toward marriage equality for homosexual couples that we don’t need another Loving case but until then I’d like to share a brief statement my wife and I included in our wedding program.

  

We appreciate and respect the values and benefits of marriage, thus it saddens us that not everyone is allowed this opportunity. Fifty years ago, our marriage would have been illegal in most states. Now, it seems clear that making different laws based on race is discriminatory and wrong. We think that making different laws based on sexual orientation is also discriminatory and wrong.

Please join us in supporting laws, initiatives and politicians who advocate marriage rights for everyone. Let love be the highest law.

 

 

FDO

Slowly but Surely

 

More thoughts on the New York gay marriage victory soon. In the meantime, here's part of a post about gay marriage I wrote last August. It feels appropriate today.

 

 

While judicial decisions are critical stepping stones, it is ultimately the support of the American people that generates the permanent force of change. That change is occurring. Most people I suggest this to think I’m crazy but I believe that gay marriage will be legal in half the states by 2020. That's my hope and my prediction. We're on the way, people. Slowly but surely. We're on the way. 

 

 

FDO

 

GOP Debate in New Hampshire… New Hampshire?!?

 

I’m excited for the GOP Presidential debate tonight. It’s such a peculiar field of candidates that I don’t understand who will or should look best. Some of these folks are just not viable contenders in the long term but can be important players in the process.

 

What an odd mix! There are only two current office holders in this debate, Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul, and they’re both in the House. I recognize that the GOP is very anti-government these days but even if you pretend that the government is the biggest problem in America, don’t we all want someone connected to the government to run it? It certainly seemed that that’s what the GOP wanted in 2008 when Senator McCain’s biggest campaign speaking point was his depth of experience. Aye carumba.

 

If nothing else, I’ll be curious to see which of these folks attack each other. While they’ll all attack President Obama (especially Herman Cain*), I wonder if the speculation is true that it will also be a gang attack on Mitt Romney. Although I understand why that would be appealing, there’s also the clear possibility that Romney could use those attacks to present himself as the outsider. And as we all know, America loves an underdog. Even a fabulously wealthy, ultra-successful outsider. So much good political fun ahead!

 

FDO

 

*- A friend forwarded me this interesting piece of speculation on Cain’s likely role in this process. Racists? Why would someone think Tea Partiers have racist leanings?

  

 

The Presidents of Black America

I'm thinking about the notion of Barack Obama as the first Black President. Another interesting thing to me is that there have been lots of Presidents of Black America. So far, here's my list. I wonder what will happen in a post-Obama world when he'll be the icon but no longer the US President. Hmmm.

 

Past Presidents of Black America

Frederick Douglass

Abraham Lincoln

Booker T. Washington

W. E. B. DuBois

Marcus Garvey

Franklin Roosevelt

Martin Luther King

Malcolm X

Martin Luther King (again)

Jesse Jackson

Bill Clinton

Barack Obama

 

And no, I don't think Minister Farrakhan or Reverend Sharpton belong.

 

FDO

 

That Was Then, This is Obama

A friend asked me what I thought about this:  

"... I'm wondering if there's a parallel between the elder Bush in 1992 and Obama in 2012.

In 1992 the Dems pounded Bush for capitulating on the tax issue (in retrospect, perhaps a mistake) in order to win the campaign and traded in a mostly-moderate Republican for a moderate/Right Democrat who still brought us NAFTA and most of the same crap we would have had if Bush had stayed in office. Now the Repubs seem willing to oust a moderate Democrat who a) maintained the Bush wars b) enacted the Bob Dole health insurance without any public plan and c) agreed to sizable spending cuts and tax cut extensions. I.e.

Aside from SCOTUS appointments, is this a big political fight over fairly small shifts in actual WH policy?"

 

How interesting!?!

 

My bottom line answer is that the big political fight makes sense because the combination of small and giant shifts in White House policy has massive implications for the country.

 

Regarding the current parallels with 1992, I think you’re generically on to something. Bill Clinton moved substantially to the center during his campaign and after his election. Some of his pandering was shameful but may have been necessary. (It certainly seemed necessary to him at the time.) Even though he was considered centrist as part of the Democratic Leadership Council, Clinton clearly intended to govern further left than he actually did. Part of his trouble was simply that he never had a mandate. He won something like 43% of the popular vote that year, largely because Perot got something close to 20%. Then there was the healthcare debacle that pushed his polling into the toilet. Clinton seemed to be reeling from Inauguration Day on.

 

I think it was abundantly clear very early that Clinton would have to be consistently moderate in order to have any substantial accomplishments. I do, however, think there were some real differences between the potential second Bush term and Clinton’s actual terms. Humanitarian intervention in the Balkans is a biggie. I think Bush was so invested in realpolitik that he would have been hard pressed to justify military intervention in that situation. We didn’t ‘gain’ anything from winning that war. Also, consider that in the climate of the mid-90s making changes to social programs like welfare seemed inevitable. The difference between Clinton’s more generous construction of welfare reform and a fully Republican one is probably substantial.

 

There’s also the political value of incumbency, especially in the White House. Dan Quayle is now widely perceived as a political joke but after 8 years as a Vice President, he would have been a formidable candidate in 1996. It’s hard for me to imagine, but I think Dan Quayle would have been tough for the Dems to beat. 16 or 20 years of consecutive Republican Presidencies means a generational lock on the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary and who knows what else regarding energy or environmental policies, regulatory agencies and a monopoly on executive branch political expertise.

 

Currently, Obama gets lots of grief for not being more liberal and I understand that. I, personally, would prefer him to move substantially left. However, I still think it’s important to recognize that his administration has already created important change in a multitude of ways. Change that would not have happened were a Republican in the Oval Office. Considering the rancor the ‘Bob Dole’ health care reform package generated, it’s hard to imagine any health care reform at all happening under a Republican President. I also think the vast majority of Republican contenders would have resisted continuing and expanding the TARP program. Obama’s actions on that front will likely prove to be an incredible long term success. Obama’s even pulled us away from having permanent bases in Iraq. Considering John McCain’s suggestion that we might stay in Iraq for decades, this feels like a really big difference. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell seems an obvious example too. No GOP President would have even considered that change.

 

Also, when we consider how insular and politicized the Bush White House was, the Obama Administration has done a very good job of moving toward openness and collegiality. While there are miles to go in these regards, the changes are substantial. It’s almost impossible to imagine Bush having a Secretary of Defense who was a Democrat, especially one tied to another administration. Obama kept Bob Gates and it’s been a clear positive for the country. Obama appointed Jon Huntsman to be Ambassador to China, even though Huntsman’s Presidential ambitions were widely known. The Justice department is now politicized in a way that makes sense to most observers; there’s been a radical shift there. After Osama bin Laden was killed, we got to see pictures of our leaders watching it unfold. That level of openness was astonishing to me. By contrast, I still have never heard where Dick Cheney’s ‘undisclosed locations’ are.  

 

All this is a long form way for me to think about how vastly different the country is as a result of which party controls the Presidency. Many Republicans have expressed that their most important goal is for Obama to be a one term President and to me that emphasis makes perfect sense. The President has enormous power to change America and our political system itself. In the first couple years of the Obama Administration, that change has been less overt than many of us would like but I think the changes have been real.  

 

I certainly don’t want to elect a Republican President next year and find out if I’m right.

 

 

FDO

 

Changing the Lenses

 

Much has been made about the super large moon we've seen lately. While Megamoon is beautiful to look at, I am also struck that our perception changes so much, so quickly. Spending a night watching the Moon race across the sky feels wonderful in part because we can see some of the fundamental processes of our universe at work in just a few hours. Really, at moonrise or moonset, we can notice those processes in a matter of minutes.

 

In astronomical terms, it's stunning that an object so close in size as our Moon is to Earth is also so close to us. The Moon is a quarter of the size of the Earth. However, the Moon and Earth are incredibly far from each other in our terms. The distance between the two objects is something like 250 000 miles. Going a quarter million miles in a car means you talk to your friends about how great your car is and how many years it took you to go that far. In the late 60s it took 3 days for Apollo 8 to travel that distance. 3 day! Is that incredibly fast or incredibly slow?

 

I recently had a conversation prompted by something I read on Wikipedia about Sedna, the most distant sizable member of our solar system. I acknowledged that I was overwhelmed by how far away Sedna is from the Sun. Sedna is now about 3 times as far from the Sun as Neptune, but at times, it is 32 times as far! At that distance, how could the Earth and Moon be viewed as anything but a singularity?

 

Close. Near. Fast. Slow. These two celestial relationships (Moon-Earth, Sedna-Sun) make me think concretely about how much our view depends upon the lens we choose to use at any given moment. My guess is that changing lenses impacts our view of our own universes in similar ways. That's maybe even harder to understand.

 

 

FDO

 

 

Super Bowl Blogging-4th Quarter

Super Bowl Blogging-4^th  Quarter

 

Damn.

First play and Mendenhall coughs it up. I’m wondering if that’ll be the play of the game. So surreal.

 

The crowd seems hyped but the Packers don’t. That would be disconcerting if I were a Packer fan.

 

What’s up with Jordy Nelson? All my images of sure handed, slow footed, White possession receivers are being distorted.

Especially now that he races across the field like a gazelle. Who are you, Jordy Nelson?

 

Why does AROD keep hopping? He’s done it on 5 or 6 occasions since the 2^nd quarter. It looked stupid when Pete Sampras did it but he at least made winning plays out of it.

 

Yep, Mendenhall fumbles and 3 minutes later the Pack has a nice lead and has finally re-captured the momentum.

 

It’s great that in the Super Bowl, there are so many video cameras that people holding television cameras are often on camera.

 

Activity Dogs have to be gone from commercials too.

 

Painfully tacky, adult oriented commercials co-exist seamlessly with movie ads designed for 4 year olds. Is anyone even trying?

 

Flozell. Is mother Flo(rence) and father Zell? Is father Flo(yd) and mother Zel(da)?  I really wanna know.

 

GB 28- PIT 17. This seems like the perfect time for a Big Ben comeback for the ages and Hall of Fame immortality.

SHIT! I wasn't expecting Green Bay to stop playing defense.

 

I suppose if Ben wins another title this year, he’ll at least have to spend lots of time and energy answering uncomfortable questions. So, there’s that…

 

WOW. 3 points down after that awesome 2 point conversion.

 

HA! Pretending that Go Daddy has limits (that the FCC) hasn’t established I mean.

 

Waaay too many people eat during the Super Bowl for VW to have done a Beetle ad with real beetles. The Idiot Wind is blowing.

 

If the Packers get any more nervous they’ll have to carry security blankets.

 

Down the field aggression works for Green Bay! Well, when they catch the ball at least.

 

The Steelers really could have benefitted from having additional timeouts.

 

31-25, just over 2 minutes left, trailing time receiving a kickoff. Wouldn’t most of us have been happy if we knew this would be the situation for this year’s Super Bowl?

 

Another personal foul? In the Super Bowl? Almost comical. Of course, I don’t have any money riding on the outcome so…

 

Hasn’t Kim Kardashian moved from football to basketball?

 

Lots of time being spent on meager gains by the Steelers. I don’t understand. 50 seconds and 20 yards?

 

Pre-route contact? Nah. Not in the Super Bowl.

 

Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers. Now, I can only hope for next years Colts-Vikings grudge match.

 

What a fun game this was.

 

Let’s hope Rashard Mendenhall gets treated well. He’s gonna need it.

 

Super Bowl Blogging-3rd Quarter

 

Super Bowl Blogging-3rd Quarter

 

 

Wow, James Jones dropped a sure fire long gainer and potential touchdown. Instead, Green Bay punts. Ouch.

 

Immediately followed up by a dubious 15 yard penalty. Double ouch.

 

Chimps and babies. Is it just me or shouldn’t those commercials have gone out with the Clinton Administration?

 

Man, momentum is huge! GB was so close to a 28-10 lead. Seemingly, 5 minutes after the drop, it’s 21-17. DAMN!

 

Nelson dropped another pass he could have caught. Uh oh, are the Packers feeling nervous? With the lead? Not a good sign for them.

 

All the momentum is on the Steelers side of the ball.

 

Timothy Hutton didn’t really do that Groupon commercial did he? How much crack must he be smoking?!? What a bitch!

 

Watching this game reminds me both a) why so many folks think  Big Ben is a great QB and b) why they’re wrong.

 

Charlotte Jones Anderson?!? Who the fuck is Charlotte Jones Anderson?!?

 

Massive, absurd overthrow by Ben. See 2 lines previous.

 

Clay Matthews almost made an insanely great play (instead of just an excellent one). And they say White men can’t jump…

 

4^th and 15 from the Packer 34. A FG brings you within 1 point. I gotta go for the yardage. Send a message: We’re gonna win!

 

ISH. Horrible kick.

 

What does this city [Detroit] know about luxury?

They’ve been to Hell and back? To Hell, okay? Back? Not so much.

When your lead ambassador is Eminem, you've got lotsa work to do.

 

AROD running around a bit, throwing downfield, the Pack being aggressive. This is how you got to the Super Bowl!

 

All these injured guys are making visual indications of physical distress. No Cutlers here!

 

56 yd FGA is easily in range says Joe Buck. What a tool.

 

Uh, throwing a judo chop at someone’s helmet is stupid on many levels. Tramon Williams, this means you.

 

Green Bay seems entirely discombobulated. Almost frightened. Don’t be scared. Be happy.

 

Bad challenge, Mike McCarthy. Especially when you’ve already used two timeouts. Ish.

 

My bad, The Steelers have blown two timeouts, not the Pack. That helps.

 

How many times will we hear the word ‘correction’ tonight? I need to retain this for next year’s potential drinking games…

 

I’m thinking Janet Jackson for next year’s Super Bowl. MJ’s dead and there’ll be lots of interests because of NippleGate. Hmmm.

 

 

 

Super Bowl Blogging-2nd Quarter

 

Super Bowl Blogging-2^nd Quarter

 

Sounds like the production team spent the whole time between commercials trying to make Joe Buck sound less ridiculous. Fail.

 

Sanders went behind the first down marker on his own. He shouldn’t have been awarded that first down.

 

Didn’t Shaun Suisham used to play for the Cowboys? How nice this must feel for him to play in JerryLand while the Cowboys have been out of contention for 3 months?

 

Elton John can’t be this desperate for money…

 

I saw John Travolta but thought it was Rod Blagoevich. Sad but true.

 

Wait a sec, is BMW being advertised as a pro-America company?

 

Coke, THOR and VW with sci-fi themed commercials consecutively.

 

Big Ben headlines are mentioned but unmentioned a) this was not the first allegation of sexual assault and b) the DA in the Georgia case was convinced Ben was guilty but the accuser was apparently so drunk she couldn’t be a strong witness. If that’s the only 15 seconds they spend on this, I’ll be disappointed.

 

Again, there’s conversation about Ben’s lack of mobility just before he takes off running. Hello guys, it’s not disabling him now so don’t force your square storyline into that round hole.

 

A chimp commercial. Really, in 2011? Who is Career Builder’s lead marketer, Homer Simpson?

 

2 INTs for Big Ben

Legacy is slipping away quickly.

 

Green Bay 21, Pittsburgh 3. Jake is Super excited.

 

Troy Aikman makes a great point about the Pack’s 3^rd touchdown of the half. I was starting to wonder why he was in the booth.

 

Advertising FB access as a selling point for a car frightens me.

 

It feels odd to me that Marvel has flown so far ahead of DC in terms of its movies. DC has, arguably, the three most iconic comic heroes in Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. So, what happened?

 

Watching injured players walk down long hallways toward medical care makes me wonder why there aren’t golf carts at the ready.

 

Green Bay secondary injuries may combine with Steelers desperation to provoke a massive second half shootout. Hmm, that could be good.

 

Actually, it looks like the injured guys are walking through a sports bar toward medical care. That’s much better.

 

The last Steelers drive was really impressive. Ben and Hines Ward have clearly played together for a long time. It’s odd seeing the high speed, frazzled looking offense playing against the Packers because Brett Favre was a master of that style.

 

This has not been the kind of first half I expected, largely due to Pittsburgh sloppiness, but it’s been lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Super Bowl Blogging-1st Quarter

Super Bowl Blogging-1^st Quarter

 

Why defer possession? Is that about gamesmanship or attempting to stave off nervousness?

 

Ah, momentum swings quickly.  The Steelers fans got so excited at the muffed punt then 2 minutes later, the Pack is at midfield and feeling great.

 

I don’t really care that much about Aaron Rodgers’ family history and how hard it was to be a late first round draft pick. Such tales of misery should wait for the second half.

 

I can already imagine the squawking from Packers fans about the near miss catch by Nelson on the first drive, followed by the near miss at pinning the Steelers near the goal line. So close, yet so far away…

 

The best advertising minds in the country came up with this tripe? I am glad to see that Kenny G still looks like, uh, Kenny G…

 

How many different ways will announcers obliquely refer to Ben Roethlisberger’s ‘troubles’ or ‘year’ or ‘difficulties’? I hope folks are using this as a drinking game…

 

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel in the same movie? Wow, what a great chance to see the baddest ambiguously ethnic action stars in the same movie!

 

A Rod and Cameron Diaz? Are they the least Latin Latino stars in the US? Hey, I’m just asking? (Even the Anthem Killer did a Spanish language album a few years ago.)

 

If Aaron Rodgers is wearing a different helmet because he’s been concussed a couple times, shouldn’t everyone wear that different (presumably better) helmet?

 

Great pass to Nelson. It would have been hard for Nelson to drop that one.

 

When will people start calling Aaron Rodgers ‘A-Rod’? Andy Roddick was never gonna get it but perhaps…

I love that play callers get lots of credit in the NFL. On the touchdown play, the receiver WAS NOT OPEN! The play worked because AROD (see, no hyphen) threw a PERFECT pass. Not because of any schematic genius.

 

Cowboys vs. Aliens followed by Roman Gods vs. Indians? WTF? (No, not ‘win the future’.)

 

So, has Big Ben been 'unredeemed' now?

 

15 yard celebration penalty. Nope, you’re not allowed to celebrate the biggest play of your life in the No Fun League.

 

Boz Scaggs? Who knew?

 

Wow, Eminem sells tea? Wait a sec, did I write that? Yep. Eminem sells tea. Isn’t that the 4^th sign of the Apocalypse?

 

Emmanuel Sanders? What a fun name.

 

It’s still hard for me to hear the words “good protection” associated with Big Ben.

 

Within 10 seconds, Joe Buck says something about Big Ben like…

~ ’He looks like he can hardly move.

Now, he can move!’

C’mon Joe Buck, you’re better than that!

  

 

 

 

Super Bowl Blogging 2011- Part 1

Pre-Game

 

I didn't hate Christina Aguilera until tonight. Now, I never want to hear her again. She butchered the Star Spangled Banner in a phenomenally painful way. Marvin Gaye made the anthem soar, swoon and shine during the NBA All-Star game in LA (I think in 1983). It made me want to hear the song over and over. This performance makes me want to hit X-tina. Hard.

 

So far, this pre-game (only since 6) has been atrocious. The Walter Payton Award was great but super quick. The rest has sucked. I also couldn't help thinking: "I wonder how many years it will be before Big Ben wins this award?"

 

Is Michael Douglas dying? Did I get that right? <sigh> Sad, I know.

 

Deion Sanders' tie looks like a candy cane. He's probably still fast enough to have run 20 yards while the coin was in the air.

 

Rachel doesn't like football but she thinks it's absurd that the networks force players and coaches to chat just before kickoff. She's right.

 

 

 

Don't Ask Don't Tell- A Turning Point?

 

It seems almost impossible in this political climate but yes, in just a couple hours, Don't Ask, Don't Tell, will no longer be official government policy. This historic acknowledgment of the right of gay men and women to serve openly in the American military feels like a dramatic shift leftward. That this policy change can happen at the same moment that the GOP has just made substantial gains in Congress and President Obama seems to have become convinced that he must govern in as centrist a manner as possible is particularly extraordinary.

 

Maybe it will be revealed later that DADT repeal is part of a broader quid pro quo. Perhaps it just means the Republican leadership in Congress has decided they don't need the social/religious conservatives as much as they have in the recent past. Otherwise, why would the GOP allow the final vote to happen so quickly? Forcing the DADT vote to happen on a Sunday, after the morning talk shows, seems the play to make if you want to rally the religious right. Simply ceding ground here is puzzling.

 

Unless, that is, the GOP has come to realize that most Americans have finally come around to legitimately accepting that all of us have certain fundamental rights. Even the military brass seems to generally recognize this and, as a friend at a service academy told me recently, "Even though it's [DADT repeal] uncomfortable for us to think about, we know they're [gays] people too". Yes, gays are people too.

 

Ultimately, I believe the broader implication is that we are continually moving toward a country that has full(er) social inclusion for gays and lesbians. I have argued previously that I believe half the states will have a marriage/civil union option within the next decade. This is another overdue step in that direction. 

 

Congratulations, Congress. Thanks for doing the right thing.

 

 

FDO

 

Faux News

 

This article confirming that Fox News specifically and deliberately mimics the talking points of the Republican Party is not at all surprising. Neither is this requirement that global warming be treated as some kind of subversive theory. Yet, I feel as though this additional clarity should force an end to the charade that still exists that Fox News intends to report news in an independent fashion.

 

Having an editorial perspective makes a great deal of sense and I have no trouble with that at all as long as it’s not publicly lied about.  There should be no remaining doubt that Fox News is virtually an organ of the GOP, not particularly different than the Republican National Committee at base. Continuing to give Fox News the credibility associated with mainstream journalistic institutions is unwarranted.

 

 

FDO

 

Update- Here's a study suggesting that Fox News viewers are the most misinformed. Raise your hand if you feel a sense of surprise!

 

Obama as a Bridge- Always.

 

It seems interesting and sad that President Obama has so few ardent supporters left. The reality of his eroding support does not seem congruent with his level of accomplishment in the White House. Things have been tough for him during the first couple years of his Presidency, but he has made some pretty remarkable things happen. I suggested six weeks ago that the principal problem may be that his administration fails to tell its story well. There are not enough efforts to get his message out. I also believe the country has developed a sense of collective amnesia as we have run away from remembering that George W. Bush was our President for 8 years. Even the Republican Party has thoroughly distanced itself from him. Obama suffers from the lack of comparison now, as he benefitted from the constant comparisons in 2007 and 2008.

 

One thing I’ve begun to recognize about the prospect of creating new kinds of messages about the President is that there is no single message to trumpet. This is Barack Obama does not exist on a fixed point. There’s nothing immutable about him. He moves as he needs to move. Always.

 

I’m sure a psychologist could have a field day with this interpretation. Just consider the rough outline of Obama’s story. Half White, half Black. Born in the part of America that feels least like the rest of America. Living as an outsider in virtually every moment of his childhood. Being broke while in the Ivy League. And now, being young, inexperienced and Black in the Oval Office. He moves as he needs to move because he has always needed to do so.

 

That strength may be part of the reason President Obama seems such a natural mediator. In most contexts, that’s a tremendously valuable skill! I believe that he always wants to manage situations so that everyone feels a sense of victory. Just consider who his Secretary of State is!

 

Unfortunately, all those compromises and efforts at conciliation make it hard for him to lead. And, personally, Obama’s approach makes it hard for me to understand what matters most to the President. I don’t remember the last time he resolved to do (or not do) something because he cared about it enough NOT to compromise about it. Even though I think he’s made some fantastic successes, I imagine there’s not much he has done in office to inspire continuing faith in many people. There’s nothing to be counted on just because it exists at his core. There doesn’t seem to be a core.

 

 

FDO

 

Bush's Book Part 2

 

Where are the articles comparing Karl Rove’s book to George W. Bush’s book?

Since Rove seems to have fictionalized some of his account, does Bush correct the story? Are the trouble spots, uh, I mean, decision points, critical ones? Have we already decided that we just don’t care anymore? Never mind. I shouldn’t ask the question if I can’t accept the answer…

 

FDO

 

World AIDS Day- A Whimper, Not a Bang

 

The lack of attention generated in America by World AIDS Day this week was astonishing. It’s a great sign and a horrible indicator all at once. I suggested a couple months ago that Americans don’t have the same level of fear about acquiring HIV since it no longer feels like the death sentence it once was. That’s just fantastic but HIV rates in the US are still MUCH higher than they need to be. While America has done a phenomenal job of reducing mother-to-child transmissions, virtually every other infection route is still clearly common. What I haven’t figured out is why there’s so little effort being made on this front.

 

There is an estimate that around 20% of people in the US living with HIV don’t even know it yet! More than a million Americans are likely HIV+ and we just seem kinda fine with that. This is a preventable disease! Somehow though, there’s not much public space for outrage, worry or even conversation.

 

FDO

 

PS- I was forwarded this post about celebs attempting to raise money for World AIDS Day. The effort was a disaster.

Falling Up

 

In the last decade or so, I’ve been consistently amazed that so many Americans seem to succeed… by failing.

 

It’s not always clear failure but, often at least, people get rewarded without rising to the level we would expect to be required. Sometimes it’s about taking advantage of personal relationships while other times, it’s about public perception. Consider that attending (and re-attending) rehab has been the spark plug for dozens of careers in the entertainment industry even though addiction is often a career killer for average people.

 

Rod Blagojevich was a virtual nobody until he was caught trying to sell a Senate seat. Now he’s cashed in tremendously and has the kind of name recognition that most governors only dream of obtaining. Amazingly, Blago is not only getting rich but he’s still famous, not infamous. Whatthehell?

 

Harriet Miers almost joined the Supreme Court solely because she was George W. Bush’s close friend and counsel. She was widely viewed as incompetent and it was only the uniformity of this view that kept her from rising to a lifetime appointment interpreting America’s laws. Scary stuff.

 

Conan O’Brien seems the best current example of this phenomenon. Maybe he’s actually the ultimate late night talk show host and I just haven’t noticed… This week he’s been at the top of the media world having been rewarded with a brand new TBS show, overwhelming public affection and a second giant contract. All this, even though he was booted from his dream job to make way for Jay Leno’s return. NBC would never have made that move if Conan’s audience were as big as Jay’s so in the most direct sense, Conan’s show failed. What is it that could possibly have built so much buzz that Conan is now bigger than he’s ever been?

 

It seems as though we not only accept failure, we often reward it. Now, if I can only convince someone with clout that my career as a poet has been a disaster…

 

FDO

 

New Evidence for Expanded Health Insurance

 

Health insurance should no longer be seen as optional. The CDC has released a new report that indicates more than 59 million Americans were without health insurance for some portion of 2009. Adults between 18 and 64 accounted for 50 million of that total. This is another great indication that broader health care inclusion for this country was a real necessity.

 

Everyone knows that the costs of health care, or worse, the costs of going without health care, are extraordinary. What has not received enough attention is the depth and breadth of the problem. This issue is not about poverty or race or even the recession. It’s about individuals and families being overwhelmed by systems they don’t understand and costs they can’t manage. That is precisely when the government should intervene. The Obama administration should broadcast this report as loudly as possible to help make the case that health care reform is critical and repealing it would be disastrously cruel. Besides, as I recently asked, when Americans begin receiving additional coverage, who among us will want it to go away?

 

 

FDO

 

Bush's Book

 

I’m not that interested in reading what President George W. Bush has to say about the topics he’s interested in discussing. Today is the release date for his book but I have a very different list of things I want to know. Namely, what were his immediate reactions to some of the events that happened while he was in office.

 

These aren’t the most important things, just important things Bush wouldn’t necessarily have known about it in advance. First responses are always telling. Inquiring minds want to know.

 

Here’s my list:

 

The first American has died in Afghanistan

Daniel Pearl is killed

Pat Tillman

Columbia disaster

Saddam Hussein’s capture

Re-election is confirmed (Remember that in the 2004 Election Bush almost lost in a similar fashion to the 2000 Election he won. That year, Ohio could have disrupted the popular vote/Electoral College relationship.)

Colin Powell’s resignation

Fidel Castro’s resignation

Sarah Palin as John McCain’s VP choice

Barack Obama winning Nobel Peace Prize

 

 

FDO

 

Governing First, Elections Second

 

Will Saletan wrote:

Politicians have tried and failed for decades to enact universal health care. This time, they succeeded. In 2008, Democrats won the presidency and both houses of Congress, and by the thinnest of margins, they rammed a bill through. They weren't going to get another opportunity for a very long time. It cost them their majority, and it was worth it.

And that's not counting financial regulation, economic stimulus, college lending reform, and all the other bills that became law under Pelosi. So spare me the tears and gloating about her so-called failure. If John Boehner is speaker of the House for the next 20 years, he'll be lucky to match her achievements.

 

 

While I disagree with Saletan on the merits of health care reform, I think his points here are underreported and extremely important. Modern American politics now seems to be more about elections than about governing. Certainly, it’s more about elections than Big Picture governing. (Of course, when one party consistently claims that government is inherently problematic, I suppose that makes perfect sense.)

 

The transformative legislation that has been passed in the last two years will create long term changes in the US. While some of those changes are currently controversial, how many folks will argue in, say 2015, that they want to get rid of the laundry list of projects, programs and developments embedded in that legislation? Well, how many people want us to get rid of Social Security? Or Medicare? Or the federal interstate system? People may say they hate big government but they sure do like what it provides.

 

Ultimately, producing valuable results is what people want most from our government and the Obama era has already moved us in that direction. So yes, there is a real chance that Obama will be a one term President. There is also a real chance that in 50 years, he’ll be perceived as the best one term President. Not the trade he’d suggest, but certainly a good one.

 

 

FDO

 

BTW- I think Obama has an excellent chance at winning re-election in 2012. He has a great combination of skills for campaigning. He’ll also have an improved economy, the incumbency edge and a long list of sound bite worthy successes. I also believe there will be ‘hate fatigue’ in which many folks will be turned off by the constant barrage of vitriol thrown his way. One of the important lessons of John Kerry’s 2004 race is that the independents who vote in Presidential elections, but not mid-term elections, will be much more likely to vote for someone as opposed to against someone.

 

 

Justified Use of Force (for Oscar Grant)

 

 

Every year there’s a new one

A Diallou, King or me

Clamoring loudly

Faces on TV

We ask so many questions

But no one’s forced to answer

 

With sympathy’s short half-life

Soon most are hoping for the noise to stop

And the questions to disappear once again

Just like us

In our lives

And our deaths

 

 

 

 © Gayle Force Press 2003

 

RIP Oscar Grant

 

Once again, Black folks in California are publicly distressed about a police shooting. This time, the victim was Oscar Grant, a 22 year old Black man who was shot and killed by a White police officer in a subway at the beginning of 2009. The officer was convicted of the shooting (involuntary manslaughter) and given a 2 year sentence. The frighteningly short sentence is the source of the protests. The officer, Johannes Mehserle, will probably be out of jail by Memorial Day 2011. 

The CNN article linked above is indicative of the attention that's been/being paid to the entire situation. Grant's name does not appear until the 11th paragraph. 10 paragraphs before this dead person is even acknowledged by name. 

 

The basic outline of the shooting is tragically familiar. White officer kills unarmed Black man. Momentary outrage. Down the memory hole. Wait a little while. Repeat. 

 

A few years ago, I wrote about this cycle of police violence but I wasn't bold enough to follow it to the ultimate conclusion for so many young Black men, death. Instead, I wrote about the violence that wounds, heals and scars. Today, that doesn't feel like quite enough. It's not quite enough for me. It's not quite enough for Oscar Grant. But it's all I can give him now. 

 

 

FDO

Say It Loud!

 

These kinds of stories (this one is about Kokomo, IN) demonsrate the short term impact of the stimulus bill and who knows how vast the long term impacts will be. The biggest problem with the Obama administration is the typical liberal concept that good works are sufficient. Good works are rarely sufficient! Broadcasting successes, loudly and frequently, should be standard operating procedure. Everyone seems to agree that bad news travels fast but good news often stays put.

 

I have begun thinking that I need to put this idea into practice in my own life. I try so hard to be thoughtful and considerate that I don’t do a good job of letting, or even allowing, people to know when I have important successes. Being afraid to appear arrogant or self-aggrandizing sounds nice but where do nice guys finish?

 

Okay, I don’t actually believe nice guys finish last. But do you know where they do finish? I don’t. That’s because they’ve never told me. They were looking out for my feelings instead.

 

 

FDO

 

Me and Kim Novak

 

 

If you’re not current, you don’t count.

 

I don’t want this to be the way of the world in 21^st century America but I think it is. I saw the name Kim Novak at the top of a Yahoo search list and instantly assumed Kim Novak has recently died. My thinking was pretty simple. Why would Kim Novak be a hot topic right now? She must be dead.

 

Kim Novak has almost no meaning for me. I think she is (was?) an actress in Hitchcock movies and that makes me think she’s (she was?) blonde. I’m putting together some impressions I have of her but that’s all I got. It’s possible that Kim Novak is a) not at all who I am thinking, as in, an entirely different person b) the same person but famous for a totally different reason c) doing something that warrants an uptick in interest but I didn’t get to choices a-c until actively pausing to consider other options besides dead. Sad but true.

 

If you’re not current, you don’t count.

 

 

FDO

The More Things Change

 

For the past few years I’ve been holding out hope for the potential dissolution of Sudan into Sudan and Southern Sudan in next year’s independence referendum. I have dreamed that this vote would be the impetus for the eventual fall of the Khartoum government led by President (and master genocidaire) Omar al-Bashir. Bashir’s loss of oil revenue from the south would weaken his ties with China and permanently label as the man who he let the south get away. Both those possibilities would be damaging to him.

 

However, the prospects of a successful launch for South Sudan seem slim. This article from the Economist suggests that the putative South Sudan may be such a weak state that civil war would likely follow. Whether that would give Bashir a new opportunity to recapture South Sudan or simply fracture it into an aborted state, the future looks dim. Out of the frying pan…

 

FDO

 

 

 

 

 

HIV and Gay Marriage Rights

Last week someone showed me the first poll to indicate a narrow majority of Americans support gay marriage.  For the past few months, I have been talking and thinking a lot about our perceptions of HIV/AIDS. I teach US History and cover the 1980s including HIV, gay liberation efforts and the Reagan administration's reluctance to discuss AIDS or fund research efforts. In class, I read an excerpt from ‘And the Band Played On’ and the kids consistently flip out because they (incorrectly) assume their government would have been highly interested in, y'know, trying to stop a dread, communicable disease. It is always heartening to me that these young people almost uniformly reject anti-gay policies and prejudices, even retroactively. They are the ones who will consistently support laws, initiatives and politicians who advocate marriage rights for everyone.

 

In discerning the base level meaning of marriage, I think it is clear that for many people, the institution of marriage provides license for two people to have sex. This poll reveals significant change in attitudes concerning gay marriage and I am wondering if part of the reason more straight people are willing to support the public sanction of gay sex via marriage has occurred because our collective fear of gay sex has diminished tremendously since the gay people profiled in ‘And the Band…’ were just about the only people who knew anything at all about AIDS.

 

When Magic Johnson announced he was HIV+, I thought there was a good chance that my generation (I was 17, in college and LOTS of us were sexually active) had a new JFK moment. I was totally wrong though (it's still Challenger). Instead, Magic is so healthy, active, rich and visible that I know some people have (temporarily?) forgotten he has HIV. That's a little scary actually. AIDS is now the leading killer of Black women between 25 and 34. The most horrifying elements of that statistic, for me, is that these women have still not been educated enough to know that they are a) susceptible to HIV, b) perfectly capable of preventing their infection in almost every case and c) consistently late to receiving diagnosis and attendant care.

 

Our increasingly cavalier attitude towards HIV is another reminder that we have an amazing level of privilege in the U.S. In so many countries, HIV almost always becomes AIDS and almost always equals a death sentence. Now, early detecting Americans are likely to stay healthy for a very long time. Some of them, like Magic, will always carry HIV but never develop AIDS. The transition in our country from a) AIDS=Death to b) HIV= chronic, massive health concern gives me increased hope that some of the fears our society has long harbored about gay sexuality will continue to fade. The likely repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is another step in that direction. (Baby steps to full equality, baby steps to full equality.)

 

While judicial decisions are critical stepping stones, it is ultimately the support of the American people that generates the permanent force of change. That change is occurring. Most people I suggest this to think I’m crazy but I believe that gay marriage will be legal in half the states by 2020. That's my hope and my prediction. We're on the way, people. Slowly but surely. We're on the way.

 

 

FDO

 

Cordoba House Controversy

 

In having some Facebook time, I’ve been talking about the folks who have decided that Muslims are not allowed to have buildings in certain locations. This whole news story has been a giant orgy of misinformation, suspicion, paranoia and political posturing. The folks for whom this really should matter most (the 9/11 survivors and families) don’t appear to have much problem with Cordoba House.  For the rest of us, though, for whom this is only theoretical and not part of our lived experience about 68% of us don’t want a mosque built on Ground Zero.

 

Of course, that’s only the story on the ticker. Most of us don’t know anything beyond the buzzwords that have been used to describe the situation. Generally, I believe that it's very easy for people to see a headline, hear a loud voice, form a (mis)conception and get stuck in their positions.

 

Since the rhetoric of fear, hate and suspicion means more money and more votes, it's gonna keep on coming. (Yesterday it came in the form of Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid declaring his opposition to the project. Reid is in a close race for his seat so felt the need to publicly comment on a building planned for 2500 miles away from his state.) That's part of the reason I appreciate the rise of social media. Just as quickly as misinformation can be disseminated, correctives can be shared. Hopefully more and more Americans will be willing to hear, read and learn from folks who don't share their worldview.

 

Hey, I can hope, can't I?!?

 

 

FDO

 

Amaré the Jew

 

I am very excited to read that Amaré Stoudemire is making efforts to connect to what he perceives as his Jewish roots. Honestly, I assume that this is part of a Black American religious subculture that attempts to connect with ancient Israel as an offshoot of the metaphorical relationship between Blacks during slavery and Jews in Egyptian bondage from the Hebrew Bible.  

 

Whether Stoudemire has a religious, ethnical, cultural or familial root in Judaism doesn’t matter to me. What matters to me is that he is willing to explore himself and the world. In a time when many of us try desperately to follow the footprints on the floor, watching a pampered young millionaire (with a very troubled background) work to expand himself this way brings a smile to my face.

 

FDO

Obama Talks Education Reform

 

I don’t see much good coming out of these conversations unfortunately. There’s not any buy-in from the left (fear and loathing) and strong antipathy from the right. The money schools need to participate in innovative programs is gone. Teachers are much more worried about their jobs and the daily trials of the classroom than creating educational reforms. Teachers are not rewarded for improved student performance but are easy targets when performance drops.

It’s great to talk about these issues but until education is legitimately valued in the way President Obama suggests it should be teachers will continue to fight against any efforts to hold them accountable for student outcomes.

 

FDO

 

 

Obama's View

I think it will be intriguing to see how much of a boost President Obama receives from his appearance on “The View”. This seems like a perfect opportunity for Obama to seem less distant law professor and more charming leader. The drone of politics will be replaced, at least for many folks, by soundbites and cute anecdotes. Isn’t that what every politician wants?

 

 

FDO

Right Answer, Wrong Number

The Cambodian genocide is one of the darkest chapters in human history. Now, more than 30 years later, criminal trials are being conducted and high ranking members of the Khmer Rouge regime have been convicted of their complicity in the genocide. Sadly though, the head of the most notorious prison/torture center in Cambodia, ‘Duch’, has only received a 35 year sentence for his crimes. Nearly half that time will be removed, so Duch will only serve 19 years. It is hard to imagine how the brevity of this sentence can be justified. My hope is that this type of sentence does not establish a precedent for the similar trials being held around the world.

More than 10 000 deaths under his responsibility = 35 years in jail. Stunning.  

 

FDO

 

The Power of Frames

 

This year, I began reading George Lakoff, a linguist and author whose works include Don’t Think of an Elephant… Lakoff writes in a way that was not clear to me before about the ways people use frames to shape their understandings of the world. Many of us have heard the political caricatures of different family models: liberals as nurturing parents and conservatives as strict fathers. Well, Lakoff tries to explain what those frames mean and how they work.

 

He argues that language is largely a tool that connects individuals to frames, especially frames that already exist. Taxation is one of Lakoff’s clearest models but I’ll add my own illustration. We all know that death and taxes are said to be certain. While there are lots of ways to think about death, there are relatively few ways in which Americans think about taxation. For most of us, taxes feel like a chore and a burden, so when the GOP began describing lower taxes as ‘tax relief’, it made immediate sense to most people. If we have a burden, relieving that burden is a good thing. So, it seems to follow, lowering taxes (thus relieving a burden) is a good thing.

 

Joe Biden said paying taxes is patriotic. Of course, technically it is. But that’s not how Americans think of it. Most would describe it as a necessary evil, not as a necessary good. That is consistently true even though certainly, few of us really want to live in the kind of society that would quickly unfold if the IRS ceased to exist. (My friend Rick would be on the first plane to Singapore.) Still, because of the way we perceive taxation, patriotism doesn’t come to mind. Maybe duty or citizenship or avoiding jail or even, for some, the public interest. But our frames about taxation do not include patriotism so Biden sounded foolish to many.

 

I thought about this notion of framing in my real life a few days ago. When my wife and I arrived at an event, I parked our car and rolled the windows down a crack, thinking that in two hours when we came back, the car would be a little less painfully hot. I promptly forgot about this. Four hours later, thunder booms and my wife asks me to go roll up the windows on the car. I tell her that I didn’t roll them down. She earnestly believes that I did. So I go outside, roll up the windows, chat with other folks doing the same thing and head back inside. I promptly forgot about this.

 

The next day, my wife asks if the windows were down when I’d gone outside the night before. Yes, they were, I tell her and she tells me that she’s very glad since she didn’t want to cause an argument if she were wrong. I ask her what argument she meant. When she tells me that she means the ‘yes, they are’/’no they aren’t’ exchange, I am dumbfounded. She thought that we had an argument. I thought we disagreed about something. We’d framed the same interaction in very different ways. What is the difference between an argument and a disagreement? Where are the lines drawn? Do lots of things go unsaid because one person is afraid to start an argument when the outcome would only be a disagreement? What other interactions are dramatically altered because of the differences in the frames we’re using? Do we all choose how to frame our daily interactions?

 

I am thinking a lot about the frames I use and the ones I don’t realize are being used by others.

 

 

FDO

The Easy Vilification of Filipino Abuse

 

It’s mostly a theory

Something more but nothing less

In its simplest form

America hates its victims

As soon as Plymouth Rock

Landed on Indians and led to dinner

Not disaster

The Pilgrims planned their progress

For America

The die was cast

 

 

FDO

 

© Gayle Force Press 2008

 

 

Kudos Argentina

CNN has reported that Argentina has agreed to legalize gay marriage. Yes, highly Catholic Argentina. It's heartening to see that it's not only the US and Western Europe  where this kind of progress is being made.

I still subscribe to the belief that by 2020, gay marriage will be legal in at least half the states of the US.

FDO 

Thoughts on Beinart on Reagan and Obama

Peter Beinart provides numerous interesting reflections on President Reagan and how his administration has been (mis)characterized in the past twenty years. One line stood out to me as having critical current implications.

 

“If Obama does not want to be Jimmy Carter, if he does not want Americans to equate his restraint with their humiliation, he must be as aggressive as Reagan in finding symbolic ways to soothe Americans' wounded pride.”

 

This is a great quote because it suggests one of the ways in which the ultimate in soft power (words) can serve some of the same functions as the ultimate in hard power (war): making us feel better. In the America of September 12th, our national belief in the comfort, safety and invulnerability of our society were fractured.

 

Perhaps as important, the images we held of ourselves were in jeopardy. Arching our collective back and clenching the national fist felt necessary and urgent. Ultimately, our invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan were much more about vengeance than self-defense.

 

At this point, though, it’s clear we aren’t ‘winning’ these wars. Acknowledging that reality, while boosting national confidence in who we are, will require President Obama’s greatest rhetorical efforts yet. He’ll be doing something that hurts while saying something that heals.

 

 

FDO

Not Quite the Jetsons…

... but now our trash pickup service now seems ultra modern. We have a driver who moves the trash truck into position, releases a mechanism and grasps the trash can. It looks fast, efficient and safe. It also looks like there will be less need for sanitation workers. The down side of progress.

Here’s the closest visual I could find (in 45 seconds of searching).

 

FDO

Red ball. Blue ball. Baseball.

The obviously blown call that stole a perfect game from Armando Galarraga should push Bud Selig and the rest of baseball’s elite to create a strong, consistent replay system of some sort. I strongly believe that in a game struggling to maintain the interest of young people, instituting instant replay could be an opportunity to make baseball seem more a 21^st and less a 20^th century game. Baseball’s challenge system should be fun.

 

Here’s my idea. A manager can consult with the umpires on the field and decide to challenge a ruling (or non-ruling). The manager gives the umpire a red ball. If the manager wins the challenge, the umpire returns the red ball. If not, the umpire keeps it. The manager can continue to use the red ball until he loses a challenge (and the ball).

 

After the red ball has been taken, the manager will still have a blue ball. This ball serves the same function as the red ball except that the blue ball, once taken, will not be returned until the end of the series. Baseball series are usually three games but not always. In some ways, two and four game series may play out a bit differently relative to challenge strategy.

 

The entire process will add intrigue, drama, strategy and hopefully fairness to individual baseball games. These are the elements that will help ensure folks are talking about baseball for all the right reasons.

 

FDO

Past Due

When's the next 2Pac album dropping? At this point, it's been long enough people are going to start believing he's actually dead.

FDO