40 Years of Politics: A Personal View

So, I turn 40 this week. Holy crap, as I always say better than the alternative, but I can no longer fool myself that I'm young. I've slowed down, get hurt easy, have a mortgage and often catch myself saying, "kids, these days" or "when I was your age". Particularly when I see idle youth. Why aren't they working? A quick synopsis of my political journey, probably somewhat twisted and general. 5 year divisions would probably be better, but in the interest of time. For the record, I know ole Strom is dead, but in the interest of making me feel a little younger, Strom was 65 the year I was born.

1967-1977 BORN IN DC

I was born in the height of the Vietnam War, my mother had protested against the war usually running away when the tear gas started. I was driven to the hospital by my uncle and his friend who had stolen the car beginning a life of crime in utero. My sister was born 3 days after Kent State, both of us in Washington, DC. Meanwhile my father's family was an Army family, my grandfather an officer and two of my uncles in Vietnam. So there was a certain dichotomy from the get-go. One of the first media images I clearly remember is the evacuation of Saigon pictured in the Washington Post as I sat at my grandparent's dining room table. I have uncertain memories of Watergate, but remember Ford pretty well. I voted for Jimmy Carter in the Lyles Crouch straw poll, let it be known that James Earl carried Old Town Alexandria elementary schools pretty well. Pretty much everyone I know worked for the government or military so things were a little conservative at this time, I do remember waiting in gas lines and people complaining about Arabs and the price of gas, some things never change.

1977-1987 THE CRAZY YEARS
Moved to Massachusetts. Couldn't understand what the hell anyone was talking about. Tonic, wicked, retarded, frappe? Most important 4th grade moment with Fireball Frances was asking why pictures of people in slums had shacks with television antennas, her answer, "some people would rather eat a hot dog on a silver platter, than roast beef on a chipped plate." Probably not accurate but still sticks with me 30 years later. These were the crazy pre teen and teen years, had the classic superconservative, homophobic, violence crazed teenage boy times that were flamed by the return of uncool, Ronald Reagan.

Gradually, life in the lower/working class and punk rock music drove me leftward. Ronald Reagan, revered by many middle class/upper classes white men as saving America still stirs hatred in me as the divisive character he actually was. "Won" the Cold War by outspending the Ruskies, meanwhile ketchup is a vegetable, welfare queens are driving Cadillacs, and CETA jobs are gone. Police on My Back. Prop 2 1/2 makes every field trip one to a salt marsh and closes the youth center, takes down basketball hoops. (I still to this day don't understand how that saved money) So we drink and party and act stupid. Life is a blur in the mid to late eighties, what a crappy time of life. I mean at some points it's like me and my friends were engaged in a stupid contest, and I usually did quite well.

1987-1997 The Awakening

Wow, a college education and everything. Reading all sorts of books, politics, history, talking to smart people, talking to professors, arguing with Republicans, it's all good. A time where you could actually argue politics somewhat reasonably. Writing for the paper at CCCC. Then I hear Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and the awakening to Public Enemy. It's hard to describe the first time I heard Nation of Millions. Too Black, Too Proud. It was like the shackles of Reagan being torn off. Punk was about destruction, about anarchy, not necessarily about explaining anything. PE changed it all, it was perfect timing. No need to not be proud of your heritage, where you came from. Didn't have to just be part of the crowd. Wow.

Then, Clinton is elected, Chez and I walk around DC during inauguration singing, drinking malt liquor and southern comfort like it's no tomorrow, the republican darkness had lifted. Maybe Bill didn't fulfill all his promise, but the hope had returned. Starting working in urban schools, wow, what a zap to the head, the hell of real poverty. Pretty leftist here, starting meeting my first rich kid lefties, which initially didn't make sense to me, isn't it going against your own interests? I become very infatuated with identity politics, Sixties leftist political literature and Latin American politics and history.

1997-present What a Weird Place: Birth of the Angry Middle

I'm an "adult" now. No mortgage yet, but in 1995, I get the first non-medicaid/school nurse health insurance in my life. Wow, go to the doctor for 10 bucks, awesome. What a country. At one point, I go to court to talk to a judge about getting a kid outta jail, he lets the kid go home with me. How did this happen.

I end up at Umass Amherst to get a CAGS, take social justice education classes, interesting but the focus on identity politics and self-analysis is taken to the extreme. Wait, what we're trying to do is educate these kids right? You know, math, English, history, science? Not engage in self study. I work in the dormitories where rich kids get the run of the building in an absolute lack of law, order or responsibility. I start doing diversity training with Springfield police and work with law enforcement on a different level.

Meanwhile the right wing wackos start to take over talk radio and an national obsession with the President's penis begins. It really is the manifestation of mediated reality. I mean you got dooshbags like Limbaugh, Coulter, et al, people who never did anything in their lives worthwhile putting their mark on Idiot nation. It truly begins to be the birth of Idiocracy. Followed soon by reality TV and of course the blessing and curse of the InterWeb, letting every no-nothing loser including yours truly to become a pundit and journalist. The blessing of course for an information junkie like me is that the facts or the fiction is now only a few short keystrokes away.

Soon I get my first "good" job, well good in that it paid decent, good benefits, government work. Moved in with Becky who also got a good job. Both of us are committed to good government and public service. Bought a big TV, three days after I bought my big TV, Islamic terrorists attack the United States. Like every American this day changed my political thinking. It was really one of the few days I can remember that was without laughter. Even when a family or friend dies, there is likely to be laughter, a funny story, a good memory that breaks the day. In retrospect there are feelings of pride in what some of those wonderful public servants did on that day and the ordinary heroes but there is no laughter. We all wanted to believe GWB on that pile of rubble when he tried to rally a nation and I'll say this, for a short time he did. We all grew up that day, and I'll often say, that this is the day that i really became an American.

Since then, it's been a twisted time. I'm pretty settled, house, wife, kid, patio, cool gardens, even bigger TV but the rest of the world seems to be spinning away. In someways everything has come full circle, as my uncle Gabby returned from Vietnam to hope to get his piece of the American dream, so does Elena's uncle Jim with the same hopes and dreams. What's stands in the way?

An administration that can't really seem to do anything right other than enrich defense and logistical contractors, who when pushed to make a decision will throw up continuous smoke screens and accusations of non-patriotism. The real weirdness of Dick Cheney and his neo-conservative cabal. And when the going gets tough, my own party can't even find the deck chairs on the Titanic, they're too busy trying to bake cookies in the galley. Obsessions with women in vegetative states and embryos on the right, and self-congratulatory and attacking each other for being DINO's on the left. The Democratic inclusiveness that I had yearned for had become it's greatest enemy, "I want everything in one bag, but I don't want it to be too heavy."

So as I start the next decade of my political life, where do I go? The wacky left wing aging, socialist? Right wing neo-con who sees worldwide democracy and capitalism as the only way to save the human race? Populist independent hoping for the Hagel/Dobbs ticket in 2008? Lunch bucket union democrat? Elliot Richardson/Edward Brooke Massachusetts Republican? Nihilist? American Idol contestant?

The 2008 election is the most important one of my life. A crossroads in America. America has been too short on sacrifice (for most of us) and critical thought and too heavy on easy solutions and quick fixes. What's our next step?

Victory for Families

Although there are many times I get frustrated with Massachusetts and Beacon Hill with it's shortsightedness, parochialism and fiscal irresponsibility, June 14th, 2007 is a day in which the Legislature truly shined.

40 years and two days after the Supreme Court decision in Loving v. Virginia threw out the Virginia anti-miscegenation law, it appears that the same concept of equal protection of all under the law will prevail. Massachusetts will continue to have the right of folks of the same gender to marry.

In some ways, Massachusetts had it's McGovern moment, righteousness in a time of discord, the moral high ground. I imagine in a few generations, people will look at such legislation as the Defense of Marriage Act in the same manner as they look at the Dred Scott decision, what the hell were they thinking?

Most people know and love at least one gay person. Even if they don't know it. Homophobia is a weird affliction, it is socialized in young men, you'll find few teenagers who don't have the affliction for example, I think most of us grow out of it. Some may be uncomfortable with the thought, particularly in the sexualization of it, the stereotypical image of a cruiser or flamboyant gay man or a "bullish" lesbian, but even then we grow to accept and condone others. Some religions and organizations obsess over it, my own religion for one, somehow skipping over the large percentage of our scriptures which instruct us to 'love our neighbor as ourselves" and to give sufficient alms to those who are less in need. I think the great multitude of people just want to be left alone, and will gladly leave others alone in exchange.

The Massachusetts state legislature refused to turn over the protection of civil rights to a mob and circus that accompanies all Massachusetts state ballot initiatives. Let the people vote is nice in theory and in fact if these folks are so inclined they likely can campaign and raise money to vote out those that voted against the amendment. That's how democracy works. Today I am proud of my rep., Mike Festa, an 'early adopter' of this movement towards equal right, my senator Thomas McGee and yes, to Republican senator Tisei who understood that a human's right to love and to be legally validated in that love transcends any party affiliation.

My marriage isn't devalued by gay folks being able to married, in some ways it actually makes more sense. Why shouldn't my mother have the same rights and privileges that I do? It's just right. Now honestly the libertarian in me says that government should be out of the marriage business altogether, allow civil contracts/partnerships for all but let the wedding and marriage business be that of churches, JP's, overpriced hotels, Filene's Basement and J. Lo.

As proud as I am of my state today, it's time to get down to the business at hand. Frankly, when I see the crowds on both sides, I wonder where they got the time to make all the signs, hang outside Beacon Hill, that adds up to a lot of vacation time. I hope the same energy can be spent on other affairs of the state; education, economic development, health care and infrastructure development.

As the Governor put so well,

"The folks on the other side of this question are still our brothers and sisters. And we need them tomorrow and the next day and the day after that if we are together going to confront and solve the challenges facing up economically or in the public schools or on broken roads and bridges and a health care system we are trying to reinvent and a whole list of other issues on which we must come together."

Random Political Thoughts

As spring and summer come around and the little girl is starting to crawl, my blogging is slowing down, how the heck do people keep up? So frequently I am going to turn to an old friend, the list. In some ways, I'd like to be to politics what the lovely ladies at the Herald are to Boston celebritydom (read JOCKS) in the Inside Track.

Here's some thoughts coming to my head as I start thinking about handicapping the 2008 election. Like watching some horses in local races before the Kentucky Derby, you don't know if what you see here is going to be the same as the Run for the Roses.

Can Ron Paul running as an independent be the "Republican" version of Ralph Nader, stealing votes from conservative but non-theocratic/kleptocratic voters? I think he's interesting to the potheads on both sides and those people that really don't like to pay taxes. Also to those who want a protest vote against business as usual. I don't agree with him on a lot, but as Bob says those who don't want the government "in their head or in their bed" may lean towards him. Does 2-5% make the difference in close states?

Where does Bloomberg fit in? I'm thinking of the movie, Brewster's Millions if you have ever seen it. Another independent, I think a lot of us amateur, wannabe pundits like to push the envelope nearly 17 months til the election, think of what weird scenarios would be interesting. Also a billionaire, Red Sox fan from Medford who is a liberal Republican mayor of New York City, this guy has got to be funny. And in a potential debate with Romney, oh you're a multimillionaire, "that's cute."

Is Sam Brownback the American Christian Right's version of Ayatollah Khomeni? I dunno, I just thought this was kinda funny. I was watching something about the Ayatollah returning to Iran from exile and just had these weird images in my head of hordes of anti-evolution/anti-modernist Americans carrying around big pictures of Sam Brownback. I imagine if you had been a big picture printer in Iran in the late 70's you made a ton of dough, it must have been like their pet rock or rubik's cube.

Will McCain change strategy back to the maverick right center or will he continue to pander to the right wing lunacy? I think a lot of us want McCain to be the McCain of 2000, Straight Talk Express making fun of GWB but I think that South Carolina swindle took a lot out of him, we would have liked him to never like GW and his cabal, but he really wants to be President and get that evangelical and Pioneer and Ranger money so for the primaries at least he runs along with the rest of the right wing idiot horde. He's still right on some things, still the favorite in my book for the nomination but disappointing at least to the Angry Middle.

Will the Democrats realize that their best candidate (check that, most able candidate) is Joe Biden and that being said, it's about time to start knocking on some unannounced candidates doors. I'm a Clark guy, smart, war hero, general, progressive, but as we know all in all a complete dork. Makes Mike Dukakis look like Will Smith. He's the guy to go to for an amazing Presidential Chief of Staff. But seriously, only with this group of candidates could the Democrats lose the election, shoot, some of them scare the crap outta me. I'm a huge Obama fan as an orator and a senator, but can we have someone with a little foreign policy experience to help clean things up here, I mean didn't we just go through the last 7 years of that? Hillary, c'mon, the Republicans pray that Mrs. Clinton gets the nomination.

Will women voters vote for Fred Thompson in the general election, completely decked out with trophy wife? Yes, in case you were asking that is her giving good old Paul "the Wolf" Wolfowitz a little loving. Freddie according to reports has a lot in common with Ronnie Reagan, lazy, multiple marriages, "plain speaking", actor; I got no idea what he's got going for him, actually. Liked him on Law and Order though. Hear he rented a pickup truck. Freddie's got a kid the same age as mine, he's 65, damn, I feel like I'm going to drop dead and I'm not nearly his age.

Will every presidential candidate who voted for the war without reading the intelligence reports dropout of the race in self disgust and with apologies to the American people? (harakiri is probably too much to ask for) I built a Rubbermaid shed last weekend and read the instructions three times before working on it. Is it too much to ask before you vote for war to read the damn report? Do you need pictures? Sign language? A cute congressional aide to read it to you outloud while you're in a bourbon stupor? Make a freaking effort. Want to read someone with thought. Here's Ron Paul's speech on the floor.

Can we request the Browback, Tancerdo, and Huckabee run a science fair? These are the three guys who didn't believe in evolution. I just want a college science fair. We could have the faculty from Liberty University come and judge it. I'm going to apply for Huckabee's science advisor, that must be a pretty easy job. "See, right here, in Genesis, good to go."

Where is Hagel? Another interesting character who is staying out of the early fray waiting to see what comes from the "surge" and where things go. There are likely many "anti-war" republicans who are waiting for a champion for their cause. Is he running for second banana? Hagel's got some attractiveness as a candidate, another war hero, speaks in full sentences, looks good on TV, just enough grey to be distinguished not enough to be run up to Brooksby Village. Also like our friend Fred Thompson, he too appears to have access to a pickup truck.

For the love of God, Dennis, you couldn't run Cleveland, why President? I gotta pick on some Democrats, mostly I'd like to pic on my state pols, who show equal shortsightedness to the Republicans nationally. (for another time) Dennis is another one with a very young wife, that's six feet tall. He's the darling of the electric car set. I don't quite understand this, he's the equivalent of sniffing glue of candidates, give your money, get a quick high and then all you got is an awful headache and dead brain cells.

Good Lord, we need a good haberdasher to run. Are there any good haberdashers around?