Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies
I expected to be left cold by Bush's State Of The Union speech. And I wasn't disappointed. But what is interesting is how many others seem to have had the same reaction. And they are not just the usual liberal suspects.
I don't have any meaningful, scientific, way of quantifying this impression. But from talking to a few average joes and josephines today, listening to the radio and tv pundits, I get a sense that I'm in some sort of majority all of a sudden. Dubya is finally being seen for what he is: a liar and a faithful servant to the chosen few. Even a conservative neighbor admitted he was kind of dumbfounded by the lack of vision for the future, the divisiveness, the rehashing of already discredited excuses and lies.
I'm paraphrasing. Conservative neighbor guy actually said something like "Damn, that was bullshit."
I feel optimistic today. I feel there's hope. I honestly can't say I really understand where Kerry stands on all the issues, but for some reason I'm also really glad he won in Iowa. That Howard Dean guy seems like just another doublespeaking Dem. Maybe there is a chance for some real change. I always get famously stupid, come election campaign time.
This optimistic feeling reminded me of something from Michael Moore's Dude/Country book. In a chapter entitled "A Liberal Paradise," he references several statistics. They made me feel OK when I read them and now they make me feel as if all that's needed is... the right candidate. Wut he wrote/quoted (you can read the book to get the sources):
"57% of the American public (henceforward: otap) believes that abortion should be legal in all or most cases."
"86% otap say they agree with the goals of the Civil Rights movement."
"83% otap say they are in agreement with the goals of the environmental movement."
"94% otap want federal safety regulations enacted on the manufacture and use of all handguns."
"80% otap believe that health insurance should be provided equally to everyone in the country."
"62% otap support changing current laws so that fewer nonviolent offenders are sent to prison."
"85% otap support equal opportunity in the workplace for gays and lesbians."
Finally, that somewhat awkward but well-meaning entity, MoveOn.org, has come up with a survey on what should be America's mission. It's a really really long survey! I haven't even finished it - it's numbing in a way only on-line surveys can be. But FWIW, I think that the people counted in the %s above, might want to throw down their thoughts. Here is the MoveOn American Mission Survey.
I expected to be left cold by Bush's State Of The Union speech. And I wasn't disappointed. But what is interesting is how many others seem to have had the same reaction. And they are not just the usual liberal suspects.
I don't have any meaningful, scientific, way of quantifying this impression. But from talking to a few average joes and josephines today, listening to the radio and tv pundits, I get a sense that I'm in some sort of majority all of a sudden. Dubya is finally being seen for what he is: a liar and a faithful servant to the chosen few. Even a conservative neighbor admitted he was kind of dumbfounded by the lack of vision for the future, the divisiveness, the rehashing of already discredited excuses and lies.
I'm paraphrasing. Conservative neighbor guy actually said something like "Damn, that was bullshit."
I feel optimistic today. I feel there's hope. I honestly can't say I really understand where Kerry stands on all the issues, but for some reason I'm also really glad he won in Iowa. That Howard Dean guy seems like just another doublespeaking Dem. Maybe there is a chance for some real change. I always get famously stupid, come election campaign time.
This optimistic feeling reminded me of something from Michael Moore's Dude/Country book. In a chapter entitled "A Liberal Paradise," he references several statistics. They made me feel OK when I read them and now they make me feel as if all that's needed is... the right candidate. Wut he wrote/quoted (you can read the book to get the sources):
"57% of the American public (henceforward: otap) believes that abortion should be legal in all or most cases."
"86% otap say they agree with the goals of the Civil Rights movement."
"83% otap say they are in agreement with the goals of the environmental movement."
"94% otap want federal safety regulations enacted on the manufacture and use of all handguns."
"80% otap believe that health insurance should be provided equally to everyone in the country."
"62% otap support changing current laws so that fewer nonviolent offenders are sent to prison."
"85% otap support equal opportunity in the workplace for gays and lesbians."
Finally, that somewhat awkward but well-meaning entity, MoveOn.org, has come up with a survey on what should be America's mission. It's a really really long survey! I haven't even finished it - it's numbing in a way only on-line surveys can be. But FWIW, I think that the people counted in the %s above, might want to throw down their thoughts. Here is the MoveOn American Mission Survey.
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