Halfway

So, here we are. 2012. The last year of President Obama's first term. And hopefully only halfway through his presidency.

Feels like the campaign to run against him has been going on since 2008, but now it's reached the level that it's time to resurrect the support group.

At this point, the Republican race has three horses. Still wondering which one will cannibalize the rest. So many have fallen along the wayside to get to this point.

The discourse becomes more combative daily.

The political pundits more bombastic.

So as before, this is a place for you to post things that inspire, infuriate, and just make you shake your head.

If you're not already a listed contributor and would like to add something, please let me know.

Welcome back!

somebody get out the thesaurus

Obama got as pissed as his cool, calm, collected demeanor could reveal at AIG for giving their executives $165 million in post-bailout bonuses and demanded the return of the money.

But he calls for the GM CEO Wagoner to step down and this guy gets a $23 MILLION send-off in "pension stock awards and deferred compensation", but we're supposed to be okay with it because it's not called a severance? Are you kidding me?

Sarah Palin Will Never Be President -- Trust Me

The small smear of red on the otherwise blue electoral map looks more like a minor bloodstain on a dirty Band-Aid than anything resembling a national political party. Who voted for McCain/Palin in bigger numbers than they even voted for Bush/Cheney? Only one shrinking group: uneducated white folks in the deep south and a few folks in Appalachia. Take away the white no-college-backwoods-and/or-southern McCain/Palin vote and the Republicans would have been approaching single digit electoral college oblivion.

Sarah Palin will never hold national office nor will any Republican at the presidential level for a long time to come. Why? Because America has uneducated jerks in it but is not a nation of uneducated jerks. The Republicans are done, hoisted on the petard of their own "southern strategy."

The Republican Party is only a step away from becoming the fringe of the fringe, identified more with cross-burning weirdoes wearing hoods, folks like the Alaska secessionist party, all those gun owners stocking up on assault weapons before the "Socialist/United Nations/Obama/Muslim" conspiracy comes to fruition, than with anything remotely like a serious national political force.

The Republican Party--and I speak as a former lifelong Republican who, up through the 2000 primary campaign supported John McCain and even worked for him by arguing his case on various conservative and religious radio stations--is now the toy of the Rush Limbaugh windbags. These folks include outright crazies (such as Sarah Palin's Assemblies of God pals who are waiting for Spaceship Jesus to rescue them and/or rooting out "witches" from their midst), white racists and a few not-very-bright attention seekers, including Ann Coulter, Sean Hannity etc.

Read their blogs! Listen to their talk radio! You'll be in the twilight zone of front page tabloid fantasy on a par with Bat Boy Attacks! headlines. Bill Buckley roll over.

The Religious Right, the racists, the anti-gay hate-mongers are now not only marginalized but thoroughly out of step with even members of their own former constituency. For instance the Gordon College student newspaper (Gordon is an influential Evangelical College north of Boston) endorsed Obama this year. Many young evangelicals voted for the Democrats. James Dobson, Fox News, Limbaugh et al. were utterly powerless to do more than stir up hate. They are losing the next generation of their "base."

Meanwhile many former Republicans--like me--ran to Obama as fast as our legs could carry us and away from our willfully "we're not an elite" moronic former party. Republican commentators such as David Brooks and George Will mourned the loss of the Republican center. Others noted the Republicans have become anti-intellectual. "Anti-intellectual?" They wish! How about simply anti-literate?

Meanwhile the fringe of the fringe is holding meetings where they'll talk to themselves and look at the "facts" of their alternative universe in order to figure out "what went wrong." These are the same "leaders" (like William Kristal) who think Sarah Palin has a big political future!

Sarah Palin will never be president because the right wing of the Republican Party has perfected the art of believing their own bullshit, starting with the idea that Palin has a future. Palin and her fans don't know it yet, but having reduced itself to a grim angry joke, the Republican Party has also divorced itself from American politics and, along with that dirty used Band-Aid, is destined for the garbage can.

What's the best defense against the rube/Palin voters derailing the Republican Party forever? If the statistics of who voted for whom are correct, the education of white people in the deep South and their economic empowerment is the best answer. Maybe it will take a black Democratic president to figure out some affirmative action program that can get our southern born-again white underclass into colleges and thereby save the Republican party.

Frank Schaeffer is the author of CRAZY FOR GOD-How I Grew Up As One Of The Elect, Helped Found The Religious Right, And Lived To Take All (Or Almost All) Of It Back. Now in paperback

California's Prop 8

The following is an email from Caroline that I thought warranted posting:

Hi friends!

Even though most of us live in New York, I am urging you all to turn an eye toward California and Proposition 8 (aka Proposition Hate).

I avoided marriage for a long time because I firmly believed that, when people choose a partner poorly (as is often the case), it can derail their lives and their ambitions and drain their wallets. That being said, I always thought that anyone foolish enough to want to get married -- homosexual or heterosexual -- should be entitled to do so. In my unmarried state, I was actually sure that gay people would come to their senses and realize how lucky they were, that marriage is a sucker's bet.

As it turns out, though, marriage is actually grand, it changes your relationship in ways big and small, seen and unseen, spoken and unspoken. I'm lucky to have married Curt in Manhattan this year. Not just because he's the coolest guy in the universe (sorry, Sean Penn). But because he's a man, I'm a woman, and we live in New York. No one can rescind or nullify the legal status of our marriage. In California, that is, sadly, not the case. And the unions of thousands of couples who have been enjoying the same marital bliss as I (and, I hope, Curt) have are on the line. That's right, folks. Proposition 8, if it stands, will likely void the marriages of all these couples, many of whom have fought and waited years for the right to do so. It will also render it impossible for those people in same-sex relationships to wed or have their union recognized in California.

This is a civil rights issue at its core. If you don't believe me, read this great piece from the Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-liu10-2008nov10,0,3403185.story

And, if you feel as I do, give a couple of bucks to GLAAD to help in this fight: http://www.glaad.org/

Or, if you're free on Saturday, join the march in Manhattan. http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/New+York+City

Cheers...

cml
aka Mrs. Caroline M.L. Potter

Transition

In case you haven't come across this, the Obama team has set up a web site for the transitional government. Odds are our new president's office will have a lot more to say on the internet tubes to keep us all informed and active.

http://www.change.gov

To BLOG or not...

Well, the post election euphoria hasn't worn off completely yet, so I thought perhaps we could keep this thing going at least until the Inauguration in January. That is if anyone is still interested.

There are still ongoing issues of course - Prop 8 in California and the Alaska Senate race - just to name two. Not to mention the transitional government and the lamest duck president in history (his disapproval rating hit 76% recently). So if anyone wants to continue using this as a forum for keeping each other up-to-date on your latest obsession, please do so. Otherwise I'll take down the BLOG and we can all go back to our respective outlets for creativity, venting frustration over the plight of the world, politics, etc.

Art imitates politics?

Obama Kiboko Yao (Obama is the best)

Obama's Kenyan home ready to party

By Juliet Njeri BBC News, Kogelo

A sleepy trading centre in western Kenya has turned into a beehive of activity as the United States prepares to elect a new president.

Dozens of local and international journalists have descended on Kogelo, where the father of the US presidential hopeful Barack Obama was born and raised.

Religious leaders are leading an inter-denominational service.

After the service, the religious leaders and other residents will join Mr Obama's grandmother, Sarah Onyango, at their home where TV screens have been put up to allow residents to keep vigil.

Kogelo residents speak of their hopes for Barack Obama's victory

The area does not have access to electricity and many residents do not have TVs.

After months of being in the spotlight, the residents have learned to take it all in their stride.

There is a palpable air of excitement as they look forward to the elections and the future of a man they consider one of their own.

Mr Obama's name is on everyone's lips. Young and old are all hoping for the same thing - his victory.

His grandmother, Sarah Obama, and the rest of the family are holed up in their heavily guarded homestead.

Only close family and invited guests can make it past the hawk-eyed policemen who have set up a post inside the homestead.

For now, the family wants to monitor the historic elections in private.

Bulls for slaughter

But Malik Obama, the Democratic party candidate's half-brother, admits that the family is already planning a grand celebration after the elections.

"It goes without saying that everybody is extremely happy and excited and looking forward to celebrating after the elections," he said.

The family is not considering the possibility of Mr Obama losing.

The Obama family have invited everyone for a victory bash

Plans for a big party are already in place, and a bull has been set aside to be slaughtered for the festivities.

Mr Obama's family says everyone is invited.

"Bring a couple of sodas," they say.

Mr Obama's paternal relatives are not the only ones whose eyes are set firmly on victory and looking forward to a big party.

For Mary Atinga, and others, the party has already begun.

"He's our fellow villager and in Kogelo, we are in another USA now. We are just rejoicing and we are very excited."

Like most of the residents, she thinks that if he wins, the area will benefit immensely.

Wish-list

This belief is also shared by children.

Residents are grateful for the repair of the road to Kogelo

Students at the Senator Obama-Nyangoma Primary School - renamed after Mr Obama's visit in 2006 - already have a wish-list for a President Obama.

Sixteen-year-old Eliud Ochieng wants new school buildings to replace the old ones, and he also wants some new desks.

Abigail Atieno, who remembers singing a song for Mr Obama during his visit to the school two years ago, wants a new school.

Many residents of Kogelo hope that an Obama presidency would translate into development of the area.

Already, there is one development that has spread smiles on the faces of the residents.

The 5km dirt road that leads to the trading centre is undergoing a makeover.

The villagers hope this is just the beginning.

Indeed, most Kenyans secretly hope that his connection to the country will bring good tidings.

Although many readily admit that this might not happen, they say that will not change how they feel about him.

"He's our friend and we love him. Anything he will give us, we will appreciate it," village resident Augustine Oduor says.

Obama cocktail

In the nearby city of Kisumu, a group of youths held a mock parallel election, with six ballot boxes in different locations around the city.

Lawrence Oyange of the Big Time Comedians group, says more than 2,000 people cast their vote for the next US president.

There has been a mock election across Kisumu city

The results will be announced later on Tuesday, but the results are predictable - Mr Obama's rival, John McCain, will be lucky to garner even one vote.

Parties have been organised all over the city, with many planning to stay up all night to watch the results come in.

Bars and hotels will remain open all night to allow customers to keep up with the news.

Large screens have been erected at the Jomo Kenyatta Sports Ground in the middle of the city and hundreds of people are expected to gather to watch the results come in.

Police say they anticipate big celebrations if Mr Obama wins, but are ready to deal with any eventuality.

In January, the city was the scene of running battles between members of the public and police after riots broke out over the Kenya's contested elections.

Traders selling Obama memorabilia are cashing in on Obama's popularity, with memorabilia ranging from T-shirts and wall clocks on offer.

Hotels and other business in the city are also doing brisk business from the hordes of local and foreign journalists and other visitors who have descended on the city.

An Obama Kiboko Yao (Obama is the best) cocktail containing vodka, juice, mint and soda water has been created to be served to guests at a city hotel.

Dear Red States

We've decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware, that includes California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the best beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty.. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama. We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families. You get a bunch of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines, 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all living redwoods, sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools plus Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the other hand, you will have to cope with 88 percent of all obese Americans (and their projected health care costs), 92 percent of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, virtually 100 percent of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you.

Additionally, 38 percent of those in the Red states believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred (until a child is born, then it doesn't much matter) unless we're discussing the war, the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals then we lefties.

Finally, we're taking the good pot, too. You can have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico.

Peace out,

Blue States

The E.L.I.T.E. Plan

Come on up! I have plenty of room.