I heart Joe Wilson, and other political matters
Last night I had the pleasure of standing in someone’s living room, just a few feet away from former Ambassador Joe Wilson, and listening to him talk for a good long time about all matters Iraq, the outing of his wife Valerie Plame, and what we can do to return our country to its former status as beacon to the world.
He’s a great speaker–passionate, informed, and inspiring. I decided during the last round of presidential elections that I was going to try to see as many of our political leaders and potential leaders in person as I can, even if I’m just one in a crowd. I may or may not be a good judge of character, but I figure I have a better chance at it if I see someone in the flesh rather than just on TV.
I admit I’m a lazy citizen sometimes. I make a point of voting in every single election, no matter how small (ahem, Patrick), but in the primaries last month I realized as I stood there in the voting booth that I didn’t know a thing about half the candidates on the ballot. Who pays attention to Superintendant of Schools or Clerk of the Court? I mean, beside the candidates’ families?
So I’m determined to do better in a few weeks. I’ve been cutting out articles, building a file, and this weekend my man and I have a date to sit down and study all the propositions and fill out our sample ballots because we are FUN. Hey, better to be a good citizen nerd than not a nerd at all. I say.
On a more serious note, if you haven’t already seen Pat Tillman’s brother Kevin’s letter to all of us, take a look. He raises some honest and difficult questions, and we owe it to the men and women fighting over there to know what the answers are.
That ought to do it for my political speech this election season. But feel free to chime in.
Technorati Tags: Joe Wilson, Joseph Wilson, Ambassador Joseph Wilson, Valerie Plame, Iraq War, Voting, Voters, Elections, Politics, Pat Tillman, Kevin Tillman
I used to heart political matters.
I’ll leave it at that.
There is something to be said for Australia’s laws regarding mandatory voting. Something. I’m not sure what.
It’s not that I don’t want to vote(don’t tell annette that, though. I don’t vote to spite her.) It’s that I don’t want to blindly support someone on political party bandwagon trust.
In NH, there was a case of an extremist(I forget what kind) who changed his name to be alphabetically first on a ballot and registered Republican. He was elected to the NH senate. What does this say about the people in the voting booths?
Since I’m studying Rome for my Fantasy novel, I found this interesting.
“The client system meant that Rome was never really a democracy. People voted at elections in accordance to their family loyalties. Political ideology didn’t play a major role.
Though in the later stages of the republic – roughly from the days of the brothers Gracchus onwards – there were two political parties, the populares (‘people’s party’) and the optimates (‘senatorial party’).
The populares were for the extension of citizenship to provincials, for the cancellation of debt, and for the distribution of land. The optimates were the opposing conservative force, defending the traditions of Rome and the existing order.
But this contest was far from being one between the poor and the rich. For people voted for their patrons, as they had always done”
“The great political clashes were hence only on the surface about ideology. In reality they were more about power than the public good. There were, to put it bluntly, no ‘socialists’ in Rome.
No one acted on behalf of the poor, but rather sought to gain poor votes.”
Weird.
Florida candidates are campaigning on insurance premiums. Insurance premiums. Who cares what else they do, as long as they lower my insurance premiums…
what an odd post. Robin, have you been editing me again?
I could have swore I said “In a speed test carried out in the Seychelles a male giant tortoise could only cover 15 feet in 43.5 sec (0.23 mph) despite the enticement of a female.”
Why was I speeding? Female enticement!!!
Regardless of anyones position I strongly encourage everyone to VOTE. Why? Because we have lost the silent majority.
I know Nixon used this label in a cynical way but the majority of our citizens, the political center, are silent. We, the Center are put off by the vitriol we see in political ads. We shake our heads at the corruption of this countries ideals. We are shocked by the contemp politicians have for us and other politicians. We the Center have become lost and silenced. And because we are silent, the Centers voice has become silent at all levels of government.
Recently I have watched several programs where retired political figures have bemoaned the loss of the center in Congress. The unwillingness to compromise on issues.
The cynical lies and stealing of the public moneys. The crushing of dissent. The rise of the ideologue.
How can we change goverment? Has it reached the point where the citizens need to resort more direct means to institute change. I hope not.
I do know we the Center need to participate in our government. We have to vote. Not only in general elections but, during the primaries also. Mandatory voting? I feel uncomfortable requiring participation. Yet I know that if we citizens do not start voting again, everything we hold dear, our freedoms, our rights, what we stand for will slowly be taken from us. So please, please no matter who you vote for, VOTE!
Yay, Herb!
And Patrick, don’t try to cover up your geeky knowledge with more geeky knowledge. We like you just the way you are.
I get claustrophobic in the booth, so I voted last weekend at my comfy kitchen table by mail in ballot. I can’t say I was the best informed voter, but I did read the all the candidates letters and the rather thick pamphlet covering the propositions. I think I can wear my ‘I Voted Early’ sticker proudly.
Good job, Citizen Deborah!
Here’s a question – Would you still vote if it wasn’t an anonymous ballot?
This was a question I posed because of ballot counting issues. If there was a database you could look up to confirm that your vote was indeed tallied as you submitted it, would it be worth not being anonymous?
(They are anonymous, arent they?)
Interesting question. I have nothing to hide, but I despise the idea of people snooping into my business. Anonymous voting is essential. I think if we wanted a database to verify votes were counted properly, people could be given a voter number to use instead of their names.
What does anyone else think?
My absentee ballot hasn’t come yet and it upsets me to no end!!! I’m having a freakin conniption fit over here!!!
Patrick– you bet. If you have to hide who you voted for from anyone then it isn’t a free country. Yes I know that sounds naive. And I know that for many, in many parts of the world, an anonymous ballot is a matter of life and death. I’am just tired of living in an environment where you can’t puff up your chest and declare who and what you believe in.
There is so much fear in this country you can’t get the stink out of your clothes.
thank you herb, for giving voice to my own sentiments. like you i’m tired: tired of the demagoguery; tired of living in a political climate so poisonous that any opposition, questioning or criticism to the current administration is met with shrill accusations of being anti-american, anti-our troops, or worse. i am also frightened: frightened at how readily we have handed our country over to a band of lying thieves who consider the constitution of the united states to be “just a piece of paper”–god help us all.
Just so we don’t all feel the need to go play in traffic, remember that life and politics are full of injustices, but they’re also full of the overcoming of injustices.
So take heart.
And Lizzie, glad to hear you’re pacing back and forth waiting for your absentee ballot. Makes me proud to know you.
I thought that smell was a new laundry detergent.
If everyone was as smart and goodlooking as the people who post here, we wouldn’t have these kinds of political problems…
Robin, but, but, but, Ok,Ok, there, there, Ahhh. Its amazing how a little chocolate goes a long ways.
Just an aside. Did anyone the news item about the US effort to repatriate some of the detainees from Guantánamo Bay? I know this is twisted but I just laughed until I cried. The US is prohibited from sending some of the detainees back to their country because it is against US law to deport individuals to countries that are known to torture.
Joseph Heller would have loved this.
Robin – Do you have a discount card at your local grocery store?
Two things: Yes, Patrick, I know what you’re getting at–the whole invasion-of-privacy aspect of those discount cards. I’m way ahead of you in paranoia. I never give out my real information. Ha!
Second, I’ve been taken to task off-blog for my “Pollyanna-ish, wimpy” response above, about how life and politics are full of the overcoming of injustices.
I seriously believe that, but I’m not saying it just happens on it own. I believe we the people can affect the future of our country. Not by sitting around bemoaning what’s going on or hoping someone else will fix it, but by doing our part–VOTING, speaking out, using our own particular skills and talents to change the culture and the opinions around us.
Is that still too Pollyanna-ish?
thank you robin, you must have eaten a full-on plate of bull’s balls. curious as to who took you to task, herb, heather, PATRICK?
Me? Task? That sounds like work. I’m certainly opposed to that. And I definitely use my particular skills to change things. Voting is not a skill of mine. Being goodlooking is.
goodlooking voter–irresitible combination.
First, I’d never take Robin to task. I’m the fire starter. Second, please Patrick I encourage you to vote early and often. One of your votes will count.
Ok, I’ll fess up. I’m a member of the electoral college. My two votes count more than your 1 vote.
The structure of the Electoral College can be traced to the Centurial
Assembly system of the Roman Republic. Under that system, the adult
male citizens of Rome were divided, according to their wealth, into groups
of 100 (called Centuries). Each group of 100 was entitled to cast only one vote
either in favor or against proposals submitted to them by the Roman Senate.
In the Electoral College system, the States serve as the Centurial groups
(though they are not, of course, based on wealth), and the number of votes
per State is determined by the size of each State’s Congressional delegation.
Still, the two systems are similar in design and share many of the same
advantages and disadvantages.
Those who object to the Electoral College system and favor a direct
popular election of the president generally do so on four grounds:
n: the possibility of electing a minority president
n: the risk of so-called “faithless” Electors,
n: the possible role of the Electoral College in depressing voter turnout, and
n: its failure to accurately reflect the national popular will.
I don’t pay much attention to traditional news venues, since they’re all bought and paid for by big business and big politics. There is an incredible movement afoot on the web to bypass these and let people know of the real story. A good example of this is the fact that the recent FCC Scandal, where internal documents that presented empirical evidence that Big Media Mergers were bad for US Citizens and Democracy, was itself suppressed by Big Media. Yet if you Google it, it’s been reported all over the place by Citizen Journalists, Net Roots, and Bloggers, the NEW media. Why else do you think that Big Business and the Republican Party are trying to scuttle Net Neutrality? For more info check out the FCC posts, Citizen Journalism posts, and the Big Media posts on Bitchslappin.