Friday, October 31, 2008
Halloween Note
So October's been a wild ride and I wanted you guys to know that I haven't forgotten about you. I've got a political post or two in the works that I'll make sure to publish before Tuesday. I leave for Santa Barbara today at noon to see Matt Wingert and Co and their school's allegedly magnificent festivities. I plan to dress as a zombie, in case you're wondering. Either way now is a poor time to write a blog because I have a million and a half things to do, including packing, so I bid you adios.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Election
It's that time of year again. Can't you feel it in the air? The winds emanating from the campaign trail are sweeping the wasteland that is nearly-post-Bush America, and it's time for me to throw in my two cents.
I'd like to begin by observing that both major candidates are fundamentally excellent by political standards. They make the candidates from the last eight years look like idiot monkeys or statues. It should be unsurprising that this election brought out the Democrats' finest, because the playing field has been tilted deeply left ever since it occurred to the American public that Iraq was one of the stupidest decisions they'd ever signed off on. However, that the Republicans fielded a legitimate competitor is something that can only be explained by chance. McCain, after unfortunately getting his ass kicked by said idiot monkey, spent the last eight years biding his time, growing wrinkles and superficially compromising his convictions for the glory of the Christian right. This is McCain's last shot at the White House.
I believe my estimation of the candidates was affirmed upon their first debate. Each had moments of crystalline clarity, and they battled thoughtfully and with finesse. The second debate was a different story. Neither demonstrated substance nor reason the entire night, rather, they simply impugned each other's character and values. My faith in the candidates was shaken, but in the final debate each of them made a return to form. Though the subjects of debate illicited redundancy, McCain and Obama found new and exciting points to make, and because the pacing was somewhat more spry than on their first encounter (which was weighed down by bickering concerning foreign policy) the final debate was likely the best.
Obama should be criticized for aspiring to spend too much on government programs in a time of financial crisis and for playing the starry eyed visionary in a time that demands realism. I guess he's a good politician, and a liberal one, but I appreciate McCain for having the balls to tell it like it is. We can't afford a New Deal. Arguments based on Obama's inexperience are fair critiques. While Obama is a long way from being unqualified, he lacks familiarity with the precedents and mechanics of a system he hopes to run.
McCain has not run a perfect campaign, however. At this point, it is almost universally accepted that naming Governor Palin as his running mate was a grave error. It was almost a foregone conclusion that he would choose a fundamentalist, but he could certainly have found a more qualified one. Also, McCain's health plan is problematic. It is simultaneously ineffective and inelegant. He proposes to simultaneously raise taxes and give a "tax credit" aka a government subsidy to medical costs, all the while not making any attempt to change the system that is so clearly broken. Republicans are less forgiving of this sort of mistake than their opposition. Maybe the plan was better than nothing, but why didn't he just make a straight argument against government health care? It's not like it's hard. As necessary as it may be, socialized health care is rife with potential for mismanagement and failure.
After his landslide victory in earning a Senate seat, I pronounced myself a supporter for "Obama '08"! I had no idea such wishful thinking would become fact. His sensibility is earnest and astute. His demographics align with my own (and I don't mean that I'm black). The man embodies everything that is great about the backlash against Republicans and the Bush Administration. I am concerned about a party once again controlling every branch of government, but not nearly so much as last time. He is an individual that America can rally around.
By all accounts, the election is already won in Obama's favor. I expect a dumptruck of mud to unload in the next week or two, but I doubt it will overcome his substantial lead.
I'd like to begin by observing that both major candidates are fundamentally excellent by political standards. They make the candidates from the last eight years look like idiot monkeys or statues. It should be unsurprising that this election brought out the Democrats' finest, because the playing field has been tilted deeply left ever since it occurred to the American public that Iraq was one of the stupidest decisions they'd ever signed off on. However, that the Republicans fielded a legitimate competitor is something that can only be explained by chance. McCain, after unfortunately getting his ass kicked by said idiot monkey, spent the last eight years biding his time, growing wrinkles and superficially compromising his convictions for the glory of the Christian right. This is McCain's last shot at the White House.
I believe my estimation of the candidates was affirmed upon their first debate. Each had moments of crystalline clarity, and they battled thoughtfully and with finesse. The second debate was a different story. Neither demonstrated substance nor reason the entire night, rather, they simply impugned each other's character and values. My faith in the candidates was shaken, but in the final debate each of them made a return to form. Though the subjects of debate illicited redundancy, McCain and Obama found new and exciting points to make, and because the pacing was somewhat more spry than on their first encounter (which was weighed down by bickering concerning foreign policy) the final debate was likely the best.
Obama should be criticized for aspiring to spend too much on government programs in a time of financial crisis and for playing the starry eyed visionary in a time that demands realism. I guess he's a good politician, and a liberal one, but I appreciate McCain for having the balls to tell it like it is. We can't afford a New Deal. Arguments based on Obama's inexperience are fair critiques. While Obama is a long way from being unqualified, he lacks familiarity with the precedents and mechanics of a system he hopes to run.
McCain has not run a perfect campaign, however. At this point, it is almost universally accepted that naming Governor Palin as his running mate was a grave error. It was almost a foregone conclusion that he would choose a fundamentalist, but he could certainly have found a more qualified one. Also, McCain's health plan is problematic. It is simultaneously ineffective and inelegant. He proposes to simultaneously raise taxes and give a "tax credit" aka a government subsidy to medical costs, all the while not making any attempt to change the system that is so clearly broken. Republicans are less forgiving of this sort of mistake than their opposition. Maybe the plan was better than nothing, but why didn't he just make a straight argument against government health care? It's not like it's hard. As necessary as it may be, socialized health care is rife with potential for mismanagement and failure.
After his landslide victory in earning a Senate seat, I pronounced myself a supporter for "Obama '08"! I had no idea such wishful thinking would become fact. His sensibility is earnest and astute. His demographics align with my own (and I don't mean that I'm black). The man embodies everything that is great about the backlash against Republicans and the Bush Administration. I am concerned about a party once again controlling every branch of government, but not nearly so much as last time. He is an individual that America can rally around.
By all accounts, the election is already won in Obama's favor. I expect a dumptruck of mud to unload in the next week or two, but I doubt it will overcome his substantial lead.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
The Man With The Sign
Yesterday something called Chamber Day inundated the quad with the booths of businesses and campus organizations. I happened upon my friends tabling Davis College Democrats' voter registration drive. Before I knew it, Don had me tabling with them. My friend Akhil pointed out a man with a sign a few dozen yards away. The sign said in big, bold letters "Jesus Saves" and underneath were words like baby murder, Muslims, sports nuts, homosexuality, Mormons, drunken party animals and rebellious women. Akhil said he'd given the man a "No on Prop 8" sticker for a cookie and that I could have a cookie if I did the same. "He'll tell you you're going to hell!", Akhil said enthusiastically. I agreed to give the man the sticker.
The man was in conversation with some argumentative undergrad boys. Evidently, they were contesting some belief he held. One of the boys was flipping through a pocket bible, searching for the quote he had asserted. The man responded, "I don't think you're lying, I simply think you misremembered".
I walked up to him and shook his hand, saying, "I like the work you're doing here." This was true because I believe in representing viewpoints, especially where they may be received with hostility, and because I think Jesus really does save. I showed him the sticker and explained that I was against Prop 8. He genially asked me what Prop 8 was. I told him the full story, mentioning "activist judges" and explaining that I believed in a "permissive society". He looked a little confused and asked, "So this Proposition, is it for or against gay marriage?" "It's against, and this is a 'No on Prop 8' sticker," I explained. He said, "Oh, ok. That part about 'permissive society' confused me, what do you mean by that?" I explained that I believed that a civil society such as American should allow individuals to do what they want so long as it doesn't hurt other people. He shrugged his shoulders agreeably and said that it just depends on what you consider to be hurting other people. I agreed, and bid him farewell.
The man was reasonable and courteous. Even under unrelenting assault by smug, combative boys, he managed to be, well, "christian". Just goes to show...
The man was in conversation with some argumentative undergrad boys. Evidently, they were contesting some belief he held. One of the boys was flipping through a pocket bible, searching for the quote he had asserted. The man responded, "I don't think you're lying, I simply think you misremembered".
I walked up to him and shook his hand, saying, "I like the work you're doing here." This was true because I believe in representing viewpoints, especially where they may be received with hostility, and because I think Jesus really does save. I showed him the sticker and explained that I was against Prop 8. He genially asked me what Prop 8 was. I told him the full story, mentioning "activist judges" and explaining that I believed in a "permissive society". He looked a little confused and asked, "So this Proposition, is it for or against gay marriage?" "It's against, and this is a 'No on Prop 8' sticker," I explained. He said, "Oh, ok. That part about 'permissive society' confused me, what do you mean by that?" I explained that I believed that a civil society such as American should allow individuals to do what they want so long as it doesn't hurt other people. He shrugged his shoulders agreeably and said that it just depends on what you consider to be hurting other people. I agreed, and bid him farewell.
The man was reasonable and courteous. Even under unrelenting assault by smug, combative boys, he managed to be, well, "christian". Just goes to show...
Sunday, October 5, 2008
The Central Coast
Before the start of school I visited Southern California for a few days before embarking on a road trip with my mom and sister up the central coast to drop Bri off at UC Santa Cruz for her freshman year. As you can imagine, the trip necessitated some serious photography. Not one to shirk duty, I nearly filled up both memory sticks and ran through three sets of batteries.
We camped in San Simeon State Beach on our first night and the next morning we went for a walk.
Later that day, we stopped to see an elephant seal colony.
After camping in Big Sur, we arrived in Santa Cruz. Waiting in a line for unloading directions I noticed Brandon's distinctive political bumper stickers on the red minivan in front of us. His brother happened to be moving into the building next to my sister's.
Though Bri had been freaking out about the move the entire trip and we bailed on her that evening, when we brought her her mini fridge the next morning she already seemed to be flourishing.
Mom and I left up Pacific Coast Highway on a pilgrimage to Mavericks. We found the surf shop that held exclusive rights to the name in the middle of an industrial section of Princeton-by-the-Sea, a fishing village just north of Half Moon Bay.
In all of my travels through California that week I didn't find a town nearly so charming as this harbor hamlet. I resolved to spend a summer there if I get the chance.
Those rocks are a half mile out to sea and are threaded by the brave surfers of Mavericks. The biggest rock is almost two stories high. That day I was repeatedly informed that it was too flat to surf. Everybody there seemed to have a distorted understanding of the term "flat".
We camped in San Simeon State Beach on our first night and the next morning we went for a walk.
Later that day, we stopped to see an elephant seal colony.
After camping in Big Sur, we arrived in Santa Cruz. Waiting in a line for unloading directions I noticed Brandon's distinctive political bumper stickers on the red minivan in front of us. His brother happened to be moving into the building next to my sister's.
Though Bri had been freaking out about the move the entire trip and we bailed on her that evening, when we brought her her mini fridge the next morning she already seemed to be flourishing.
Mom and I left up Pacific Coast Highway on a pilgrimage to Mavericks. We found the surf shop that held exclusive rights to the name in the middle of an industrial section of Princeton-by-the-Sea, a fishing village just north of Half Moon Bay.
In all of my travels through California that week I didn't find a town nearly so charming as this harbor hamlet. I resolved to spend a summer there if I get the chance.
Those rocks are a half mile out to sea and are threaded by the brave surfers of Mavericks. The biggest rock is almost two stories high. That day I was repeatedly informed that it was too flat to surf. Everybody there seemed to have a distorted understanding of the term "flat".
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Three Seconds in the Life
I cross a street on my way to class. A girl, probably a freshman, appears disgruntled that I would walk out in front of her bike, a few feet within her set trajectory. Without changing my stride, I stare said freshman down with a glare that plainly says, "I dare you to hit me you ignorant noob." She tweaks her course a bit and passes behind me. I go to class.
Curse these freshman. Talking to my roommate Greg on the subject of our campus's present affliction he suddenly said, "They're like children!". Ha ha ha... ha... *sigh*.
Curse these freshman. Talking to my roommate Greg on the subject of our campus's present affliction he suddenly said, "They're like children!". Ha ha ha... ha... *sigh*.
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