I must be candid.  When I first heard that Senator McCain had chosen Governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate, I laughed my head off.  In fact, I laughed for about two days straight.  Not derisive laughter, mind you.  I laughed because the pick was audacious, savvy–and profoundly stupid.

Then, various pieces of information began to surface (nope, not going to go into detail about things most people already know, and which would further invade other people’s privacy), and the situation moved from funny–to bizarre.

Only, she turned around and gave quite a good speech.  Far better than the ones by the other three members of the two tickets, in my opinion–and for anyone who didn’t get the memo, a vice presidential pick is routinely expected to be an attack dog.  The fact that Governor Palin can be vicious–and still look so very cheerful and friendly at the same time–kind of appeals to me, and some (not all) of her criticisms of the Democratic nominee are concerns that I share.  I’m also not going to pretend to be upset about the fact that, in November, either a person of color or a woman is going to be elected.  How can anyone spin that into anything other than good news, and a sign of tremendous progress?

But, I have to say that if you kill wolves–or anything else, for that matter–you are not My Pal.  Not now.  Not ever.  In fact, it made me scrape up some spare cash and send it here.

I have also–grimly–purchased an Obama/Biden 08 hat, but I haven’t worn it yet.

Nevertheless, I am not a fan of people who decide that if you don’t agree with them on every single issue, across the board, you are evil.  Only the Yankees are evil.  Profoundly evil.  Inescapably evil.  Even when the issue involves abortion and choice.  I don’t like abortion, either.  Is there anyone who does?  But, the point, for me, is that people must be free to make their own choices about their own bodies and their own lives,and the government–or any religion anywhere–should not be involved.  However, I still allow for the possibility that reasonable people can agree to disagree in a civil manner–and I’m damned if I’ll make an “of course, I support the idea of women in public office, just not this woman” argument.  For people keeping score at home, that was the logic which destroyed Senator Clinton–who would probably have been a very fine President, and really would have won in November.  Judging from the many articles and blogs I have wasted countless hours reading lately, no one is spewing more invective towards Governor Palin than self-described liberal feminists.  What I have learned during this campaign season is that it is considered very, very bad if Republicans make unpleasant, inflammatory and divisive remarks; but, if Democrats do the same thing, it is excellent!  And if they are passive-aggressive about it or use clumsy surrogates (see Obama, Senator Barack), so much the better!

I say, enough already.  Governor Palin and I have many different beliefs.  So what?  I don’t have to vote for her.  I don’t even have to be fond of her.  But, I don’t have to spout out a bunch of spiteful things simply because we don’t share much common ground.  Senator McCain was quite right when he said (I paraphrase) that Americans are tired of everyone yelling all the time.  Although, honestly, we talk a lot about sexism and racism, and yet I can’t help wondering whether classism is what really rules this country–and this election.

Many Democrats seem to be enjoying having fun at Governor Palin’s expense, but I suspect it will all seem less jolly in November.  Instead, they should really be afraid.  Very afraid.

On a happier note, go, Patriots!

Boy, how embarrassing is that?

I joined for the most foolish of reasons–which I can admit here, because it is not a secret.  I, quite frankly, signed up in order to be able to spy on a much-loved child, and make sure no shenanigans were taking place.  The child and I were both quite open about this and, in fact, give each other quite a lot of space.  But, we poke each other regularly and the like (Hey, it’s a Facebook thing; what can I tell you?), and all seemed to be well.

But then, it turns out–oh, the ignominy!–that Facebook has games.  Lots and lots of games.  I like games.

First, I was playing a game called Triumph.  There were soldiers involved.  It seemed like great fun–until it got entirely monotonous, after a remarkably short period of time.  (I have subsequently discovered that most of the people in the game were cheating madly, and creatively, and that was what made it continue to seem entertaining for longer periods of time.)  But, I was bored, so I moved on to Dope Wars, where I joined a predominantly Malayasian drug cartel–and became remarkably good at the game, and made many new friends from all over the world.

However, it was awkward, when a bright-eyed, bespectacled nine-year-old in my life asked, happily, in the elevator, if I was currently selling crystal meth–or heroin?  And I, without thinking, said, “well, the profit margin for the crystal meth seems to be higher.”  I won no friends among our fellow passengers.

However, the Dope Wars application was fatally flawed, and one entirely un-golden day, I could no longer access said game, without encountering dreadful configuration problems.  So, it was on to King of the World.  King of the World is excellent.  I now belong to a large and ruthless multi-national alliance–with an absolutely dreadful reputation within the game; mostly because we play with great abandon, and display remarkable teamwork for people who live in wildly varying time-zones.

But, teamwork requires a non-stop flurry of messages on each other’s Royal Walls, and our discussion boards (plus, the friendly conversations I generally end up having with the people we are attacking), and Facebook decided I must be a spammer, and sent me what is known as The Dreaded Red Box–wherein, I was to be eliminated from the site at once, if I did not mend my garrulous ways.

So now, I am trying to be very, very silent–which is hard.  My teammates and I can take ourselves over to MSN, or even use good old-fashioned email–and how scary is it that email seems slow and clunky and antediluvian, in this context?–but, it’s just not the same.  I am trying to stay quiet for an entire week, which is thought to be the amount of time the mysterious Orwellian Facebook Police (who respond to no forms of contact, answer no questions whatsoever, and are known to make arbitrary and final decisions) require, in order not to delete one’s account.

But, this has made me think about a couple of things.  First of all, does it make any sense that a social networking site would go out of its way to discourage–socializing?  If anyone has an answer to that paradox, I would be deeply curious to hear it.

The situation has also made me think about teams.  It is a subject which has come to mind often lately, particularly since I am a member of a few teams–which directly resulted in my being injured in a very frightening, egregiously unsportsmanlike, and unnecessary way last week, with an uncertain prognosis.  (the details are not particularly relevant, or interesting.)  But, this event has–much to my dismay–definitely put me in an “exactly when is it time to hang up the old cleats?” frame of mind.

I have been a Democrat since I was a small child, and always considered that a team, except that once the Party embraced Unity, it turned out that the only change was that it is now making a point of excluding millions of its former members in a startlingly hostile and dimwitted way.  Then again, I continue to be one of those old-fashioned and currently unpopular people who really do support the 1st and 4th Amendments–and believe in the right to privacy, the freedom to marry whomever one wishes to marry, and a person’s unfettered ability to make personal medical decisions for him or herself.   I also do not like off-shore drilling or abrogating  the separation between church and state, or denouncing and repudiating–and insulting–anyone who dares to disagree with me–which means that, apparently, I am no longer a Democrat.

Which leaves me with very limited options politically–and little or no stomach for continuing to follow the current campaign season, except in the most vague and casual way.

Luckily, I have a more reliable and entertaining team to watch.  One of the best right-handed hitters of the modern era was traded to Hollywood–and the Red Sox are so very much better off.  Tremendous talent did not change the fact that he was hurting the team, and his replacement certainly seems to be working out, so far.

Few things interest me less than the New York Jets.

Finally, on the subject of teams, this episode has its moments, but is not one of my favorites.

I want to read this,  and am already reading this one, but expect to have better things to do than spend good money on this.  Fortunately, the world is full of fine libraries.

Which, if you watch Battlestar Galactica, should frighten you a great deal.

He is certainly brilliant, extremely attractive to many, and has a messianic appeal, which baffles and eludes a good number of sensible adults–of which, I like to consider myself one.  And, if these guys show up, I would absolutely expect Senator Obama to respond the same way Baltar did.

What can I say?  For me, it’s Roslin all the way.  Always has been, always will be.

All half-kidding aside, Senator Obama has failed to impress me from the very beginning.  At best, this is the person I see.  Mostly, though–despite knowing that this opinion is likely to make me very unpopular–I see someone who cares more about winning, than he cares about principles, and who is mainly just interested in his own political fortunes–which look very good, at the moment, given the utter and continuing ineptitude of his current opponent.

The FISA vote is just one example of the evolution of The Chosen One to Mr. Expediency.  (Here is the actual text of the bill, if you have a little time on your hands.)  He could have done this, but he didn’t.  Making the convenient choice to abandon public financing doesn’t thrill me.  Waffling on choice really doesn’t thrill me.  (No, NARAL, your check is not now–nor, from now on, will it ever be–in the mail.  I daresay I’ll send a donation here, instead.)  I am also strangely fond of the First Amendment, so the hue and cry over the recent New Yorker cover is very tiresome, indeed.  It does, however, obfuscate the very mixed profile contained within the actual issue, which may have been the campaign’s–clever and opportunistic–intent the entire time.  However, this Slate writer has a nice line:  “Only weak thinkers fear strong images.”

Is it possible that the invariable humorlessness of the Obama campaign is what I dislike most of all?  Yes.  The fall-out from the not-all-that-shocking cover reminds me of Robert Redford’s lament to Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were, when he tells her (I paraphrase), after she falls apart when being heckled during an impassioned political speech, “You had them, Katie. If only you had just laughed.”  It is probably very, very wrong of me to think this article is funny.  (I am sure this is funny–but, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong.)

And, since I’m one of those wacky people who deplores the death penalty, and thinks the Second Amendment does not mandate an individual’s right to own firearms, you can imagine how excited I am about the Senator’s slippery positions on those two issues.  The idea of spending four to eight years of living in this world is just exhausting.  If we’re very, very lucky, we may catch a break for the next few days, and neither Senator Obama, nor any members of his campaign, will feel the need to denounce or repudiate anyone.  But, there seems to be no shortage of people for them to insult, so, don’t hold your breath.

Yet, I am a pragmatist, and–by relying on precedents like Griswold v. Connecticut–I would be willing to allow the current misinterpretation of the Second Amendment remain permanently unchanged (with the proviso that the phrase “well regulated” be applied, as well), in exchange for an ironclad agreement that Roe v. Wade would also remain untouched, in perpetuity.  Seems like a fair trade to me, and could, in fact, be justified by accepting the notion that in the United States, an individual does retain a right to privacy, and that the government should not be allowed to interfere with a person’s ability to exercise that right.  (which, all things being equal, means that the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” disastrous policy would also be struck down at once, that Proposition 8 would be defeated in California, and that euthanasia would no longer be an area in which the government is permitted to interfere in any way.)

Not that it will ever happen–but, wouldn’t that strategy solve a lot of huge problems and issues which divide so many Americans, in a matter of seconds?

Remind me why Mr. Gore didn’t run again?

By the way, nice work, if you can get it.

I’d kind of like to read this, although I might wait until fall, and I think this one can definitely wait for a paperback edition, or a trip to the library.  But, even though I was underwhelmed by the first two books this writer published, I’m not going to lie–I’m really might curious about this.  It looks like good, trashy fun.

I never thought I would be entertained by fifteen endless innings of an All-Star game–but, I was.  Three cheers for J.D. Drew!

The Democratic Party is broken. In fact, I don’t think too many people would disagree with me if I were to say that, right now, the entire country is not in particularly good shape. Ever since that terrible September morning in New York — which had the most shockingly beautiful blue sky I ever remember seeing in my city — I’m not sure we have even gotten close to being who we were or, at least, who we hoped we were. What makes that even more sad is that, no matter where you fall on the political spectrum, today should be a truly glorious day. After last night, America really never will be quite the same — and that’s a good thing. I would even argue that it’s a great thing.

But, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have been a supporter of Senator Clinton throughout the primary season. Her tactics have often annoyed and sometimes even disgusted me, but I still thought she would be the most effective president during a time when the country seems to need grit and determination and the grinding tedium of hard work to get ourselves back on track. Unfortunately, I think she and Senator Obama have been caught up in a bizarre maelstrom of non-stop punditry and over-analysis and media-fed miscommunication — most of which has just made me feel like going somewhere and lying down with a cool cloth on my forehead.

Everywhere I have gone today — both in the real world, and in the peculiar, highly charged environment known as the Internet — instead of celebrating the fact that we’ve been catapulted into a new era, people seem short-tempered and tense and confused. When you think about it, that’s really quite heartbreaking. And, day after day, the division between the two competing halves of the Democratic Party seems to be growing even more ugly and intractable.

One often hears the question “What can Senator Obama do to unify this vast sea of wildly opinionated, intensely involved citizens?” I have a very simple suggestion, which — at first glance — will sound rather banal and meaningless. I respectfully ask anyone who happens to read this to stop and take a second glance.

There is simply no way for the deplorable wounds of racism and sexism to be erased during a single campaign season, no matter how groundbreaking it truly is, in so many ways. But, I have been waiting for Senator Obama to do something — anything –that would make me say, okay, it isn’t just pretty words, or the fervent wistful projections of a battered populace, but that he really is capable of bold, transformational action.

I would love, for example, for Senator Obama to be able to take Al Gore’s graceful and elegant position on gay marriage, but I recognize that it would not be an act of wisdom during a heated election. But, there is actually a different, long-dormant issue that still lurks, privately, as a tremendous disappointment to millions of Americans — myself among them.

It’s a blast from the past, but remember the ERA? There are many people who will probably think, oh, please, that is such old news — but, you know, it isn’t. It mattered then, and it matters now, even though no one ever mentions it anymore. What if Senator Obama came out and said that one of his first acts as president would be to do everything in his power to bring the ERA back, and try to get it ratified, once and for all? Yes, I suppose it seems like ancient history, but the words are very simple: “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” At the time, many people found the entire concept irrationally terrifying, but does it still seem scary and radical? Or does it just seem — logical?

And is it within the realm of possibility that if Senator Obama took that position, openly and proudly, a statistically significant percentage of Senator Clinton’s most devoted and intelligent supporters would suddenly feel much more comfortable with — and maybe even enthusiastic about — his candidacy? I will be honest — it would certainly make a difference to me. It would be a symbolic gesture, but an important one.

Would those 24 words end the war in Iraq, fix the economy, or provide universal health care for one and all?

No. But, those 24 words matter.

They always have.

They still do.

**This piece was originally published at The Huffington Post/Off The Bus

(The direct link is here; they will be adding my full name ASAP, for what it’s worth)

I like history.

I have always liked history.

And although it is on another, very grim topic, this, in my opinion, is an beautifully written piece of history.  So is this.  But when I was trying–and failing–to get my PhD in–you guessed it!–history, I was told that, over and over, that I was defining history incorrectly.

However, I am really quite certain that last night actually does fall into the category of history.    Setting aside any personal political preferences I may or may not have, my response is: mazel tov!

Right now, that would be my preference. I won’t do it, because–in my opinion–only a weenie votes “Present,” but it certainly feels like a tempting choice.

Senator’s Obama’s speech this week was, for the most part, quite good. I don’t think it reinvented the wheel, but it was effective, and occasionally ambitious. A solid single, which a brave soul could probably stretch into a double–but, it wasn’t a home-run. (Mind you, no one else has even been stepping up to the plate, forget connecting with the ball, so some significant credit is definitely due.) A home-run requires an act of political courage–not a hasty, if well-written, response to intense media pressure. The same sort of speech could, and should, have been given months ago, simply because it was the right thing to do, and not because a cranky reverend popped off a few too many times. If one is going to be a visionary leader, it’s not enough to have vision–you also must lead.

A grand-slam home-run is when the speech is not only completely voluntary, but also–dare I say it–full of genuine audacity, scope, and risk. Risk is a major component of world-class political oratory, which simply doesn’t exist when one is carefully preserving one’s campaign, while preaching to the eager-to-be-converted. (It is good that many, many people want to change the way the United States operates, but political expediency is still political expediency.) A walk-off grand-slam home-run is when the speech is entirely extemporaneous, and in immediate response to a terrible crisis. Robert F. Kennedy, addressing Dr. King’s tragic murder comes to mind. A speech which is mostly given to further one’s own personal fortunes–even a very good one–simply doesn’t belong anywhere in the same category.

It was fine. It was intelligent. It was a nice start. I hope he sent his grandmother some flowers.

I also kind of think that a true leader isn’t afraid to roll the dice and have Michigan and Florida re-vote.

How swell it would be if Senator Clinton suddenly spoke–out of the blue, at length, and from the heart–about gender. However, if she did, I suspect she would be pilloried by one and all, for being a less gifted speaker, and for discussing a subject the media has long since made clear that it considers entirely unimportant. And, unfortunately, it would smack of “me, too!”, and she would be accused of political opportunism. It probably would be opportunistic, but that wouldn’t make it wrong, or irrelevant.

It is very clear that the Democratic Party is not going to allow any scenario which would result in her receiving the nomination. Superdelegates will not be permitted to fulfill their duties–unless, of course, they are named–oh, say–Governor Bill Richardson, or the increasingly transparent Nancy Pelosi. (Senator Clinton won New Mexico and California, which means that the will of the People in those two states was for her to–oh, never mind. The rules aren’t allowed to be changed in the middle of the game–except for when they are changed in the middle of the game. I sense that the Party specifically wants Speaker Pelosi to land the fatal blow, in the end, to make it appear slightly more palatable. Very slightly.)

Senator Clinton is going to lose. It stinks, but there it is. It’s partially her fault, for not running a tighter, smarter, bolder campaign–but, even though I remain convinced that she is a much stronger general election candidate, and would be a far superior President, it’s just not going to happen. If Senator Obama keeps stumbling regularly, and it appears as though she really still might have a chance, I assume that former President Carter, or Al Gore, will grab the ax from Speaker Pelosi and forcefully end the campaign for good.

Which will mean that pretty much all Senator McCain has to do to cruise to the Presidency is–stay awake. And not pick a total loon as his Vice-President.

If I were Senator Clinton’s pal, I’d tell her to pull out. They’re not going to let her win, even if she takes the popular vote, so there’s nothing to gain. And I would be willing to bet a great deal of money I don’t have, that in November, when Senator Obama turns out to be Professor Harold Hill, without the deus ex machina, Hilary will be the one who gets blamed. So, she should be wily, and tough–and fall on her sword.

I think she should sit down with the Powers That Be in a back room, and say, “I can win without him, but he can’t win without me, so here’s how it’s going to go.” (His supporters–as is invariably true during Democratic primary seasons–tend to be on the most liberal side of the Party, and won’t defect to Senator McCain; a certain percentage of her supporters will.)

Although, obviously, this is the gift which keeps on giving.

Anyway, in exchange for her warm, whole-hearted support throughout the fall campaign, Senator Clinton’s minimum price should be Senate Majority Leader or, possibly, the next seat on the Supreme Court. And, among other things, she should also insist that he re-think his health-care plan, and require a mandate–because it doesn’t have a shot in hell of working, otherwise. In addition, Senator Obama should be required to praise her–in public, even!–for putting the Party first, against her better interests, and he needs to sound a whole lot better than this. (Yes, for anyone keeping score at home, I thought Senator Obama was making an ill-advised, premature run before he even declared, but that was one of several moments which has helped to reinforce my gut feeling that, inclusive rhetoric aside, he is not a very nice person–and, as I have said before, is actually just a left-wing, eloquent version of President Bush.)

It’s not the way I wanted to see the path to the Democratic nomination end, and I dread November, but I’m afraid that all that is really left for Senator Clinton’s campaign is a salvage operation.

On a more cheery note, this is fun.

And I wish I could do this.

Maybe I will go eat some of these.

Senator Obama did not ask for my advice. Surprisingly, his campaign rarely calls me, and almost never writes. (and when they do, they just want money.)

But, tomorrow–today, actually, as I look at the clock–the Senator should, in my opinion, not opt for lofty rhetoric, or defensiveness, or repudiate anyone. He should not prevaricate, or obfuscate, or even hesitate. It will, no doubt, be tempting to try and walk down the road Dr. Martin Luther King so brilliantly paved, and I’m sure Senator Obama could deliver an inspiring speech, albeit an inevitably less ground-breaking and indelible one. But, with the Democratic Party–and, in too many ways, and for too many reasons, the entire country–currently teetering angrily on the edge of despair, I think he should channel Harry S. Truman, instead.

Be honest. Be direct. Be humble. Tell the truth. Don’t mince words. Shoot straight. (And one must never forget that President Truman was a man who abruptly made history with a single bold signature on a vital document.)

I will quote the crucial passage: “It is hereby declared to be the policy of the President that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion or national origin.” (Would I like to see gender and sexual orientation in there, too? You bet. But, life is flawed, and in recent years, the formerly glorious concept of a sweeping executive order has been egregiously abused.)

America has a tangled, and distressing, racial history. It is endlessly confusing, and complicated, and infuriating, and it is hard to believe that there is anyone who has ever even been to the United States, who doesn’t have strong opinions about race–and the other categories and concepts which are used to try and put people in tiny little boxes, and limit and diminish us all. People hear coded words where they don’t exist–and sometimes miss them entirely in what appear to be benign remarks. Everyone, invariably, feels as though they have to walk on those proverbial eggshells–and I daresay that most of us bitterly resent it, on the occasions when we feel as though we are being pushed in directions where we don’t want to go.

I, personally, have never cared whether anyone agrees with my opinion, but I unfailingly want to be treated with respect–even on those (one likes to think, very rare) occasions when I don’t particularly deserve it. And, I operate under the presumption that, if I make my best effort to treat others with respect, too, they will be kind enough to overlook my mistakes, and I will try as hard as I can to respond accordingly.

Sometimes, I fail. That’s the way it goes. Ideally, though, you try again–and, with luck, do better the next time out.

I have many very strong opinions–about faith, politics, race, gender, sports, you name it. And I know that sometimes I make assumptions about people based upon things as seemingly trivial as whether they like cats. (Full disclosure: I like cats. It is not required for other people to like cats, but I expect them never to say anything offensive about my cats. Because, frankly, that would be impolite.)

I don’t like guns. Many other people do. I don’t get it. But, that doesn’t mean that we can’t try to find common ground. (Unless, of course, someone tries to shoot one of my cats–but, I hope not to encounter that particular situation.)

I have wildly conflicting opinions about religion, and worry about this quite a lot. Once, at a church I had attended for many years, the priest–and the congregation, as a whole–did something which offended my sensibilities to the degree that, once they had all settled down, I walked out in the most dramatic way imaginable, and even slammed the door. I like to think they noticed–but, maybe not.

I deplore a number of things that the United States government has done in my name–but that doesn’t mean that I don’t get very upset when people don’t bother taking their hats off while the National Anthem plays at baseball games. And yet, by virtue of the First Amendment, they are certainly free not to do so–and I guess I am equally free to find it extremely disrespectful.

I don’t like war; I do like soldiers. I don’t like rules, but I do like laws. I think Harry Potter is just silly, but Buffy is cool.

Life is a muddle.

I want Senator Obama to be direct tomorrow. Unflinching. Clear. Brave.

He has a chance for A Moment.

I hope he grabs it.

I want to wake up, and have Al Gore getting ready to finish his second term. We all have health care. The economy continues to operate with a large surplus. The Kyoto Accord has been scrapped–because it wasn’t ambitious enough, and the new treaty is much better. Since we now have independent, renewable sources of energy, Saudi Arabia has lost much of its influence–and the rulers have been forced to start being nicer to women. (of all things!) Saddam is probably still in power, but he’s a completely marginalized loon, and the Gore Administration has been focused on trying to help Israel’s neighbors learn how to co-exist with an actual staunch democracy, and treat other countries in the region as genuine allies.

Many things have happened during the past eight years, but the best part of all is that the World Trade Center is standing right where it always was. It’s still not attractive, but it’s tall, and we’re fond of it, and thousands of people go to work there every day–and come home safely at night.

Sigh.

Instead, we’re living in a nightmare, and increasingly, Democrats are part of the problem. I’m not sure I want to post any links, because even space aliens have been sitting at their dinner tables all week saying, “whoa, this is out of control, when’s Opening Day?” (Side-note: life really is topsy-turvy, because President Bush was pretty funny.)

And James Carville is suddenly the voice of reason. I’m starting to think that we actually are living in a world without shrimp.

My grandmother–a person I miss absolutely every day–used to have a saying, “God don’t love ugly.” Mostly, she said it when my sisters and I quarreled–which was often. And if she were watching this current election campaign, I believe she would have me pour her some more sherry and say, “Honey, let’s put on some stories.” (”Stories,” being soap operas or television dramas.) We would be entertained. We would enjoy snacks. Life would be delightful.

I was watching CNN today, which showed a very lengthy clip of an angry reverend’s sermon, after which, the commentator said–with no sense of irony, “That was given on December 25th, 2007″ or words to that effect. In other words, it was Christmas. Which, within the context of the Christian faith, is generally considered kind of a Happy Day. Instead, the parishioners were bombarded with a stream of invective. I have to say, that is not a church I would attend twice–nor would I buy the CDs/DVDs/whatever, in order to listen to the shouting again at my leisure. (So, it goes without saying that I would not go again and again for twenty years–until, finally, my own personal ambition forced me to take the spiritual mentor from whom I purloined the title of my best-selling book–and throw him under a bus.)

This, of course, after tossing Samantha Power onto the subway tracks, while the other campaign hurled Geraldine Ferraro out of an airplane–and, well, God don’t love ugly. (obviously, insert your own higher-power-of-choice–or no higher power whatsoever–into that statement, to make it fit within your personal belief system.)

Can the grown-ups come out and play now? Are there any grown-ups left?

Here is what I think is going to happen. Senator Obama will be the nominee in November–and he will lose. It won’t be pretty, and if Senator McCain is wily enough to pick Colin Powell or Elizabeth Dole or someone of similar stature as a running mate, it will be an absolute landslide. You can crunch the numbers right and left, but Senator Clinton isn’t going to be able to pull the Democratic nomination out–without half of the Party sitting at home in November and sulking, as they toss their beanbags up and down in the air. I think the smart move would have been for her to pull out quite some time ago, let Senator Obama take the complete blame for the upcoming November debacle, and then learn from her mistakes and run a much better campaign in 2012. But, I’m pretty sure she is going to keep scuffling all the way to Denver–and the end result will be that two potentially fine Presidents are going to crash and burn. There’s something to be said for being a statesman or woman–and I sure as hell haven’t seen one in either campaign lately.

So disappointing. So unnecessary. So incredibly short-sighted, and stupid. The only thing I can say with reasonable certainty is that I have no intention of voting for anyone I do not consider a grown-up. Which puts me in quite a pickle.

All things being equal, I found this site more interesting than anything else I read today–although it is, by no means, cheery.

However, I was here recently, and it was excellent.

And I don’t like the war, but this is cool.

Finally saw Juno. Totally dug it. If I were ever involved with a movie–a scenario I do not anticipate, frankly–I would want Ellen Page to be in it. I am looking forward to seeing Smart People next month.

I wish that I did not strongly believe this–but, I do, and have yet to come across anything at all to convince myself that the Democratic Party is not currently careening towards disaster. (Actually, a large percentage of the Party seems to be willingly marching in that direction, complete with angry words and beatific smiles on their faces–but, that is not an opinion which will make me popular, or beloved.) I have always believed that our Current Emperor ran for President simply because, with so many others footing the bill and doing the heavy lifting, he could. A Presidential campaign is good fun and so forth, but actually being the President, and handling unexpected crises, is another matter entirely. Getting lauded and applauded is delightful; engaging in the tedium, compromise, and hard work of governing is another thing entirely.

There’s no question that running for President is a nasty business, and no single candidate is going to be perfect–or even mostly perfect. But, after eight years of an Emperor who only feels comfortable when he looks like this, it would be a nice change to have a President who works too hard.

It is a flight of fancy, of course, but imagine the afternoon of January 21, 2009. Millions of people all over the world have tuned in to watch a new President be inaugurated–and it is safe to assume that at least half of them will be unhappy about it. Many of them will, in fact, be downright hostile and full of vituperative remarks. But, regardless, the President speaks, and is inspiring, or workmanlike–or simply a disturbing echo of the previous Administration. In any case, it is now late afternoon, the festivities are over, and the new President has returned to the White House. If one were to abandon all preconceptions and fiercely-held political leanings, and simply guess, in the most honest and objective way, which of the three probable leaders would be the most likely to race directly down to the Oval Office, pick up a pen–and get to work, who would be your first pick? If you had to bet the kids’ college fund, and your IRA, and the fortunes of your favorite baseball team from now until the end of time–what visual image would pop immediately into your head? Even if the image makes you cringe, who did you see?

However, it seems likely that the Democratic Party will Anoint Another–and that, as a direct result, on the afternoon of January 21st, 2009, John McCain will be up in the Residence, taking a quick nap, before getting dressed to go to the Inaugural Balls.

Tony Rezko is a problem. Donnie McClurkin is also a problem. (Yes, I yearn for the clarity and courage of this man. )

Making a back-channel contact with a foreign government to assure them that your strongly-held position is just posturing is a problem.

Crumpling under the first tiny flurry of negative press attention is a problem.

Not holding vitally needed subcommittee hearings, when you are the chairperson–and, among other things, America happens to be fighting two poorly-planned wars with little or no help from our allies–is a problem.

Skipping tough votes on a regular basis–when you want to be the Leader of the Free World–is a problem.

Voting “present” 129 times, even as an arcane tactical maneuver, is a problem.

Talking about unity and change, without actually displaying any evidence of leadership, is a problem.

There are, in fact, a lot of problems–but, they are infinitesimal compared to the absolute nightmare of a mess, both foreign and domestic, which the next President will face from the very moment he or she takes the oath of office. So, charming and pleasant are not high on my list of qualities that our next commander in chief needs to have.  I just don’t think we have that luxury this time.

This showed maturity and wisdom. I wish his intellect had prevailed over his ego. America is, after all, still going to need a seasoned, talented President in 2016.

Which, famously, describes our current President–and, I’m afraid, also describes Senator Obama. Too much hubris, not enough policy details. Or even any. Granted, the left-wing version of the current Administration would be an improvement over the last seven years, but unless McCain picks Huckabee as his running mate and frightens everyone, I think we may be looking at a Republican landslide.

I’m not a huge fan of its author, but this is a good piece.

I am, however, extremely fond of Mr. Krugman.

Everywhere I went on Super Tuesday, I ran into Obama supporters, who were literally running around in circles and screaming “Yes, we can!” with glazed looks in their eyes. At best, it was embarrassing, but it also felt–deranged. I would love to be inspired by a candidate, and feel wildly excited and so forth–but, not to the point of losing reason. Surely, there is something to be said for dignity? Call me crazy, but I want an adult to run the country. A sensible one. In any case, I feel as though lately, life has been one demoralizing defeat after another. (I will not discuss–now or ever–what happened to a team which will go unmentioned until next season. But, I took it hard. There might even have been a bit of weeping involved.)

Apropos of nothing in particular, she continues to be a mysterious, somewhat perplexing figure.

My friend Barbara sent me a very funny card from this site. If you have the right kind of slightly sick sense of humor, I highly recommend it.

For those of us who like photography, this is kind of neat. They’re starting their second series of 100 on Monday.

And, if you were very kindly making up a gift list for me–which is always a delightful idea–please put this at the top. I did not know, until I became a bit of a photography wonk, that one can lust for gear. I am currently saving up for a 300mm 2.8 lens–and expect to be able to afford one in no more than two or three years. Sigh.

If you are sensible enough to be a Battlestar Galactica fan, you will enjoy this. Dark is good. And, I don’t care what anyone says–Anders is wicked handsome.

This makes life worth living.

[Note from the Webmaster: I've closed comments on this one for ease of discussion. Please head on over to the Politics thread on the MB.  Since I'm about to go out of town for the weekend, I've temporarily reconfigured the board so that administrator approval is not required. Everybody have a great weekend and play nice! ]