The Republicans are anticipating an ass-wooping in 2008 and as is the perverted way, they give themselves a voice in advising the Democrats about what to do. It’s like the coach of a football game advising his lesser adversary. Maybe it is hard to rebuff the generous advice of the side currently on top, especially before the public, but while the game is still on? In sports that condescending chiding is really just a psych-out. You wouldn’t heed the poker player telling you whether or not to call his bluff.
In this case, the corporate backers of the Republicans need to line up a Dem ringer for the 2008 election. They’re focusing on two sure-fire losers and banking on the Democrats to be optimistic and PC to a fault. I have no problem with a black man or a woman as president, but do you? If America has indeed become color and gender blind, let the Republcans put their money behind a non-white non-male. The corporate backers, which include the media owners, are already placing their bets in the funds for Mitt and Rudy.
So who does the opposite team keep insisting are the Dems most electable players? An unaccomplished senator and a universally lampooned first lady. That Hillary is a woman might be as meaningless as Obama being black. Geraldine Ferraro and Jesse Jackson were big deals back when for not being white males. America has come how far since then? If even forward? What’s your sense on whether we are behaving more or less bigoted/conservative/parochial these days?
The general bigotry has been making a slow shift onto new targets. Jews and Blacks are currently somewhat out as being targets of choice, while Muslims-Middle Eastern-Pakistani-Afghan types are in style, as well as the ‘illegals’ (read Spanish speaking-heavily accented English speaking people ) also.
I was recently contacted by the cross-dressing company of Neilsen television survey company.
First I told them I would not sponsor commericial television’s improvement as they were only gathering advert info. Two days later Beatrice Foods called again (yes, Neilsen was in full regalia listening to my every input). So I decided to humor the survey.
1st Question was: What do you watch on Television? I asked if that included all forms of media distribution but then had to explain what alternate media was. After the semantical asides, I was allowed to answer that I prefer the Internet for access to most video head feeds.
2nd Question was: What is your ethnicity? Hispanic or Other. Hmmm. I asked why isn’t No Comment being given as choice.
The surveyer’s answer was that I did not have to participate nor answer any question. “Certainly”, I replied, “but why isn’t No Comment being given as a choice?” She then explained the importance of demographics. (I try to be friendly, I really do!)
So I suggested that the absence of choice was loading the question and that no comment should be a given option not an implied option if the survey was not to purport rascism. She replied, “Sir, I have put you down for no comment.” Thanked me and hung up.
Funny thing. I never did get to answer question number two…
Dear Levi-Strauss,
We love your jeans in Russia and Colorado. And you know you love the mark-up! Please let Beatrice Foods know I believe they truly need to include all races when inquirying about racial demographics. Also let’s talk about the six degrees of Morgan Freeman as I enjoyed his answer to this so much better! Except it did leave me wondering about certain issues like underdogs, suppressed voices, and places where 60 Minutes is rarely broadcast. I think about these places often, especially when the television set is off. I walk around knowing my body is mingling with the microwaves of “I Love Lucy” and bad versions of newscasts where Oprah and Jon Stewart are the leading politicians while Bill O’ Reilley holds hands with Howard Stern, such passion!
And I wonder, when will another voice emerge? I channel my mediums. Like a schizoid strung on Apple Jacks and Cheerios, I hear voices in my head….
Thank you, dear Levi Strauss, it’s good to have some clothes to wear and recycle. Thank you for my girl friend’s dazzling bra. Maiden America Under Big Daddy’s Rule. Thank you for the War fatigues. I’m feeling so sleepy now…. sleeep sleeeeeep.
Meanwhile my credit card never closes. Such a Pay Pal indeed.
Sincerely,
Faded Blue
There is always our good friend and longtime Pueblo resident Leonard Peltier. He’s run for President twice that I know of, even though he’s serving life for the killing of an FBI informant, who as it so happens, was shot by the FBI.
There’s a presidential precedent for it, Eugene Debs ran for President from a prison cell, and got a double digit percentage of the vote…
Aside from knowing the few dribbles about the nature of the sentence and the fact that even though he was exonerated of killing the man, he is still in prison, I really never got to know much about him…. because I was a kid when all that happened.
That he will stand for president even in Solitary Confinement speaks highly of him.
I know how the police and prison officials treat people they think are “big assing” them.
Amazingly, even in the heat of the backlash from Kennedy Assassination, part Deux and George Wallace being shot on the campaign trail, they still don’t give out Secret Service protection for every presidential candidate. Mr Peltier ought to request such though, and he might have made such a request.
But for dead certain he deserves such protection the most. He is locked in and at the mercy of his political opponents, and they do have the power, (which they mistake for “authority”) to kill him at any time.