11.11

If there is one thing that I hate these days its politics. Almost as much as I hate religion. More on that later. They had a couple elections last week. The guy that wanted to outlaw blow jobs, Ken Cuccinelli, lost in Virginia. Go figure.

Down in Tony Soprano country, Republican moderate Chris Christie won. Big. 22 points including a lot of bipartisan democratic support. This guy is one stuffed pork chop away from cardiac arrest, don't know if he'll even make it to the starting gate but he is an interesting figure. And everybody loves a fat guy, call it the John Belushi, Candy, Farley syndrome.

Christie made headlines and raised the ire of fellow repubs when seen playing footsie with President Obama during Hurricane Sandy. He is a very calculating sort, can play the bipartisan angle when it suits him and so many of his party don't trust him. Inhofe came out swinging against him today, Perry yesterday. Not conservative enough supposedly for the base, although he tacks pretty hard right on most social issues including the gay thing and abortion.

I think that he would be a formidable candidate in a general election but don't think that a Republican party dedicated to such an extreme social agenda would ever allow this guy to make it through the primaries. Good thing. He is also a believer in immigration reform, apostasy to your Steve Kings and Louie Goobers.

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I heard various conservative talking heads say that Cooch failed in not going on the offensive on the social issues, he allowed himself to be defined by the opposition. From Politico:

“Being pro-life is a majority position in this country or at least close to it,” said National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brad Dayspring. “Candidates have to explain their positions without getting stuck getting nitpicked to death. … We fully expect the ‘war on women’ politics to be used and exploited by Democrats, [and] we fully expect our candidates to be fully prepared for it.”Democrats took to the Virginia airwaves and the campaign trail this fall to note Cuccinelli’s opposition to abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, and to say he backed legislation that would have effectively banned certain kinds of birth control, drawing on his record in the statehouse and as attorney general.“Really, given that God does judge nations, it’s amazing that abortion has run as far and foully as it has,” Cuccinelli once said, one of his many comments seized on for campaign ad fodder.

For some reason I found this line interesting, "a majority position or at least close to it." Hey, it's either a majority position or its not, barring a statistical tie of course. And like the old saying says, if you are not the lead dog, the scenery never changes. Enjoy the view. Americans are a curious bunch, they say that they are pro life but they consistently vote to allow women the right to choose. But by all means double down on the conservative social stuff, people just never get tired of it. LIsten to Gary Bauer. Time to tack right.

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I went out for dim sum with some friends yesterday that were approaching giddy about Hillary's chances. I feel pretty lukewarm on everybody, so sick of a failed system that only promises more acrimony and stalemate. Something is clearly not working.

I got a call from the Democratic National committee looking for money and I laughed at them and hung up, but not before letting them know that I was leaving the party and registering as an independent. I am sick of voting for the lesser of two evils, incredibly disappointed in this president on so many levels, but principally his treachery in regards to civil liberties. Could never pull the lever for Senator Feinstein again either. Who seems to be much more concerned about the evils of international spying then what might is obviously happening to Americans.

Elizabeth Warren's name came up and native american issues notwithstanding, she seems a more interesting candidate than another Clinton.
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I went down to the Veteran day rally at the Village Square and just like the swallows at Capistrano, I wasn't there two minutes before I heard the Veteran speaker start talking about his coming to Jesus. I hear it every year at the memorial. I am all for veterans but if I need testimony I am sure that I can find it at a church. We got a mess of them around here.