A Year of Questions and Answers

When I started up this blog one year ago, I was moved to start writing again by two impulses:

1. The country has problems. With a new president and substantial Democratic majorities we had a chance to address those problems. But we seemed to be blowing that chance.
   
   
2. Despite the depth of our woes, there were a whole lot of people who wanted to the president and the congress to fail. I wanted to figure out why. 

Today, one year later, I’m not so worried about #1. Obama and the congressional Democrats have produced a number of substantial achievements. The passed health care reform. Affordable health insurance will soon be available to all Americans. Health care costs continue to rise. But there is a structure in place with which to contain them. Unemployment remains high and the economy weak. A series of stimulus bills and stabilizing measures have, at considerable cost, extended the safety net. We’ve turned an economy going off a cliff into one experiencing modest growth. We’re still stinging from the last financial crisis. But thanks to financial regulatory reform, we’ve put necessary structures in place to ward off the next one.



These are substantial accomplishments. Add in the victories of the past few weeks, and that’s a whole lot of leading and legislating. Throughout it all President Obama has been methodical, persistent, and deeply practical. Congressional Democrats have shown remarkable dedication, perseverance, good sense, and remained focused on tending to the people’s business.



These are politicians. Inevitably, their vanities and hypocrisies are going to be exposed. But when it really counts, Democrats have been kicking ass. In a big, messy, diverse, democracy -- this is as good as it gets.



The Republican party may have some competent governors and state legislatures out there. But at the national level, in congress, on the internet and air waves, they have been the model of dysfunction. After the disaster of the Bush administration, the GOP has not embraced governance as central to who they are or who they seek to be. They are dead weight on all policy discussions, on issues foreign and domestic. It’s all cable news nonsense and culture wars.



It is with weary dismay that I greet the conventional wisdom for the upcoming elections. The Democrats are disillusioned. Republicans are fired up hoping to make some big gains. Why? Why don’t the Democrats get credit for their accomplishments? What does anyone hope to accomplish by voting Republican in this cycle?



The party in power tends to take a beating in mid-term elections. And when unemployment is high, incumbents take the hit there too. So, maybe that’s the whole story. When times are bad we vote for the “other guy” -- regardless if we think the current guy is doing anything wrong. Even if we don’t think the new guy can do any better. Even if a Republican administration got us into this mess.



I can understand it at a macro level, but the expected Republican resurgence perplexes me when it comes to individuals. I can see why people who aren’t paying attention would go with their anti-incumbent-gut. But I don’t get the anti-incumbent activists. If you’re active and plugged in enough to be commenting on message boards, arguing on the forums, crashing town hall meetings, or attending a Tea Party rally -- what do you want? What do you think Republicans in power will do? Should do?



That’s the question that drove motivation #2 above. After a year of searching, I’m frustrated by a lack of answers. My efforts haven’t been exhaustive. But they have been sincere. I’ve been to a health care town hall, done battle and probed on Politico, whipped out the gauntlet and slapped a few faces, and attended a local Tea Party rally. I’ve approached each engagement with the same questions. What do you want? What are you mad about?



I’ve got nothing. I still don’t understand it. I’ve learned that “Well, what do you think the president should be doing differently?” is a pretty reliable conversation killer. I suppose the non-answer is it’s own answer.



Is it all just tribalism? Just rooting for your team? Maybe it is only wonk-wannabees like me who expect a system of cause and effect. Maybe the ones that are the most engaged in our political discourse are just the members of the tribe prone to the most chest-thumping.



Here’s the bottom line:



We are the public. We get to vote. There’s an election this November. That’s the only poll that counts. Show up. Vote for the Democrats. They’ve earned it.

Happy Birthday to Me

It was my birthday yesterday. 38. Birthdays are a good time to have a few drinks, sit back, and think about where you are and where you've come from- the years gone by and the ones that lie ahead. It's been a good year. It's been a good life.

I am one of the most fortunate people anywhere. Ever.

I have been blessed with the good fortune of being born, a human being, on this earth, in the United States of America. Today, in the year 2010, I find myself in world of privilege, opportunity, and material comfort. The world has provided an abundance of games and music, sights and sounds, wonderful people and fantastic foods. My daily cares and concerns are generally small and petty. Few of them are worth recounting. Most are easily resolved.

My job is lucrative enough to provide a comfortable life for my family. It is stimulating enough to be gratifying. My colleagues are pleasant and competent. My work keeps me busy but doesn't overwhelm my life - leaving me time to spend with family and pursue my interests, hobbies, and amusements.

Every year my two sons grow more interesting, more confident, and more independent. I see myself in them and see them growing into themselves. This is the 23rd birthday I've celebrated with my wonderful and lovely wife, Christine. That's a lot of years. But time has spared us the worst of its ravaging. With a little regular maintenance, we both carry our years well. I am fortunate to share my life with such a wonderful wife, mother and friend - someone who complements and supports me. I am blessed to have someone who tolerates my eccentricities, diversions, and perpetual distractions.

In the past year, thanks to the technological marvels of our time, I have been able to reconnect with a great many people. There are so many old friends, lost classmates, physically distant relatives, kindred spirits, and interesting souls met along the way. Maybe we get together once or twice over months and years. Many of you I had no expectation of ever hearing from again. Now, from afar, I get a rolling window into your world. I can see the snapshots of your life, share in your stories, banter a bit, and follow your ideas and interests.

This year also marked, for me, a return to writing. It has been a pleasure to take the thoughts rattling around my head and find a home for them. My natural state is introverted and standoffish. So I'm enjoying this little soapbox. I like being able to share my views with friends, acquaintances, and a few strangers. I appreciate you for taking the time to consider my musings.

The year to come holds great promise. Perhaps my little company stands on the financial success. Perhaps another long-held dream will bear some delightful fruit. Whatever comes, I will share it with wonderful family and friends.

It is a happy day. Thank you for being part of it.

Housekeeping Note

I just updated the blog here a bit. The good news is all my posts have been labeled. On the right here you'll find a handy-dandy list of everything I've written about. I tend to write about anything that interest me. Now you can find my thoughts on whatever interests you.

The bad news is that, for reasons unknown, blogspot decided to update the time-stamp on the 'You Lie!' and 'Tea and Nazis' posts. Those were written last Fall. They are not new. But maybe they are new to you...

I've also added my email to my little profile box. So, that's another way to reach me with a question or comment.

Left Wing Blogger Seeks Worthy Adversary

I've had a lot of fun since I started up this blog a few months ago. It's nice having a soapbox from which to respond to current events, make my case, and share my observations about the world. Feedback has been good. But I don't feel like I've reached a lot a people that didn't already agree with me.


I am more interested in having a lively debate than in just basking in the wisdom of my own opinions. I feel that Obama is an excellent president and that the health care reform bill is entirely worthy of support. I am told that these views are not universally held. Real engagement between people across the vast chasm of our political divide is sadly rare. Common ground is elusive. In a vast sea of opinion it's unusual to see someone forced to consider the arguments from the other side. But that's what I want to do. I'm looking to start a new blog with a different format. Something that would be more interesting to read and to write. I want to start a debate blog.

But first I need a worthy adversary. A nemesis. A yin to my yang. A Lex Luthor to my Superman. Or at least someone who disagrees with me and wants to write about it.

The basic idea is a kind of Crossfire in blog form taking on whatever topics interest the participants. This would be a new blog with a new name. Maybe: Dawn Pistols, or Rapiers at Dawn, or Preaching to the Convertible. Or something else.

For the format I'm thinking of a simplified, casual Lincoln-Douglas format: Affirmative post, Negative Post, Affirmative Rebuttal, Negative Rebuttal. 4 posts total on a topic, 2 from each side, maybe 300-1000 words per post. We spend about a week on a topic. Then we move on to a new topic. The other guy starts off with an Affirmative post that can be a spin on the old topic or something entirely new (or whatever you want).

So, I start with:
Obama's Health Care Plan is Great: blah, blah, blah
You reply: No, its not...
I reply: Really, it is...
You post: No its not...

New topic, your choice.
You say: Obama is a Terrible Commander in Chief
I say, no he's not...
etc, etc...

Sound like fun? The offer is open. Somewhere out there there must be a right-wing blogger with opinions to spare looking for a lively debate. I await you. Terms are negotiable.

Ode to Andrew Sullivan

My inspiration for writing the blog comes, in no small part, from reading the work of uberblogger Andrew Sullivan. I am not, and could not even attempt to do what he's doing. I would like to take a few words to sing his praise.

On his blog the Daily Dish, Sullivan posts constantly (20+ times a day), linking to the best arguments, and insights from around the web, and contributing his own keen commentary. His list of topics is extremely broad, bouncing from politics, to religion, to human rights, to cultural issues, to humor like a mad cultural/intellectual DJ mixing up the collective works of others into his own signal.

Despite the broadness of his topics, Sullivan brings great honestly, clarity, courage, tenacity, and probing intellect to each of them. The Dish is not quite a one man show. I believe he has a handful of researchers and aggregators working behind the scenes. But it is a tiny operation. Nonetheless, on a number of critical issues-- the Iranian election, Bush Administration torture policies, all things Sarah Palin, gay rights, any many others the Daily Dish has collected content that rivals, in both quantity and quality, what can be obtained from any source, in any medium.

Andrew Sullivan is gay, HIV positive, British and conservative. Despite all his applicable labels, Sullivan rigorously pursues intellectual honesty and savages pure identity politics. He's also clearly, fueled by a powerful journalistic drive. His blog is well worth reading every day, all day.

In addition to being a personal inspiration, I have also found Sullivan's work to be intellectually formative. His pull is sufficiently powerful that I find myself steering away from pure punditry to try and avoid writing that is pale shadow of the work of others. Still so much good writing does provoke a reaction, and sometimes invite a response, rebuttal, or extension. As much I try to draw upon my own thoughts, personal history, and experiences, I am certain that I will also do a fair bit of linking to and responding to items from The Daily Dish. Now you know why.