Not "Politics as Usual"

Those that read this blog know I have had knee surgery recently, so I have been somewhat confined to my home and program of rehab. My granddaughter, who is an avid reader of my blog, wrote the other day and asked "If I was OK", since I haven't written a blog recently.


Yes I am OK, in fact I have had the time to read a lot, watch TV a lot, and listen to talk radio a lot. So if anything I should be in "overload" with ideas of subjects to blog about. But the political situation is so crazy now, and the information flow from the media so intense, I suspect we are all getting saturated. So to write something new or clever about the political situation would be difficult. But... for my granddaughter here are some random thoughts:


Barack Obama - The "man with the golden voice" has proven that even gold can tarnish. Even though it looks like he cannot lose the Democratic nomination, the revelations about his relationships with his "America hating" Pastor Wright and Weatherman bomber Bill Ayers has certainly opened a lot of eyes that had been blinded by his smooth rhetoric and charisma. If Obama is sympathetic to even some of the beliefs of these radicals, I find it hard to believe he could be elected, even in a year when the Democrats should make a clean sweep. We'll see.


Hillary Clinton - By the numbers it looks like she cannot overtake Obama in elected delegates or popular vote, but don't underestimate the Clintons. The "Clintonistas" are the most potent and ruthless political machine in the history of politics. If I were into conspiracies, I would think that they are behind the Pastor Wright and Bill Ayers fiascoes, covertly feeding the flames and then moving back to watch the Obama fire burn itself out.


Whatever happens, this will be one of the most interesting political summers we have seen in our lifetimes. It appears that everything is in the hands of the Super Delegates who must be wondering deep down if Obma can win with all these allegations about past relationships, and about his own personal philosophy. Yet if he wins the elected delegates and popular vote, and then the "Supers" give Hillary the election, there will be an explosion in the Democratic party and most likely riots in Denver at the convention.


I feel so bad for the Democratic party. They have been "champions" of the African American community since the days of the Civil Rights movement, and Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society'. For decades they have allocated trillions of dollars into welfare programs, subsidised housing, food stamps, affirmative action to "lift up" blacks, while still keeping them in their place as a solid Democratic voting block. And now African Americans have the nerve to produce a credible presidential candidate (who probably can't win), yet they have to give him a shot. What a dilemma for the Democrats.


And finally we have John McCain - "Mr. Lucky". Not many politicians have gone so far with so little. In a normal year he would be 30 points behind the Democratic candidate, but fortunately for him the Demos are eating each other's flesh. So John spends his time scolding his own North Carolina Republican party for running aggressive ads, and reminds us that he wants to run a "respectful" campaign. Bless his heart, if he winds up running against the Clinton machine they will chew him up and spit him out.


And ironically, McCain thinks he is doing well. I have yet to meet any of my Republican/Conservative friends that can even mention his name without holding their nose. And he continues to go after our support with statements like he made today - "Drilling for oil in the pristine Anwar area of Alaska would be like drilling in the Grand Canyon". Great analogy John, it makes me want to send a donation to the Sierra Club - except when I fill up my truck with $4/gallon gas I have nothing left!

I could go on with these random thoughts, but right now our local politics here in the Central Coast are more important...we have bigger issues. Like the $13 million our local Democratic Representative Lois Capps (an Obama supporter), wants appropriated for local tattoo removal parlors. Now that's what I call a politician doing something for the folks.