Political Trivia

The inanity of this year's political season is beyond belief. I continue to have hope that the American electorate will show some good sense when it finally goes to the polls this November, but there is plenty of reason to worry.

TP: Don't Just Beat It, Wipe It
Conceptually, the idea of renovating the Republican Party through a hostile takeover from its core makes sense and is even somewhat appealing. It was certainly time to throw over the Bushite elements who have spoiled the party's image of competent, limited governance. There was something similarly appealing about the grassroots nature of the movement, to the extent it was not merely Astroturf generated by right-wing media sucking wind in a vacuum.

My only complaint is about the quality of the candidates being promoted by the Tea Party elements and about the quality of their leadership. In terms of the latter: Dick Armey? Sarah Palin? Glenn Beck? And the candidates: Sharron Angle? Rand Paul? And these people could actually win?

I endorsed Sarah Palin for the Republican nomination in November, 2008, and I'll stick with that--somehow I can't believe she could ever win, and I do feel that the GOP deserves her as their standard-bearer. It's sad, but I agree with the analysts who perceive that the one who could stop her is Mike Huckabee--if he runs, he either neutralizes her by splitting their shared supporters, or she decides to stick to producing highly-compensated, oil-slick-thin political commentary.

Anti-Obama Fever
What does it mean when a quarter of the population believe President Obama is a Muslim? When only about three-eighths think he's a Christian? Somebody's not paying attention, maybe?

It's perfectly understandable that the Democrats' national fortunes may be sagging this year. For one thing, most independents believe the government works best when control is split between parties. Second, we must expect the governing party's support to suffer when the economy is so weak; so why is there no meaningful debate about revitalizing the economy (extending Bushite tax cuts certainly doesn't qualify, and why would anyone of middle-income or less ever support that idea)?

How can "firing Nancy Pelosi as Speaker" be an attractive campaign slogan when the person proposed to replace her in the job is John Boehner?

As Hillary Clinton once remarked, there is "a vast right-wing conspiracy", and what's got them all conspiring nowadays is the notion that they can demonize President Obama and destroy him with big lies.

Somebody has to step up and say this year's campaign is idiotic, so I guess that's me.

And Now for the Stupid Mosque Debate
(It's the debate stupid.)

Although it is appropriate for opponents of the proposed Islamic center to urge its sponsors to move it, it does not appear there is any legal basis to compel them to move. Anyway, how far away from Ground Zero is far enough to put up a mosque? If, indeed, the proposed Islamic Community Center could be called a mosque...

I would propose that the Islamic center's sponsors announce that the center will have a permanent exhibition on its ground floor which will promote the argument that the atrocities perpetrated not far away were in all ways un-Islamic, contrary to the precepts of the religion. If they would only do that, the moral argument against the center disappears immediately.

If they won't do that, they may still be able to build it (will their financial backers stay the course?), but what will come? Probably permanently continuing demonstrations against the center....