These Past Eight Years, Part 2

(Click here for part one.)

What President Obama will undoubtedly be most remembered for and most heavily judged upon, is the Affordable Care Act, known more commonly as Obamacare. A piece of legislation this expensive and far-reaching was bound to polarize the nation, as it did throughout the Summer and Fall of 2009. After a prolonged debate, both in public and in both chambers of Congress, not to mention a concession or two, the ACA was passed into law in Spring 2010.  It still proved polarizing, though. The Democrat-led U.S. Senate had lost their super-majority shortly before the ACA vote, then got walloped in the midterm elections 6 1/2 months later. The Tea Party movement tried countless times to repeal or defang Obamacare, and until last week they had done so to little avail.  Whether semi-socialized health care will live on remains to be seen.

In addition, other socially progressive causes flourished in his administration. In January 2009, just a handful of states had legalized marriage equality. By 2015, after a narrow Supreme Court decision, it was the law of the land. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Obama's other far-reaching bill, was a stimulus package that attempted to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure and lessen the burden on the middle class. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform & Consumer Protection Act and the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act both saw the light of day under Obama's guidance and support.

As I listened to the last 20 minutes of his farewell address Tuesday night, I was reminded of Obama's character. For the first time in awhile, I thought of the man behind the policy: the stirring orator, the guarded optimist, and doting husband and father. For a split second, I wasn't that concerned with any flawed legislation and or his sheepish approach to world affairs, but the genuinely compassionate and even-keeled man that alluded to hope and change in 2007-08.

Eight years ago, I gave George W. Bush a C-/D+ as he left office; to some critics, that may have been somewhat generous, but I stand by that grade. Dubya was mediocre to put it mildly, but we've had far worse commanders in chief. With the Obama years down to its last week or so, I would put our 44th president somewhere in the B/B- range. President Obama was effective but flawed, but more often then not his collected demeanor matched his altruistic leadership.

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These Past Eight Years, Part 1

In about three weeks, the 44th President of the United States will leave office, by virtue of the 22nd Amendment. Over this past eight years, Barack Hussein Obama has held a steady hand, but in these increasingly polarizing times he (depending on who you ask) steered America back in the right direction or further into the abyss.  From a historical perspective, however President Obama will ultimately rank somewhere in the middle of the pack. There is such a compelling case for his strengths and weaknesses, from his liberal champions to his right-wing detractors, that they nearly cancel each other out. The general consensus --if there is one-- suggests that Obama was a weaker president than Bill Clinton but stronger than George W. Bush. For myriad reasons, that is reasonable opinion on the surface but substantially not so cut and dry.

Indeed, the most divisive president of our time may have been a victim of circumstance. Just before taking office, conservative pundit Rush Limbaugh openly and infamously wished that Obama would fail, and most right-wing pundits never gave the man the chance. If you were compelled to vote for Obama in 2008 on the oversimplified promise of "hope" and "change," then there is no doubt that you were underwhelmed. The reality was more pragmatism than cynicism, and even if there was only a sprinkle of hope and a spoonful of change, President Obama made a conscious effort to avoid the mistakes of his embattled predecessor.

After an embarrassing showing by Republicans in the 2008 elections, the Tea Party movement rose out of thin air, created internal strife within the GOP and proved rather persistent in their criticism and obstruction of the president. Moderates in the ranks, anyone who could've potentially agreed or compromised with Obama, either retired or fell victim to this pesky grass-roots movement. The failure to capitalize on the super-majority of 2009-10 led to one filibuster after another, the Democrats lost the House of Representatives in the midterms that year, then lost the U.S. Senate four years after that. Arguably, President Obama's repeated inability to connect with voters outside of urban areas and Democratic safe spots may have played a part in Donald Trump's victory last month. Even when Obama tried to play the middle, wins did not come easy. The vision of post-partisanship remains a pipe dream.

If there is one thing that truly bothered me about President Obama, it was his timid, wait-and-see approach to foreign policy. That is not to say Obama was a complete milquetoast: he was very cooperative with our allies and encouraged multilateral thought, he ended the Iraq war, and bolstered our presence in Afghanistan. At the very least, Obama deserves partial credit for the death of Osama bin Laden. Still, his handling of Syria was oddly meek, and his rapid pullout of American troops may have contributed to the rise of ISIS. (Bibi isn't happy, but then again, it takes a lot to please the guy.) The impact of the Iran nuclear arms deal and resuming trade with Cuba, like a certain grandiose piece of legislation of his, will take years to unfurl and truly understand.

This is in relative contrast to to how President Obama handled domestic affairs, which was both effective and with an even keel. Amid layers of hearsy and legal prattle, the actual substance of Obama's domestic policies and their impact on the country remains poorly understood. I will elaborate more upon this with part two, sometime in January.

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The Next Voice You Hear

As some of you know, I worked for the Chicago branch of Salem Communications from May 2008 to April 2010. As a recent college graduate pursuing a career in the radio industry, I perceived my part-time traffic assistant (i.e. accounts receivable) position as a foot in the door to bigger things. That was ultimately not the case, as I was replaced less than two years on the job. My departure was the first of several moves made after a major management change, and with flagship AM 560 WIND still struggling to get into the top 25 among Chicago radio stations, there is little to indicate things are moving in the right direction.

One of the many changes that occurred these last six years was the addition of former Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) as an on-air personality. Walsh set up an arrangement where he would host a drive-time show from 5 to 7pm on WIND and do the same thing all over again via satellite on a New York, Salem-owned station from 8 to 10pm EST. Walsh was commenting on a whirlwind week in early July: where an unarmed African-American man was killed in Minnesota, followed by a similar incident in Dallas, then a "retaliation" by a lone gunman that killed five Dallas police officers.

I imagine Walsh was a little more tactful on the air, but what he tweeted in the wake of the Dallas shootings was reprehensible: "3 Dallas Cops killed, 7 wounded. This is now war. Watch out Obama. Watch out black lives matter punks. Real America is coming after you." The tweet was deleted within an hour, but once again Walsh was fanning the flames of controversy. It's one thing to criticize the president but another to threaten him. What made it even more appalling was that it was almost certainly staged.

A couple of years, Walsh was (allegedly) removed from the air following a discussion of racial epithets, during which he said the N-word at least once. It was a publicity stunt, and a rather clueless one at that. Whether Walsh was encouraged by my old managers or action on his own is irrelevant; it was very much in bad taste. What transpired nearly weeks ago was cut from the same cloth.

I feel even more embarrassed to have been part of that organization. Given how long it took me to compose my thoughts on this hot mess, the media has moved on the next round of tragedies. The cycle of gun violence in America is spinning faster than ever, and I can't imagine that I'm the only American that is growing numb to the pain. Mercifully, a loose cannon like Walsh was not meant to be a long-timer in Congress, but his mouth and his chutzpah lingers, and his enforcers at WIND-AM couldn't be more pleased.

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Random Notes, March 2015

Some musings on current events:

+ What should we make of Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress last week? Who benefited more, the GOP-controlled House that circumvented the White House and Department of State to make this happen, or Netanyahu, looking for an edge in a close reelection battle? In the end, everyone lost, including Bibi's critics; it threw a spotlight on a GOP majority that was overreaching, a trigger-happy foreign leader whose hubris has spiraled out of control, a feckless White House, and a Middle East that is nowhere near peace.

+ With 20 months until the next presidential election, the candidate pony show is already shaping up. The strategy of the two major parties couldn't be more dissimilar: the GOP is bracing for another touch-and-go dogfight like the 2012 primaries, and the Democrats are pretty much banking on one candidate.  Critics of the Republican party will relish in the lack of diversity this time around; outside of the fledging Dr. Ben Carson, all of the rumored hats in the ring are white, priviliged males. On the other end, it seems like 90% of Democrats are banking on Hillary Clinton; the Benghazi non-scandal and private e-mails aside, it would be nice to see someone --anyone-- give her some competition once the battle shifts to New Hampshire. (Gov. O'Malley, your nation needs you!) Of course, we still have over a year and a half, and the first chapter in the story is still being written.

+ Earlier this month was the 50th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when civil rights activists encountered Alabama state troopers as they attempted to cross the Edmund Pettis Bridge into Montgomery. The Civil Rights Act of 1965 was passed into law months later, in part because of the media coverage of journey from Selma. It's staggering to think about the progress made since then, and at the same time, the struggle that continues in places like Ferguson, MO, Long Island, and Madison, WI.

+ Perhaps we're all wrong. Maybe that dress is magenta and orange.

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Random Notes, January 2015

I've got politics on the mind:

+ I'm not that keen on Bruce Rauner, at least not yet. He still comes across as an out-of-touch millionaire who promises more than he can seemingly deliver. Either way, the first Republican Governor of Illinois in 12 years has his work cut for him, a bipartisan mess that dates back to the turn of the 21st century. Corruption has become an assumption in his office, and even though Rauner beat a weak, doddering incumbent he still needs to win Illinois' trust. The bar has been set fairly low.

+ Speaking of Illinois, we're about two months away from the next Chicago mayoral election. Rahm Emanuel has his detractors and rightfully so --especially given his inability to reduce street violence-- but his opponents for reelection are a hodgepodge. He's currently polling at 50%, and depending on whether any of his three challengers gain any momentum, the odds of him winning a second term are fittingly about 50/50.

+ Meanwhile, on a national level, this year's State of the Union was probably the most tangential address to Congress in recent memory. If you looked at it at face value, the speech was President Obama discussing job growth and domestic security while also defending his still-controversial overhaul of health care. If you read between the lines, Obama was discussing the next four years, and the long-term impact of his administration. With less than two years to go and a GOP-controlled ready to nix anything he puts in front of them, this might be the closest this president might ever get to another victory speech. The Obama years might seem like a mixed bag (or worse) but he doesn't seem to be giving up just yet.

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The Cuban Slide, or One Last Political Blog for 2014

My latest year-in-music blog is still a work in progress, so here's a quick topical dispatch:

I'm convinced that Cuba is on the verge of collapse. This week's historic decision by President Obama to reopen diplomatic ties after a 55-year hiatus was daring, perhaps even partisan, but also potentially a cry for help. This is a country without a strategic lifeline, no world power to back them up. Beyond the elderly, frail Fidel Castro and his 85-year-old kid brother Raul, there is no clear order of succession in the event either were to pass away. Communism in the Caribbean has five years left, tops. Castro lived enough to see his regime thrive (briefly) and slowly watch it die as other Communist powers were leveled out for democracy. Cuba is at our mercy, and Obama knows it.

On the surface, ending the Cuba embargo is a gift to the GOP, the final wrapped box on the right-wing Christmas that was 2014. Florida has an abundance of Cuban refugees and their progeny; they are mostly (but not overwhelmingly) Republican, and known for having long memories. Sen. Marco Rubio, a son of refugees in his own right, declared the move foolish. In contrast, fellow Republican and Libertarian golden boy Rand Paul called the move savvy, and the beginning of the end of a policy that never worked to begin with. It's a fascinating clash between the pragmatist and the hardliner, between a man whose politics was defined by the brutal regime of his parents' homeland against a strategist who wants to leave the Cold War behind. If Rubio wants to remain hawkish, that's his risk to take, and one that could either help or hinder him if he chooses to run for president in 2016.

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The Hunt for Red November

Some final (albeit belated) thoughts on the 2014 midterm elections:

It's not terribly clear to me how Bruce Rauner plans on steering Illinois in the right direction, but all the power to him. His defeat of incumbent Pat Quinn for the governor's seat ended 12 years of Democratic reign, and possibly a dozen years of unfocused state GOP politicking. What should have been a runaway victory against an unpopular incumbent came right down to the wire. Rauner's nearly fatal flaw was assuming just being "the other guy" was enough to seal Quinn's fate, and indeed, his stance on a variety of issues was oddly vague until the last five weeks of the campaign. And, as Rauner himself admitted, if we don't like it we can boot him in 2018.

So what triggered the Democrats' trouncing in the election? Even though they share the views on several social issues with a narrow majority of Americans --including most crucially, marriage equality-- the 2014 midterms were both a referendum on President Obama and the ineffectual and sometimes polarizing presence of the party powers that be (Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, etc.). The President has had a brutal second term, partially his fault and partially out of his control, and exasperated voters made their say. The kinda-sorta GOP landslide not only evokes 1994's "Republican Revolution" but serves as a mirror image to the butt-kicking the Democrats handed their competitors to the right in 2006 and 2008.

The Republicans made fewer mistakes as well; there was no Todd Akin/sexual assault blunder to set a disastrous domino effect into motion. On the flip side of that is the misconception that the GOP is unilaterally pro-life and wary of Planned Parenthood. Most of the defined pro-choice candidates lost, but the Republicans that support women's health matters (caveats or concessions or not) are usually stifled by the social right, not necessarily a majority of the party but a crucial line of financial needs and manpower. Alas, the social-right motormouths from the deep red states will get a more substantial chunk of our (and the media's) attention, and the influence of lobbyists and Grover Norquist-type policy wonks will ensure the impression that the GOP is in lockstep on all social issues.

Other random notes:

+ At least the 2014 World Series came down to the last strike on the last out in the bottom of the ninth. My thanks to the Kansas City Royals for a fun postseason; it wasn't perfect, but it was worth 29 years of waiting.

+ Have you checked out Stu News yet? It's not nearly as political as this blog, but it'll certainly put a smirk on your face in the morning.

The War on 44

Earlier this week, the New York Post in conjunction with Quinnipiac University ranked the best and worst U.S. presidents since World War II. Of the 12 men that have held the office since Franklin Roosevelt's sudden passing in 1945, the unscientific poll ranked Barack Obama as the worst of the dozen. The choice wasn't a landslide; combined, the last two presidents earned 61% of the "worst president" vote, with Richard Nixon a distant third.

In late 2008, I wrote a two-part essay grading the George W. Bush administration. It was part retrospective and part moratorium, written three weeks before our 43rd president was to leave public life and well after any impact could be made to alter the legacy of his flawed presidency. I did not anticipate writing a similar essay about Barack Obama until December 2016 or January 2017, when our current Commander in Chief is expected to hand over the reins and segue into private life. Rest assured, 2 1/2 years from now I will write a similar essay in structure if not necessarily tone, and as far as I'm concerned that missive is only two-thirds written.

In all honesty, I've grown to accept the Obama administration for the mixed bag that it has truly become. I feel that for the near-constant criticism he has faced in the last 18 months, maybe half of the vitriol is justified. The progress he has made in support of energy regulation and LGBT rights certainly maintains his credibility in liberal social circles. Obama's steady hand in bolstering the economy and gradually creating job growth in the wake of the 2008-09 recession --without much help from a polarized Congress, mind you-- has been overlooked by the partisan fight over health care reform, questions about domestic privacy, and his aloof approach to foreign policy. At this time, Obama will rank in the middle of the pack, if not slightly below the average. If Martin Van Buren, Franklin Pierce, and James Buchanan have taught us anything, there have been far more incompetant leaders in our nation's 238-year history. If you want to rank just the presidents that won reelection, it's hard to argue that Obama was worse than the rudderless, scandal-plagued 8 year stint of Ulysses S. Grant. Or the aforementioned Tricky Dick. Or, if I dare suggest it, Bush 43.

It would be easy for me to dismiss this poll as meaningless, but at the same time hindsight is 20/20. As I stated not quite six years ago, we can't really analyze the legacy of a president until he's been out of office for a few years. If this poll were taken eight years ago, those surveyed would have chosen Bush 43 by a sizable margin. On top of that, Bush 43 and Obama are the first two presidents whose administrations were fully ingrained in the internet era, where anyone can say anything within the alleged anonymity of modern technology, and trolls and haters can repeat the same meme ad nauseum. The president's flaws have been magnified, every apparant blunder scrutinized to infinity.

It feels weird defending someone I have mixed feelings about. At the same time, the only people that are declaring President Obama a failure are the same critics that wished he would crash and burn six years ago. They take something that wasn't totally his fault --a Solyndra here, a Benghazi there-- and feast on it like ribs at a street festival. Most of the issues he has faced in office --immigration, Iraq, gun control-- are still lingering from past administrations. I voted for Obama in 2008, not because of the naive optimism that swooned my peers, but simply because he appeared to be the stronger of the two candidates. Begrudgingly, I did the same thing in 2012. The legacy of our 44th president is a hodgepodge, but also still up for interpretation, and not beyond repair. I just hate to imagine what the next guy will be up against.

Other notes:

+ I'm sure some of you might have noticed the name change above. After nearly two years of inconsistent blogging --about three entries a month-- it didn't make sense to call this "Stu's Weekly Updates" anymore. As much as I love the challenge of writing a new blog entry once a week, my hectic schedule simply doesn't permit it anymore. I'm not going anywhere, I'm just accepting my current reality.

Next Week: my third "Seasons of Love" TV essay.

Open for Business

Before I could even comment, the government shutdown was over. Seventeen days, billions of dollars lost, and in the end the United States received a three-month Band-Aid on a long-term gash wound. What happened earlier this month was obstructionist politics at its ugliest and misguided, a case example of what our highly partisan system has been reduced to. The Tea Party opposition was bullheaded and foolish --I still can't take them seriously-- yet at the same time I can't see them losing too much ground in 2014.  At the same time, the whole system has to take some blame for the shutdown.

With that said, has the Affordable Care Act --er, "Obamacare"-- been slow to roll out? Yes. Has it been marred by complications, technical errors, and other kinks in the system? Yes. Is it an abject failure? No, and give it time. The government has never nailed modern technology down, no matter what's being rolled out. This is an embarrassment to the Obama Administration, no questioning that, but nothing that can't be rectified.

Other notes:

+ Dad Update: After nearly six weeks out of the house, my father is expected to come home later this week. He can walk 100+ yards now, but the lack of peripheral vision gives him dizzy spells. A day or two ago, my grandmother's former live-in caretaker has been rehired to handle my father, as least for the next six months.

+ About a month ago, my Palm Pre died. I wasn't able to transfer any data (photos, contacts, etc.) before it conked out, so I bought a new phone basically from scratch.  Since the Palm brand ceased to be a year or two ago, I ended up buying a Nokia 822 that runs on Windows. I'm not the most proactive guy when it comes to new technology, but so far I'm really digging my new gadget. The interface is surprisingly easy to use and understand, and its reads wifi signals a lot faster than my old Pre.

+ My World Series pick: Cardinals in 7. Allen Craig's return from the DL was enough to sway me in what should be a very close series.

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The Trouble with Damascus

To some extent, someone or something must intervene in Syria. Such is the prickly situation that the United States, and obviously President Obama, have found themselves in. Do we play the world's policeman --on account of military strength, not so much nobility-- again, or avoid a potential Iraq-like quagmire? The president's final decision on Syria had the potential to be polarizing, to the extent that it could define his whole second term, but Obama's decision was surprisingly... wishy-washy. Delaying action and deferring to Russia was not necessarily cowardly, but certainly a passive action in the face of a reckless dictator. The president's declaration was underwhelming, no matter where you stand on the air strikes. He's just as confused about Syria as we are, and that is somewhat troubling.

Other notes:

+ Family Update: My father is now undergoing light radiation to prevent any further tumor growth, on top of his ongoing dialysis. Still no word on a third round of chemo.

+ Fantasy Update: About six weeks ago, both of my roto baseball teams were in dire straits; one was eighth out of ten, the other (which features some TV.com folk) ninth out of ten. Where the latter team was ultimately crippled by inning limits, I rectified my botched draft with some dark-horse pickups and surged back into the playoff race. When my head-to-head opponent failed to meet the minimum number of innings this past week, I hopscotched from eighth to sixth to fourth.

+ Improv Update: Two more shows to go before I graduate from the Second City Conservatory. It's been a long, challenging journey and I don't know how to feel now that it's almost over. With that said, I'm still staying busy; I'm producing a show at the Gorilla Tango theater in Bucktown (where I used to be on a house ensemble) in October, and I just booked some slots for my independent team.

Next week: the year in music, 2008.

Taxing Matters

Say what you will about President Obama, but one thing is now certain: the "second term curse" is in full swing.  Ronald Reagan had Iran-Contra, Bill Clinton had Monica Lewinsky, Bush 43 had the triple-whammy of Scooter Libby, a failing war, and Hurricane Katrina. Our current president has a situation in three different fronts: alleged IRS penalties on organizations tied to the Tea Party, suspected invasions of privacy on White House reporters, and of course Benghazi.

After some initial waffling, the White House is taking some accountability for the IRS conspiracy.  The story of President Obama's chief of staff knowing three weeks before he did is troubling, to put it mildly. The layman's theory --one I'm still debating in my head-- is that these Tea Party organizations and their established opposition to any and all taxation made them easy targets. At the same time, maybe they really are tax cheats, it's all politics and they're simply crying foul to get the president right where they want him. Even then, the Watergate comparisons are tricky to ignore.

Other notes:

+ It's a shame of sorts that "Other Voices," The Doors' first album after Jim Morrison's death, has been largely forgotten. It was written immediately after "L.A. Woman" with the assumption that Jim would return from France and do his thing. Instead, the three surviving members (but mostly Ray Manzarek) would take turns on lead vocals; collectively they couldn't match Morrison's power and charisma, but the effort was noble. All in all, "Other Voices" is a forgotten gem of the early '70s. Break on through, Ray.

+ I am not doing that well in fantasy baseball this year. Both of my teams are second-division, a mild indignation for some but a rarity for me. My pre-season rankings were erased by a glitch on Yahoo Fantasy the day before my first draft, forcing me to piece something together. I did alright during the first week but I've been lagging over since.

Next week: my 8th Annual Fantasy Emmy Ballot.

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Random Notes, February 2013

+ I might have been one of the few people that were not shocked by the Pope's decision to resign this week. When he succeeded John Paul II not quite eight years ago, the former Cardinal Ratzinger and the college both knew he was a short-term solution. For his hard-line conservative reputation, Benedict XVI's decision to step down is actually somewhat progressive; the Euro-centric notion that any title is yours to keep until you die is horribly antiquated. Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands made a similar move several weeks ago, and there is speculation Queen Elizabeth II might do the same. It's hard to fathom someone in their 80s or 90s "leading" a country or sovereignty  Pope Benedict's reign was short but concise, seldom straying from the traditionalist platform of the church's upper body. His legacy won't compare to the John Paul's 27 years on the throne, but I suppose he did a capable job of keeping the boat steady.

+ The GOP didn't like President Obama's State of the Union address? Wow, what a shocker. The Party of "No" just keeps doing their thing. It's one thing to be obstructive, and another to be obstructive and bring very few concrete ideas to the table. The President knows he bit off more than he could chew in his first term, he's working goal by goal and keeping expectations modest, and the Republicans still won't give him an inch.

+ Speaking of the State of the Union, I think that awkward Marco Rubio/water gaffe was thrown a little bit out of proportion. It was amusing for sure, though it distracted from Pollyanna-ish substance of the Republican response.

+ Finally, if anyone's looking for more proof that the people that regulate our banks are buffoons, look no further.

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The Morning After, 2012

With my hectic schedule of late (improv, temp work, etc.) it has been a daunting challenge to post a weekly dispatch by Tuesday evening. The only advantage to a looser deadline in lieu of my usual rigid, self-imposed cutoff is that I comment on news when they happen. I knew I wouldn't have time on Monday or Tuesday to write anything so, therefore I can write about the election almost as it happens.

+ In the words of Michael Steele: "This was not a repudiation of conservatism, but the way the our party presented conservatism." It's not so much that Romney lost as the GOP did. As the party keeps shifting further to the right, their best hope against the incumbent president was forced to flip-flop and tweak his stance on certain issues. Say what you will about Romney being an out of touch opportunist, but he is a dyed-in-the-wool moderate conservative and he was never going to appease Tea Partiers.

+ Claire McCaskill didn't win reelection in Missouri so much as Todd Akin lost. Ditto for Joe Donnelly and Dick Mourdock in Indiana. There was a sharp uptic in female voters in both states (and the nation in general) and it had a lot to do with the bullheaded comments Akin and Mourdock made about sexual assault. As a result, the second-most vulnerable branch of the government --that it to say, the U.S. Senate-- in this race tips slightly more in favor of the Democrats. (Not to salt wounds, but I also extend my congratulations to Wisconsin's Tammy Baldwin, the first lesbian ever elected to the U.S. Senate.)

+ Florida is still up for grabs? Gee, what a surprise.

+ The network and cable news coverage alike was a tad over the top. NBC had what looked like a skating rink dyed with Mio, and CNN had a long, tacky graphic/musical overture combo that announced every state result. An exhausted Diane Sawyer spent all night acting like somebody's drunk aunt at a family get-together. Fox News' all-around meltdown after Obama clinched Ohio was a like a car wreck; almost unwatchable, yet you couldn't look away...

+ Finally, a point to ponder. You know all those internet memes and "shared" photos that painted President Obama as a socialist/fascist/communist/Kenyan-born radical with no evidence behind them? Or better yet, all those accusations of taking away the guns, apologizing to world leaders, and shutting down America's churches, also without any proof? How about the hack writings of Dr. Jerome Corsi and Dinesh D'Souza? You know, the empty bombast that overwhelmed and distracted from any serious, concrete criticisms of the president?

That sure worked, didn't it?

Next week: the year in music, 1963.
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My Final Thoughts on the 2012 Election

Every election year, I've been writing a pep talk of sorts to the American people. That may sound grandiose, but during a contested election it helps me put the whole ugly process into perspective, and with any luck I'm helping you as well. It seems every election has grown in importance and cruciality since the last one, and the need to our faith in the state of the nation via voting constantly grows more imperative.

With Decision 2012 looming near, a fair percentage of the nation is pretty distracted. Hurricane Sandy and the lingering superstorm has caused great duress along the eastern seaboard, providing a sobering alternative to non-stop election coverage. When compared to the petty bickering and character assassination that dominates modern politics, the endless cycle of lies looks petty and irrelevant when you see the damage done in Staten Island and certain parts of New Jersey and Delaware. From the perspective of a native Illinoisan, separated from various natural disasters by hundreds of miles in every direction, part of me wonders whether I'm lucky to be where I am, or if a comparable tragedy is overdue. I'm don't feel I'm the right mindset and more than likely neither do you.

With that said there's an old saying that when if you don't vote, you lose your right to complain for the next four years. In today's polarized political arena, that couldn't be more true. For every person that intentionally stays home, a tiny sliver of democracy dies. Public opinion of President Obama and Governor Romney borders on apathetic, and their support mostly begrudging, but we have to exercise our right to vote regardless. The stakes are too high to pretend to not pay attention.

This will probably be my last missive before the election, so I implore anyone reading this to vote on November 6th. Regardless of your opinion of either presidential candidate, the fate of the nation rests in the hands of its people. As exasperating as the current establishment may be, you have to believe in America, and this is the best way of expressing that faith. Is our country better off than it was four years ago? You can tell me on Tuesday.

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Random Notes, October 2012

There's been a lot on my mind lately:

+ I will concede that Mitt Romney won the first debate last week. It was not, however the KO that most in the media have described. Where Romney was more polished in his delivery than President Obama, he was also vague at times and much more incendiary. Where President Obama looked unfocused and tired, his responses to Jim Lehrer's questions were more specific in detail. Regardless, I don't think too many people were swayed by the overall effort, and there are two more debates to go.

+ They put an avowed creationist on the congressional science committee? Huh?

+ For the fourth year in a row, I won a fantasy baseball title. In what will probably be the last year of the TV.com league at Yahoo, I barely edged out Dolph Rudager to take first in the six-man league. My "other" team finished third despite being in first much of the year, and a team I inherited in midseason (thank you, LesNessman) finished seventh out of ten in a kinda sorta "keeper" league.

+ Over on the Chicago improv scene, I am now using my talents for a noble cause. About six weeks ago I auditioned for a non-profit organization called Funny Bones Improv. The primary cause of the group is to perform game-oriented improv to sick children in hospitals. After making the cut, I observed an FBI show at a hospital in the north Chicago suburbs; it was staggering how much the kids' morale was boosted by our wacky shenanigans. I don't have my first show for a few more weeks, but I can't put into words how humbled and honored I am to be part of this organization.

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The 47% Solution

Until a few weeks ago, this was probably the first president election in a generation where there was no clear front-runner or underdog.  In the wake of several blunders by the Romney campaign, however it seems like Barack Obama will be reelected almost by default. This is exactly what I forecasted two months ago: the 2012 election is 2004 in reverse. The more the rich, out of touch challenger trips on himself, the more momentum the middling incumbent gains.

What might have been Romney's Mondale moment occured at a private GOP fundraiser several months ago. Whether it was intended for the public or not, to suggest that 47% of the U.S. population lives on government handouts was thickheaded and irrational. In short, Romney mixed up three disparate groups: the roughly half the country that will inevitably support President Barack Obama, the half that doesn’t pay federal income taxes, and the half that receives government benefits. Sadly, this is congruent with the GOP's way of thinking; they assume that anyone who receives any money from the government, whether it's deserved or not, is a lazy bum.

Other notes:

+ Speaking of races that are all but over... really?

+ I can't complain about the Emmy winners in the drama categories, though the comedy winners were an absolute mess. Jon Cryer won Best Lead Actor for endurance, not on the merit of his performance. Even though "Modern Family" deserved to win in 2010 and 2011, the Best Comedy Series three-peat was wholly unnecessary; though "Treehouse" and "After the Fire" were both fine episodes, season 3 was staggeringly uneven.

+ Apparently, owning a black-and-white striped shirt is enough to make you an NFL replacement referee. This lockout needs to end ASAP.

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The Days of Ryan and Roses

After months of speculation, Governor Romney chose his running mate last weekend. Despite rumors of picking a campaign rival/ideological opposite, a fan favorite like Chris Christie, or a "safe" pick like Rob Portman, Romney chose Paul Ryan. This was good news for the GOP, who have perceived the notoriously austere congressman from south central Wisconsin as a rising star in the party, and equally delightful news for the Democrats, who have plenty of ammunition with his name on it. Anyone expecting another Sarah Palin was either relieved or disappointed, depending upon who you ask.

I may not agree with Rep. Ryan politically, he seems like an intelligent, sincere, and thoughful guy. This pick was everything in Palin in '08 wasn't: Ryan is not looking for celebrity, and his bark has bite. Ryan's not fishing around for buzzwords like "grizzly mama," he's a straight talker. I'm almost certain he can hold his own in an extensive interview with Katie Couric. He's a fiscal conservative but a social moderate, as evidenced by his somewhat torpid support for gay rights. As far as everything else is concerned, the congressman tips imperceptibly more to the right than the ex-governor.

With that said, Rep. Ryan does face one major issue: marketing himself to the mainstream. He's an economic wonk, more comfortable laying out an agenda than stumping on the campaign trail. For better or worse, he's the nerd candidate. He's the chess club captain, not the all-conference running back. His connections to the Tea Party movement are prevalent but loose; most criticisms of Ryan being a champion of "top down" economic policies are accurate, and he wholeheartedly supported TARP. In short, he's a DC insider representing a party where outsiders have the loudest voices. His charisma could be the X-factor.

So what does this mean for the election? The first post-Ryan poll suggests a minimal impact, with Romney and Obama still running in dead heat. From a financial perspective, the GOP war chest and SuperPACs keep on chuggin' along, raising record amounts of money. Also, the Ryan pick gives Romney a slight advantage in Wisconsin, which post-recall has become an apparent swing state. At the moment, the bluster is rising but the stances are unwavering; the Obama/Biden ticket was expected to reinforce their core, but like Romney/Ryan they're gained little new ground. Independents and undecideds remain a tough crowd, fighting to decide between two candidates with equally uninspiring economic platforms, more innately drawn to attacking each other than expounding ideas.

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Rainbow Bridge

So President Obama has no problem with same-sex marriage? I had assumed as much for a while now; he alluded to being pro-LGBT during the '08 election, but he didn't specify his stance until last week. As a political manuever, it's just as risky as it is brilliant. The American LGBT population, a steady growing bloc of voters, are already wary of the GOP options. President Obama's endorsement wrangled the cattle back to the ranch. As such, Mitt Romney declared his preference for traditional marriage --which he awkwardly phrased as "a preference for women"-- in a rare reachout to social conservatives. As such, neither candidate will make a crossover appeal to new or undecided voters.

What frustrates me, however is that the gay marriage debate only further distracts voters and candidates alike from a much greater issue, the economy. Social issues keep getting pushed to the forefront, and with Biden's remark being the exception to the rule, it's been mostly social conservatives dropping the bombs.  If this election focused strictly on job growth and fiscal responsibility, Mitt Romney would win in November in a walk. The mere mention of abortion and gay marriage, however is only adding muscle to the Obama campaign. Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum used social issues to undermine and distract Romney during the primaries and now it'll linger until the election. This has become an election of "values," even though I'm not sure that's the topic that needs debating, it is inadvertantly swinging the election in Obama's favor.

One other note:

+ Modern rock is back on Chicago radio... sort of. Earlier this month, Merlin Media --the same multimedia behemoth that killed Q101-- bought out a tiny "smooth jazz" station's signal and flipped it to alternative rock. Only problem is, that new signal is on 87.7 FM; older radios can't pick up that station, and the actual antenna is so far away from the city that it's difficult to listen to "Q87" on a car radio. This feels more like an unwieldy public relations ploy than an actual radio station (for now, anyway).

Next week: the 2012 memory list.

Random Notes, February 2012

+ And so, the GOP handball game drags on. After a temporary insurgence by Rick Santorum --blowouts in Minnesota and Missouri, plus a nailbiter in Colorado-- Mitt Romney more or less retained his front-runner status in Maine last weekend. Regardless, I wasn't worried about the fading Newt Gingrich and I'm not concerned with the former Pennsylvanian senator; if you put the four remaining hopefuls head to head against Obama, only Romney stands a chance. The polls don't fool me. I'm not saying that to praise the stormin' Mormon, and that's not political bias either; it's just reality. Even though the Republican party is steadily shifting towards the right, and there's contempt for the current president all across the board, independents and centrists are the X-factor.

+ On the other side of the fence, did President Obama really think religious-backed groups would willingly pay for their employees' birth control? Sure, Jon Stewart nailed it on the head (as usual) but oy gevalt...

+ Chicago Update: It's been nearly four months, but my time in Roscoe Village is near a close. As I write this, I'm looking at apartments in Logan Square and North Park. My financial situation has not been straightened out yet, so I may end up commuting to classes and shows from home again. My self-imposed deadline is this Friday, so fingers crossed.

+ Finally, for those of you who would rather discuss TV, please enjoy these V-Day cards "from" Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad.

Live Free or Die

Upon watching the New Hampshire debate this past weekend, I honestly can't say my opinion of the remaining candidates has really wavered. Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, a one-time frontrunner who now stands fourth in the polls, lost the LGBT vote once and for all by dodging questions about gay marriage and instead turned that segment of the debate into a mini-rant against the meddling liberal media. Quirky old Ron Paul, well-meaning but still very much a dark horse, put Newt in his place but pointing out his status as a silver spoon, Vietnam draft-dodger. The two moderates (Romney and Huntsman) played it safe and barely criticized their reactionary opponents. The two remaining social conservatives (Perry and Santorum) were loud and proud, but hardly did anything to sway potential voters.

As the primaries drag on --sometimes literally-- one thing is becoming increasingly apparent: the candidate that polarizes the fewest potential voters will likely become the GOP candidate, and therefore the right wing's best shot at taking down Obama. As much as Tea Partiers would hate to admit, the sword would best be thrown by either Mitt Romney or Jon Huntsman. None of the remaining six candidates are perfect --an argument could even be made for Ron Paul-- but a moderate would swoon the independents and undecideds that the Republicans badly need. Michelle Bachmann's abysmal showing in the Iowa causus --and subsequent pullout-- after a decisive straw poll win barely six months ago was an indicator that the Tea Party's influence on the GOP has plateaued. The New Hampshire primary, first in the nation yet held in a state that nurtures independents, libertarians, and the moderate right, only further indicates the Tea Party's lack of appeal beyond the conservative core.

So what becomes of the incumbent? Even though President Obama's position at the moment is not unlike Jimmy Carter's in 1980, it's too soon to scream "lame duck." For all the attention that GOP circus has received in the media, defeating Obama is not an ace in a hole just yet. Retired network news anchor Dan Rather recently admitted his lack of confidence in the president, but keep in mind that the actual decision is still 10 months away. An Obama landslide is likely out of the question, but he could score reelection by a narrow margin depending upon who he runs against. For now, the focus is the six-way handball game between the remaining candidates; as the dodgeball bounces through the air, so does the fate of the nation.

Other notes:

+ Congratulations to Cincinnati Reds great Barry Larkin upon his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. I thought he'd get inducted next year --a potential logjam of a ballot including first-timers Craig Biggio, Curt Schilling, and Mike Piazza, amongst others-- but I'll take it. For my case for Larkin, check out this blog entry from 2009.

+ Four years ago this week, the government reported that unemployment rose to 5% in the previous month, triggering speculation of a recession. On that same day, a not-yet-sober Britney Spears lost custody of her children to Kevin Federline. Guess which one of these two stories garnered more media attention that day?

+ If Jimmy Carter is to 1980 as Barack Obama is to 2012, does that make Ron Paul our generation's John Anderson?