Willard: Out.
[Allegedly.]
DNC Wants to Avoid Convention Fight
As predictions of a convention floor fight from the campaigns of Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to mount, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean said the party would likely intervene to prevent that scenario.Of course, an intervention by the DNC will not be good news for the party that gets screwed out of the nomination, either. Now, we all know that no matter who that is, they will want to fight it—but, if we're all honest, we also know that if Obama fights it, it will be (quite rightly, btw) seen as fair and just and who the fuck do the DNC think they are, anyway?, but if Hillary fights it, it will be seen as sour grapes and indicative of her sense of entitlement and doesn't she care about the good of the party?
Dean said Democrats would look to “get the candidates together to make some kind of an arrangement” before the party meets in Denver this August to officially select its nominee. In an interview on NY1 on Tuesday, before the outcome of the day’s votes was known, Dean said he thought the Democratic Party would have a nominee by mid-March or April. "The idea that we can afford to have a big fight at the convention and then win the race in the next eight weeks, I think, is not a good scenario,” he said.
If there is no nominee selected by his predicted mid-spring date, or by Puerto Rico's June vote – the last presidential primary on the Democratic calendar – Dean said the party would likely bring both sides together to work out a deal.
"Because I don't think we can afford to have a brokered convention," he said. "That would not be good news for either party."
Don't think for a second the DNC doesn't know that, either.
I'm not suggesting the DNC has a favorite candidate; I'm just saying they know that one comes with a massive PR headache in the eventuality of their intercession to broker a deal between Obama and Clinton, and it will unavoidably influence their decision. That's a problem.
Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime
MB didn't have much of an opening to speak of,
so here's a scene from the pilot episode.
Theoretically Speaking
Here we go again with the debate over evolution vs. ''creationism,'' this time here in Florida.
Top state legislators say they're ready to join the fight over putting the word ''evolution'' in Florida's public school science standards to ensure that it's taught as just a theory and not as fact.I'm all for that as long as they present biblical creationism for what it is: mythology.
Rep. Marti Coley, future House Speaker Dean Cannon and state Sen. Stephen Wise, all Republicans, say they're considering filing legislation this spring that would specifically call evolution a ''theory'' if the state Board of Education approves the proposed science standards Feb. 19 as currently written.
For the first time in state history, the standards would clearly call on all science teachers to instruct middle- and high-schoolers about evolution and natural selection.
The proposed standards just say ''evolution,'' not ''theory of evolution.''
Though Wise says biblical creationism should be taught alongside evolution, Coley said she doesn't want to go that far with evolution.
''It's technically a theory. Let's present it for what it is'' Coley told The Miami Herald on Tuesday.
This being Florida, however, there is a strong contingent of fundamentalists who think that a book that starts off with two naked people and a talking snake is on the same level as scientific research that defines a theory as ''a testable explanation of a phenomenon based on facts.'' So far no one has been able to test the biblical story, which moves it out of the realm of science and into the Land of Make-Believe. But they will not be deterred.
Almost as soon as the standards were proposed in October, blogs and letter-writing campaigns were cranked up.In other words, they would rather come up with some concept of supernatural intervention that is completely untestable in objective analysis and pass it off on an equal level with proven facts. Next thing you know, they'll want to change the Miami-Dade County Public Schools' slogan -- "giving our students the world" -- and add "as long as it's flat."
A number of rural Florida county school boards began criticizing the standards, and a state Department of Education worker sent out a call-to-arms e-mail to fellow Christians, noting that teaching evolution will be ''a COMPLETE contradiction of what we Teach them at home.''
Board of Education member Donna Callaway said in the Florida Baptist Witness that ''other theories of the origins of life'' should be taught. Evolution as proposed in the standards doesn't deal with the origins of life.
One concept being pushed by evolution bashers is intelligent design, which holds that the design of complex organisms is the result of the ''purposeful arrangement of parts'' by an unknown designer or designers.
But why stop with evolution? What about gravity?
''If you use the word theory to imply that scientists think evolution is just a hypothesis and is not real, that gives an incorrect impression,'' said Prof. Joseph Travis, the dean of Florida State University's Arts and Sciences College, who reviewed the state's science standards.That's because they're convinced that it's intelligent falling.
''If you use the word theory to say it's the best idea to explain how it works, then that's good,'' he said.
[...]
Travis, the FSU professor, said teaching evolution is key because it underpins the biological study of everything from dinosaurs to diseases. He also wondered why the critics aren't pushing to have the word ''theory'' precede mentions of gravity in the standards.
Asked if it should be called the ''theory of gravity'' in the standards, Coley said: ''Sure.''
But, she said, people aren't calling her about gravity.
Cross-posted.
Question of the Day
What is the best gift you've never gotten? By that I don't mean the most expensive, indulgent luxury item you can imagine, but some little thing that any old friend or lover could buy you without much trouble or unreasonable expense, which would be perfect for you, but no one's ever thought to buy it.
For me, it would have be a set of really good knives. Or cookware. Or a great spice rack. I love to cook, but no one's ever really clacked onto that as a gift-giving idea for me.
Mr. Shakes did buy me one very serious professional knife recently, which I love. He bought it for no reason, other than to surprise me with something special. You have to adore a man who buys his wife a giant knife to say "I love you."
Damned if You Do…
In comments (to the post OMG) earlier today, Tom Watson asked: "Why aren't women more formally organized for Hillary—I honestly don't know."
Maybe, just maybe, it has something to do with the fact that a lot of women who support Hillary see the depth and scope of the organized institutional misogyny being levied against her and feel, somewhere in their guts, that a massive "women for Hillary" movement would actually be used against her and undermine her campaign.
Every time she mentions being a woman, mentions being a mother, mentions being a daughter, mentions being a wife, or even makes any oblique reference to running a historical campaign or being the first woman to do something (like win a presidential primary), she is accused of playing the gender card. She is diminished, ridiculed, criticized, and dismissed using dog whistles, slurs, graphics, and bluntly misogynist commentary. When her womanness is the weapon most used against her, is it any wonder that women who support her may be hesitant to scream it from the rooftops, reluctant to stand behind her in large numbers, lest we undermine her? When womanness is hated, it will inevitably make women feel like a liability.
I don't even think this is a conscious feeling in many women. It certainly has taken me a long time to reach the point where I found this hesitation within myself, that I could bluntly engage the grim realization that I had internalized the expressions of contempt for a strong woman and let them manifest as a disinclination to speak too loudly of any admiration I had for Hillary, lest the contempt for me, for this strong woman here and her strong opinions, add to the weight of disdain Hillary carries already on her shoulders.
I have read several agonizing posts today, written by women who either voted for Obama and feel torn about not voting for a woman, or voted for Hillary and feel bad that they voted for her at least in part because she is a woman. So many of us are plagued by the despondent, sickening thought that if we fail to vociferously support Hillary, despite her being a woman, it somehow hurts her—but if we do vociferously support Hillary in part because she is a woman, that, too, somehow hurts her.
None of us, including those, I suspect, who have come to the decision to support Obama, want to feel like our votes and our support are a condemnation of Hillary's womanhood. Never was I so unhappy as when my very public support of John Edwards was framed by others as "a feminist who supports Edwards instead of Hillary," which implicitly reproved Hillary. Not just her feminist credentials, of course, but her. It was unfair to both of us.
So because women's support and lack of support for Hillary can be used against her, in a way none of us would like, perhaps it has caused many of us to keep silent altogether. Score another one for the patriarchy.
And maybe, just maybe, women have been afraid that being proved right—that seeing their unapologetic, unabashed support in large numbers (outside the polls) actually be used against Hillary, actually hurt her campaign—would undermine our most closely-held survival mechanisms. Maybe seeing that horrible fear realized, facing the incontrovertible evidence of the hatred of womannness so close-up that we can feel its hot, putrid breath on our cheeks, would no longer allow us to deny in an act of self-preservation the profundity of acceptable misogyny. Maybe it would deliver a fatal blow to the carefully constructed internal framework of selective blindness upon which we all depend, and tear the tissue-thin bulwark against self-loathing, which are necessary accoutrements for any sentient woman to get through the fucking day in this country.
Maybe we're afraid to undermine something within us, too. Once built, we are not eager to let fall the load-bearing fortifications that keep us steady against the reverberating onslaught of institutional misogyny.
That doesn't mean not supporting Hillary. It means possibly supporting her in a different way. The people who won't vote for Hillary aren't going to be swayed by millions of women supporting her loudly, anyway. But if millions of women just turn up at the voting booth and strike a silent blow, it won't matter. Their support will be evident.
And can't be used against her.
Piss Off, Inhofe: It's Not About You
There's an interesting battle going on right now between the Bush administration and the polar bear community (no, not that community; this community). The battle involves an area off Alaska's coast called the Chukchi Sea. This area, a polar bear habitat, supposedly houses 15 billion barrels of untapped crude oil, which some record revenue companies like Exxon/Mobil can't wait to drill and sell.
What makes this a tad sticky (no pun intended) is that there seems to be a little timing game going on with respect to when this area gets auctioned and when the polar bear is officially added to the list of endangered species:
The US Fish and Wildlife Service was supposed to make that decision in January but postponed the ruling by a month, saying that the matter needed more examination. Environmentalists have accused the Government of delaying the polar bear's designation deliberately for fear of complicating the sell-off.It would certainly stand to reason that adding the polar bear to the endangered list now could indeed jeopardize the site auction to get more oil. Anyone who says that drilling there couldn't possibly disturb the polar bear in its habitat will clearly need to be reminded about the last time Exxon took a spin around Alaska. This big business greed at the expense of all else needs to be stopped and turned on its fucking head. Luckily, we'll have a leader next year who really understands that we've got to take steps to get away from oil, much to the chagrin of the greedy execs who will fight tooth and nail until that last drop is sold.
And what does all this have to do with that scumbag-piece-of-cranky-shit Inhofe? Well, I haven't ranted about him for a while, and I felt it was due. He's just the kind of guy I love to hate. Really. I don't get angry about him. I just revel in my pure hatred of him. The reason I hate him now is because his concern of the aforementioned battle only has to do with him:
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who is known for his skepticism about global-warming measures, asked U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director H. Dale Hall last week whether listing the polar bear, could be used to halt the construction of a new power plant in Oklahoma City.Basically, he's all for protecting those cuddly bears as long there's no global warming attached to it, which could then result in no power plant. It's too late, Inhofe. Even your current government is on board with what we've done to accelerate global warming. You're in the minority now.
And with more people getting involved, as yesterday showed, more people will state very clearly that they've had it with cranky-old-dipshits like yourself who contribute nothing to the betterment of this country.
Breaking News!!!
Petulant just caught this important bit of breaking news on MSNBC and luckily managed to snag video for us. Thank the baby jebus none of the Shakers will go brutally uninformed about this vital political event in our nation's history.
Transcript: …Kennedy, not concerned about what anybody really thinks, but good for him. This just shows that politicians, just like the rest of us, are human beings and sometimes you just have to go there. You're watching MSNBC—the place for politics!
Lost Lust
"Then Jack started flexing his tear ducts to get them
nice and strong for a whole new season of Jears!"
Season 4, Episode 1 Recap
It's not like Lost isn't already the best fooking shoo in the histoory oof shoos, all on its own. But adding Rachel's recaps is like making it the best fooking shoo in the histoory and future oof shoos.
She is a genius. A total. fooking. genius.
Last night, whilst watching the returns…
Shark-Fu… “Did that guy just say that Blacks and Hispanics are hostile towards each other and that Hispanics…all Hispanic…are reluctant to vote for a Black person?”
My girlfriend, who is of Cuban descent (MGFwioCd)… “Um, he didn’t say all…he implied all.”
In unison… “That’s fucked up.”
Me, laughing… “Why must they oversimplify everything?”
MGFwioCd… “I don’t know. So, are you supposed to resent me now or does that come after Texas?”
Shark-Fu… “Shit, that's gotta be scheduled for after Texas, but worry not. If we miss the kick-off I’m sure they’ll announce our mutual vote-based resentment on CNN.”
Blink.
Lance Mannion is a Psychic
On Monday, Mannion wrote a piece called Clinton is going to lose. I was going to link to it when I first read it, and then I thought, "Fuck it. He's so bloody right, I'll just wait and do a post about it on Wednesday and reveal his clairvoyant genius to the world." Cheap thrillz for both of us. So here it is—Mannion's Mystic Magnificence:
Based on what I've been reading I predict Hillary Clinton's going to lose.I was up until 4am last night, by which point I'd been watching television coverage of Super Tuesday for 10 straight hours. Mainly, what I learned is that Hillary lost.
She'll probably wind up pocketing the most delegates but she's going to lose.
The Media will see to it.
It's unlikely she'll get out and out beaten across the board, but she'll still lose. She'll lose by not beating Obama across the board or she'll lose by not winning in every big state or she'll lose by not winning by a large enough margin in the states she's supposed to win or by not coming close enough in the states she's expected to lose or she'll lose by not getting the votes of the right demographic or she'll lose by not getting enough votes in the demographics that were going to vote for her anyway or she'll lose because not enough people tell the exit pollsters on their way out how excited they were to cast their vote for her.
Whatever, however.
She's going to lose.
She's going to lose because they're going to say she did and they'll say it because they want her to.
I also learned that when Obama wins, he "beats Hillary in Missouri," but when Hillary wins, she "ekes out a victory in Tennessee." I learned that Hillary Clinton is divisive and polarizing and divisive and unlikable and divisive—hey, did I mention that Hillary is divisive? I learned that she needs to do something about being so divisive. I learned that whatever percentage of women didn't vote for her reflects badly on her, because it's too many; also, whatever percentage of black voters did vote for her reflects badly on her, because it's too few. More women should be voting for her, but, gawd, it's so divisive when she plays the gender card!
Mannion's point—and subsequently mine—is not about Hillary v. Obama. It's not even Hillary v. The Media. It's about The One Who Isn't the Favorite v. The Media. Right now, Obama's the favorite, in his match-up with Hillary. But guess what…?
This is not sour grapes. This is the way it's been going on for fifteen years now. And those of you who think that this is a good reason not to support her, so we can get away from this, those of you who think that Obama will somehow be able, through the sheer force of his personality or the beauty of his rhetoric or the wonderfulness that is him or through the plain fact that he is not a Clinton need to consider this very real possibility:You can take that to the bank.
The reason he's a media darling now is because he's not a Clinton. He gives them a way to dump on the Clintons while congratulating themselves on how cool and post-partisan they are.
If and when Hillary's beaten and Obama's the nominee he becomes the Democrat running for President.
And you watch.
If the Republican running against him is John McCain then every single move Obama makes will be the wrong one.
Everything he says will be a lie.
Every time he appears to win he will lose.
Because Mannion's a psychic.
---------------------------------------
In case it isn't perfectly clear, this post isn't meant to be an exhortation to support Hillary. Or, for that matter, to not support Obama. It's just a memo about what we'll be facing either way.
Kids Need To Read
I saw this and thought of people here--literacy promoting and Serenity/Firefly! What else could Shakers want, eh?
Nathan Fillion, or Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds from Firefly, has partnered with author PJ Haarsma to start a foundation called Kids Need To Read (KNTR).
KNTR has this as its mission statement:
* To purchase books by raising funds through auctions, sales of merchandise and other available meansOne way that they're working at encouraging reading among reluctant readers and helping to foster a love of reading in kids is by creating a MMORPG, Rings of Orbis, which is intertwined with the work of PJ Haarsma's The Softwire series. According to KNTR: "The concept behind the creation of Rings of Orbis was to build a multi-media platform to attract kids who normally would not pick up a book for recreation. The game has over 6,000 registered players of all ages." The only way to become the most powerful citizen in Orbis is to read the books, as you have to answer questions and have knowledge from the books to advance in the game. As each book in the series comes out, the game also expands.
* To provide books to libraries, schools and other institutions in need
* To provide books to low income children through established institutions
* To foster a love for reading in all children
* To encourage reading among reluctant readers
* To encourage the discovery of excellent, lesser known books
* To look for new ideas to encourage childhood literacy and make those ideas known
Two other authors have recently signed on to contribute to the project: Frank Beddor, author of The Looking Glass Wars trilogy; and Robin Brande, author of Evolution, Me, and Other Freaks of Nature (which was named one of ALA's Best Books for Young Adults 2008).
At the KNTR homepage, you can find information on how to donate to them, if you're so inclined. They have donation packages set up that start at $5 and go up to $95 and each comes with a thank-you gift (you can also donate directly w/o choosing a package). Another way they are raising money for the foundation is to have weekly auctions, sometimes of items signed by the various actors from Serenity/Firefly, of items inspired by the show/characters, and also other unique items. This week's auction is River's necklace, a character inspired work. The community site has the auctions and also has their news updates, FAQ, list of books they donate, a list of libraries donated to, and other information. Check it out!
Call and response
As noted earlier, lame-duck Missouri guv Matt Blunt appealed to GOP voters last week on behalf of his guy Romney. Don't waste your vote on Huckabee! You'll just be helping McCain! And so forth.
Missouri Republicans, roused from slumber, responded thusly:
| John McCain | 194,273 | 33% |
| Mike Huckabee | 185,592 | 31.5% |
| Mitt Romney | 172,532 | 29.3% |
Effective.
(Cross-posted.)
Floriduh
Just when I was starting to have a little hope that the voters here in Florida were catching up with things, something like this happened yesterday and we're back to Square One.
Millions of Americans in 24 states are turning out vote to in Super Tuesday presidential primaries from Georgia to Alaska today. Meanwhile, some dedicated if confused Florida voters are trying to, as well.I love my adopted home state, but... Oy.
Elections offices across the state are reporting hundreds of calls from voters wanting to know where they can vote today. The answer is that Florida already had its presidential primary -- last week.
"We've had over 100 calls at least over the last two days," said Kathy Adams, a spokesperson for the Palm Beach County Election Supervisor.
Well, let's look at the bright side: it means people are starting to pay attention.
One University of Central Florida political science professor speculates today's confusion may reflect greater voter interest in this year's presidential race.Hey, voter turn-out is voter turn-out, right?
"There is a fairly large part of the public that doesn't pay much attention to politics," said Aubrey Jewett. "I supposed all the hype and talk about Super Tuesday finally convinced them to come out to vote."
(Cross-posted)
Durrr
I like CNN's very challenging and sophisticated, if unscientific, "Quick Vote" polls, because they give me so much to think about:
Well, gee—that's quite the philosophical conundrum! On one hand, I really like to vote for people who take stands on issues that make me feel warm and gooey inside, but, on the other hand, I really like to vote for people who have characters. Or are characters. Preferably both. Like George Clooney. What a guy!
I mean, what if there were a candidate who was feminist, pro-diversity and multiculturalism, an LGBTQ ally, antiwar, advocated for universal healthcare and energy independence, and all that good stuff, but was a heinous puppy-murderer on the weekends? Or what if there were a candidate who was honest, intelligent, ethical, and passionate, but championed a platform of white supremacy and a flat tax? There are just so many variables to contemplate when you wrench character from principle and force me to choose between them in an asinine hypothetical. Who am I over here—King Solomon?!
Darn you, CNN Quick Vote! You're gonna break my brain.
OMG
Hillary Clinton, speaking to supporters late SuperTuesday: "I want to thank all my friends and family—particularly my mother, who was born before women could vote and is watching her daughter on this stage tonight."
Emphasis mine.
Blub.
Woot! Turnout Up Everywhere
I know I am a broken record, but even after 18 hours of Super Tuesday, I am still giddy about the high levels of participation in this primary. The passion for making oneself heard is amazing and infectious—and it stretches all the way to American Samoa, where voters cannot even participate in the election, only the primary:
A record 285 caucus-goers voted in a hotel in Pago Pago, American Samoa. They gave Clinton 163 votes and Barack Obama 121, with one going to former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel.I am made of grins and happiness.
The result gives Clinton two more national convention votes and Obama one.
Party officials said it is the biggest caucus vote ever in American Samoa.
They Heart Huckabee
Chuck Fu: Willard Never Saw It Coming
Because there is nothing else to talk about as the vote tallies continue to roll in, and even Chris Matthews can only express mystification at women's autonomous critical thinking skills for so long, the punditry has begun to talk about, in their inimitable, hypothetical-posing, rhetorical-question spewing way, whether there is an emergent possibility for a McCain-Huckabee presidential ticket.Read the whole thing here.
Sure, why not? Their campaign jingle practically writes itself (with my sincerest apologies to the Gershwins): You win the blue states, and I'll win the red states! / You blow the lobbyists; I'll blow the Jebus freaks! / Blue states! Red states! / Lobbyists! Jebus freaks! / Let's call the whole deal done!
