The Spencerian

Off the Radar: Stupid Republican Tricks and More

Stop it, Politico.  You're only encouraging the crazy.

Here's something to put in your back pocket for 2012: 

Dear Republican Party:

Please, please, please make Mike Huckabee your party's nominee for President in 2012.

Thanks so much.

Much love,
The Spencerian

Don't worry: they won't do it.  And if they do, great.  Because trust me -- you only got a little taste of the Huckabee Crazy in the primary days of 2008.  It only gets better.  I promise.
  
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Eugene Robinson at the Post has not one, but two columns that made me ponder.  The first kind of goes over the Obama accomplishments.  Well done, I thought. 

Is it everything we hoped and dreamed?  Of course not.  One of the hard lessons I learned about politics early on is that politicians don't save the world.  They improve it in increments.  They make our world, our country, our communities a better place to live by -- hopefully -- taking our shared ideals and spreading them around to the best of their ability.  That "spreading around" is done through the bully pulpit and by making laws -- and that's about it, really. 

With respect to this grossly oversimplified framework, I think Obama is on the right track, and I look forward to seeing what the next year brings.

Robinson's other piece is about the GOP civil war.

Two things on this, gang. 

First, if anyone can find polling on this, I'd like to see it.  Like, of all registered Republicans, who considers themselves a conservative teabagger type, and who considers themselves a moderate?  I'd love to see the breakdown but haven't found it.

Second, if you recall from Election 2008, I had a friendly wager with my friend Jason.  I called it Viva Las Spencerian!  I lost.  Badly. 

But in and around the bet, we had a number of good conversations (almost exclusively email) about politics and the political future.  I don't recall, but I think one of his questions to me that started a very good back and forth was regarding a potential split in the GOP.  At the time I'm sure I said something obtuse and vague. 

And though a GOP rift didn't exactly come to pass in the GOP primary in '08, or in their convention, I'd say that question may be worth re-examining. 

Are we witnessing the mitosis of the Republican Party, a splitting away of the conservative wing, leaving behind a more pragmatic (but, many might say, no less wrong) wing of the Grand Old Party?  Is this the birth of GOP 2.0? 

And is that a good thing?

People will be watching the GOP primary of for the United States Senate here in Florida.  On that, all I'll say is, Crist just lost another straw poll (badly), and I've seen my first Rubio yard sign (I don't care for them from a design point of view, but that's just my taste).  It's on Central Ave., kind of in the Pasadena area, just down from O'Bistro right by the Starbucks I go to a lot.  That's in Pinellas County, by the way.  Charlie's home county.

I know, I know -- nobody wins on straw polls and yard signs.  But each in their own way are a kind of harbinger of momentum.  I'm just saying: everyone is watching.  Because this is getting to be more than just a GOP primary for the United States Senate in Florida. 

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Can you tell me how to get...

...how to get to Sesame Street.

The world needs you now more than ever, Ray Charles.  We miss you.

And happy anniversary, Sesame Street!

 -- More later, gang --

Finally Friday Tough Stuff Edition

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families in the Ft. Hood community.  We will also be thinking of our Florida neighbors in Orlando as they cope with tragedy as well.

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Unemployment is at 10.2%.

The unemployment rate in the U.S. jumped to 10.2 percent in October, the highest level since 1983, casting a pall over the prospects for a sustained recovery and risking further erosion of President Barack Obama’s popularity.

Payrolls fell by 190,000 last month, more than forecast by economists, a Labor Department report showed today in Washington. The jobless rate rose from 9.8 percent in September. Factory payrolls dropped by the most in four months, and the average workweek held at a record low.

There's no making this look good -- no lipstick for the pig.  The only comfort we might take -- and it is cold comfort, indeed -- is that perhaps we are at the bottom, at last.  We will see.

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Please visit Foreign Policy and view the entire photojournal by Jonas Bendiksen.  It is moving, heartbreaking, and something you must see.

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Max Brantley at the Arkansas Times has a good take on "blue-dog" Senator Blanche Lincoln.

Memo to Senator Lincoln: if you've lost Max Brantley, you've lost Arkansas.

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Sarasota Democrats are still ahead of Sarasota Republicans in fundraising -- barely.

Help them out if you can.

They're going to need it if they want to help get Rev. Golden elected in the 13th Congressional District, against corrupt thug Congressman Vern Buchanan. 

I've talked here about my experiences in the 13th CD -- what may always be known as the Katherine Harris District.  I worked for Jan Schneider in her first run against Harris in 2002 and it was a tough time.  Still, it's where I met Duncan, so it worked out for me.

I think it's time for things to work out for the people of the 13th CD.  They've been through enough.  Best of luck, Rev. Golden.  We'll be watching.

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Hey, times are tough.  I'm going up the country, baby do you want to go? 

It's finally Friday, ya'll.



 -- More later --

Free Political Talking Points: The Hunger for a Revival Edition

Back in black, I hit the sack, I've been too long I'm glad to be back.

Never can you go wrong with AC/DC. Ever. Anyway, after a brief ("brief" means really long, right?) hiatus, we bring you once again your Free Political Talking Points.  Now with more political talky goodness. It's a veritable feast of facts and figures for you to use.

Enjoy our first course, Free Political Talking Points on Nutrition and Hunger... Because It's Closer Than You Think:

 -- Current world population: nearly 7 billion. Number of undernourished people in the world: more than 1 billion. Number of overweight people in the world 1.1 billion. Number of obese people: nearly 350 million.

 -- Number of people who died of starvation today in the world: 24,135 -- Pregnant women, new mothers who breastfeed infants, and children are among the most at risk of undernourishment. The numbers get worse, not better.

 -- Age of Chauntasia Gardner when she starved to death in Lakeland this week: 5 months old. She weighed 6 pounds.

 -- Undernutrition contributes to 53 percent of the 9.7 million deaths of children under five each year in developing countries. This means that one child dies every six seconds from malnutrition and related causes. More than 70 percent of the world's 146 million underweight children under age five years live in just 10 countries, with more than 50 per cent located in South Asia alone.

 -- Did you think it could happen in the Tampa Bay area?

 -- In 2004, nonchocolate nonseasonal candy generated more than $2 billion in sales. Chocolate seasonal and non-seasonal was double that.

 -- Take action to end hunger worldwide -- and in America.

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Cross-posted at the Florida Progressive Coalition

Off the Radar: Myths, Toilet Humor, and More Edition

I'm not going to lie to you: I really did think that Recovery Act funds were going to purchase 22 toilets for the Mark Twain National Forest (insert your own where-a-bear-goes joke here).

It turns out they're not, according to the White House.

Honestly, America, I cannot tell you what a relief this is.  It all but ensures Obama's re-election for 2012.  You read the prediction here first: he'll run on the old reliable "No Toilets in Forests" platform, and win it in a walk.

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Speaking of interesting logic, Senator Hatch apparently believes that health care reform will provide one thing for Americans: a permanent Democratic majority.

Yes, but what about the toilets in forests, Senator?  What about the goddam toilets!

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Did I mention the home remodeling stuff we've done recently? 

Now we're looking down the barrel of Ida?  Not cool. 

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In alarming environmental/geographical news, there this: Giant Crack in Africa will Create a New Ocean.

You know, some people might consider this alarming.

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Can you tell me how to get... how to get to Sesame Street?

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I anxiously await the new release, "Spinning," from Ten Speed Taxi.

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I knew as soon as I bought a Ray's shirt with Iwamura's name on it, this would happen.

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The following preview is approved for all audiences:

For people who want to talk about ending homelessness in America, but don't know where to start:

-- On an average night in the 23 cities surveyed, 94 percent of people living on the streets were single adults, 4 percent were part of families and 2 percent were unaccompanied minors.  Seventy percent of those in emergency shelters were single adults, 29 percent were part of families and 1 percent were unaccompanied minors.  Of those in transitional housing, 43 percent were single adults, 56 percent were part of families, and 1 percent were unaccompanied minors.  Those who occupied permanent supportive housing were 60 percent single adults, 39.5 percent were part of families, and .5 percent were unaccompanied minors (U.S. Conference of Mayors, 2008).

-- About one-third of the adult homeless population have served their country in the Armed Services. Current population estimates suggest that about 131,000 Veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year.

 -- Although the prevalence of youth homelessness is difficult to measure, researchers estimate that about 5 to 7.7 percent of youth experience homelessness each year in America.

-- In Pinellas County, Florida, each week there are an average of 223 first time homeless, of which 39 are children, and 237 previously homeless individuals who have become homeless again, 25 of which are children.

-- With the right resources, we can make a difference and help our homeless neighbors, together.

 -- More later --