‘Twas Texas and the slimy pols,
Did gyre and whimble in the state.
All flimsy were the pretense-trolls
And the fleeing ‘crats outplayed.
Beware the Gerrymand, my son…
Sheesh. Even the Republicans admit that their constituents were soundly against the unscheduled redistricting. It didn’t stop most of them for voting for it, but at least they were honest enough to let us know that they were betraying the desires of the people who elected them. So that’s something.
The era of the Binary Republican is growing tiresome. You either approve of a botched war effort or support international terrorism. Rubber stamp a crippling tax agenda or stand for Bloated Government. Accede to a naked and unscheduled power grab or oppose basic representational principles.
The rationales have become thin enough to serve as a window into what is no more than an ugly disdain for the intellectual abilities of the American public. They’re fairly daring us to notice that life is not a Playstation game and that there are options more subtle than “shoot” or “be shot.” And so far, we haven’t. So we get unscheduled gerrymandering, gubernatorial recalls, and a never-ending bloody crusade. Because we’ve been willing to sit back and accept a boatload of spurious either/or’s rather than insist that there even loyal patriots have choices.
Having spent my day being Funny for hire, I’m feeling somewhat tapped out. So I’m afraid I’ll have to leave you on this unamusing note: 2004 approacheth. Do something about it. Or else we prove that this window into ugliness ain’t nothin’ but a looking glass.
Fanny Roborat
13 comments
tom
October 13, 2003 at 7:22 pm
1Adam, as a resident of the state with the ‘action figure Republican’ soon to be inagurated and one that thinks Shrub is a complete embarassment to the country, and a registered Republican nonetheless, here’s what I will doing as my 2004 USA betterment program:
1) In primaries I will be voting for the least electible Republican for any and all positions (Shrub won’t have an easy time if Democrats amy be back in power) and encouraging all my family and friends to do the same.
2) I will never vote for any Republicans in partisan reaces, I’ll vote for Democrats at every instance
3) I will be urging my family and friends to get involved in the Presidental Election in 2004 like they have never been before, with the expressed intent of defeating Shrub and throwing out the people who are the biggest threats to our country and freedom, the Republicans of the House and Senate, as well as the Shrub Cabinet (hello Mr. Ashcroft and Mr. Rumsfeld, are you listening?)
4) And like your previous posts, we need someone really smart who may know something about building political consensus (not compassionate conservatism, are you listening Shrub?) in order to solve tough problems, reestablishing international cooperation among allies, and in getting a better handle on our problems other than ‘its all terrorism’s fault, so we need $87Billion for Iraq and we’ll be coming back for more later’. So, I’ll be carefully studying the Democratic candidates words and actions before influencing votes in primaries.
5) Whenever a Republican operative calls me to urge me to vote for Republicans, I’m telling them I’m not voting for any Republicans in the 2004 election.
6) I’m singing every MoveOn.org petition I can.
7) Finally, I’m telling everyone I meet what I’m doing as well as telling them about your blog!
I feel so much better now!
Peace!
tess
October 13, 2003 at 8:59 pm
2hey, tom, just so you know, i was hoping shrub would be elected over mccain back in 2000 just BECAUSE i thought that mccain was electable and shrub had the chances of a, well, shrub. look where that got us.
so i say that instead of electing the worst possible candidate because you think that he/she has no chance of winning, i say go for the only guy who’s got a head on his/her shoulders during the primaries. because you might just get what you voted for.
personally, i’m hoping that the anti-intellectual voting public at large, because they’re mostly unemployed right now, will actually spend some of their days RESEARCHING the issues instead of watching the o’reilly factor or oprah.
hmm, speaking of o’reilly, i wish i could string him up by his little toe for being such a jackass to terry gross.
craig
October 13, 2003 at 9:59 pm
3Tom and Tess and Everyone else,
Don’t worry about party. Don’t worry about most or least electable. Vote ANTI-INCUMBENT across the board in every election. “When in doubt, Vote ‘em Out!” Shout it loud and shout it proud.
We wouldn’t need term limits if Americans actually VOTED as if elections were job interviews, not horse races.
Dee
October 13, 2003 at 10:41 pm
4There will never be any change in this country as long as candidates know they only have to appeal to that 51% of the 42% of registered voters who actually bother to vote.
Make sure EVERYONE you know is registered to vote, and that they actually go to the polls. Take part in every voter registration drive you can. Volunteer to drive people to the polls on Election Day.
And then pray, light candles, and cross your fingers.
(And I knew O’Reilly couldn’t get through the interview without losing it. How could he show his face at Fox after having a civil, thoughtful interview on NPR?)
Murray
October 14, 2003 at 11:07 am
5Between short circuiting the 2000 election, recalling a governor less than a year after re-election, raising $200,000,000 for Bush’s re-election campain, blocking Clinton’s judicial appointments yet ramming Bush’s judges down our throats, and re-districting Texas for shameless political gain, it would appear that republicans don’t really want democracy. They prefer winning. Democracy, is for looseres. Like Democrats.
amazilia2
October 14, 2003 at 12:53 pm
6With democracies like this, who needs fascism?
Phishtar
October 14, 2003 at 2:08 pm
7We had a huge redistricting fight in my state (Vermont) with the regular, Census-based redistricting. The Republicans were in charge of the House and pulled the same kind of thing as what happened in Texas, except the Senate was still Democratic-controlled and reigned in the more asinine districts.
Democrats lost the Governorship in the following election, the Senate stayed about the same… and the Republicans lost their majority in the House. I’d bet cash money a lot of those seats were lost because people were pissed off about the redistricting.
If this stupid plan backfires in the Texas legislature the way it did in the Vermont one, I’m gonna laugh my ass off.
John Isbell
October 14, 2003 at 3:06 pm
8Great post.
“This ain’t really your life ain’t really
Nothin’ but a movie.”
Gil Scott Heron, “B Movie” (the best song about Reagan I’ve ever heard).
John Isbell
October 14, 2003 at 3:10 pm
9tom, that’s brutal. I often wonder about the Republicans witnessing these guys, like Lugar, or McCain, or Snowe. Or my aunt, but she doesn’t really follow politics these days. You’re one answer. I hope you guys can take your party back.
emilie
October 14, 2003 at 4:00 pm
10adam,
i’ve never posted a comment before but i’ve been reading your blog for many months now.
this post moved me to say…
i so appreciate people who can talk about what’s REALLY going on. so many in the media spend so much time and energy on foolishness and non-issues and BS they must only be paid to say.
i’m nowhere near as eloquent as you. i’m so happy that there are people who can speak as you do, that i can point my friends and family to, to gain some REAL information.
thanks, adam.
Steve
October 14, 2003 at 4:26 pm
11I have been campaigning for both Instant Runoff Voting (IRV) and Proportional Representation for a long time. The former (IRV) would prevent spoilers and allow minority parties. The latter (PR) would make gerrymandering nearly impossible. Of course, the idea that our electoral system isn’t the only one is news to most Americans, so it’s a hard slog.
Heron
October 14, 2003 at 4:48 pm
12Here is what Texas Republicans stand for - TX Republican Platform with notes
Heron
October 14, 2003 at 4:49 pm
13phooy - the html didn’t work
http://www.calpundit.com/archives/002380.html