Saturday, January 20, 2007
"My family and I are taking the first steps on the yellow brick road to the White House." That's how Senator Sam Brownback announced his presidential candidacy. He's from Kansas, but it still strikes me as a peculiar thing to say given how it summons up fantastical images of The Emerald City, flying monkeys, witches good & bad, munchkins, fields of poppies, "the man behind the curtain," plus the importance of both Judy Garland & the movie in gay iconography. It was silly to believe Jack Kennedy would be in thrall to the Vatican. Can we be so sure about party line convert Senator Sam? When he defends the sanctity of marriage between a man & a woman, he adds "for life." Like ducks.
Thanks to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton had to advance her official declaration of intentions by a few months. She said, "After nearly $70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two landslide wins, I can say I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them." But Washington Republicans think - & know - they only win big races in New York with candidates who sound like Democrats everywhere else in America. She herself raised 50 million for her 2006 campaign, & had 13 mil left over. Hillary doesn't have quite the air of entitlement she had in 2005. I think she & her supporters were shocked by the 2006 midterms. The election brought many new faces & strong voices, gave some old pros greater prominence, showed the party base it needn't genuflect to Hillary's Democratic Leadership Council, & turned Nancy Pelosi into a second Queen Bee. Until last November, I doubt if Hillary thought she could lose the nomination.
Hillary's voice is like Cheney's sneer; they're permanent physical qualities. If she wished you a Happy Birthday there would be an unintended tone of reproach in the sentiment, just as Cheney would say it & look sarcastic. There's nothing she can do about it.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be." Thomas Jefferson
Thanks to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton had to advance her official declaration of intentions by a few months. She said, "After nearly $70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two landslide wins, I can say I know how Washington Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them." But Washington Republicans think - & know - they only win big races in New York with candidates who sound like Democrats everywhere else in America. She herself raised 50 million for her 2006 campaign, & had 13 mil left over. Hillary doesn't have quite the air of entitlement she had in 2005. I think she & her supporters were shocked by the 2006 midterms. The election brought many new faces & strong voices, gave some old pros greater prominence, showed the party base it needn't genuflect to Hillary's Democratic Leadership Council, & turned Nancy Pelosi into a second Queen Bee. Until last November, I doubt if Hillary thought she could lose the nomination.
Hillary's voice is like Cheney's sneer; they're permanent physical qualities. If she wished you a Happy Birthday there would be an unintended tone of reproach in the sentiment, just as Cheney would say it & look sarcastic. There's nothing she can do about it.
