The Hiker's Guide to History - Joel McMahon's Blog

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

Well, not really the Russians. But Russian neighbor and Putin-watcher, Sarah Palin, is coming to Georgia next week to campaign for Republican incumbent Senator Saxby Chambliss, the Vietnam draft dodger and Karl Rove lackey, who is in a runoff with Vietnam veteran and Democratic challenger Jim Martin.  Chambliss, who notoriously linked Democratic Senator Max Cleland, Vietnam hero and double-amputee, to Osama bin Hitler and Saddam Hussein in his bid for Cleland's Senate seat in 2002, is sweating buckshot because Martin forced a runoff in the November election.

Chambliss has called in all of the Republican heavy hitters (what's left of them) to campaign on his behalf:  McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Guilianni, Reagan (oh, wait, he's dead...Republicans just say his name so much, I just think he's still alive.  Perhaps I should regrow my mullet, turn back time and relive the 1980s along with Hannity, Ingram, and Limbaugh, but I digress.)  . . . and now Palin.  A rousing rally is promised for Monday, December 1st, the day before the runoff election.  Georgia's die hard Reds will be in attendance.  The only diversity in that group will be in the tie colors.  Talk about a white out!

Prepare yourself, Georgia; our collective IQ will drop several points when Palin is in town on Monday.

Right a wrong: Dump Chambliss!

Early Voting

I cast my vote for President on Friday.  Early voting.  The lines were long, but not because there were so many people, even though it was a healthy crowd.  The lines were long because there were not enough workers in the voting facility . . . and there was not enough work in the workers in the voting facility.  It was a mess because of typical government inefficiency.

 

Speaking of the bailout, it seemed that those of us in the voting lines on Friday were in an ironically jovial state of mind.  Phones were buzzing, iPhones were engaged, Blackberries were clicking . . . and everyone was watching and talking about the economy and the week’s market action. The DOW was in free fall on Friday, and we early voters, all concerned about the economy, were all in it together.  As the saying goes: Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone.  

 

Last week, the DOW behaved like an over-caffeinated child with ADD watching a tennis match . . . it may not have been pretty, but it sure was ugly.  I suspect that the vast majority of my fellow early voters wore red stripes and made right turns out of the parking lot after they voted for McPalin, but I voted for O’Bama.  For a while, as we laughed and joked about our historic economic predicament, there were no Republicans, there were no Democrats . . . we were just Americans.  

 

While I have my many objections to O’Bama-Biden, I could not in good conscience give my vote to a Republican after the trainwreck we’ve experienced over the last eight years. If Hannity, Rove, Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Gingrich, Coulter, Bush, Cheney and Kid Rock are all Republicans, then that fact by itself . . . besides the War in Iraq and the Second Great Depression . . . is reason enough for me to vote Democrat.  Talk about associations!  I do not support McCain, and I don't like his friends, my friends.

 

Be a good Democrat. 

 

Be a good Republican.

 

Vote early.

 

Vote often.

 

Just.

 

Vote.

It's the Math, Stupid!

How much more of this must we take? Speaking of more, Hillary has no more momentum, no more money, and no more . . . math. She’s finished. If there was ever a time for her to listen to her husband, it is now. Move on, Hillary. It’s O’Bama v. McCain. And it’s going to get ugly . . . finally!

O’Bama, as presumptive nominee, has already begun to redeem himself for his wrong-minded association with the Rev. (sic) Jeremiah Wright. We all have baggage, but I hope the Democratic candidate doesn’t need a sherpa to carry his . . . but I digress. O’Bama has redeemed himself by making one of the best backhanded swipes at an old guy in recent memory. In regard to the economy, Senator O’Bama said that Senator John McCain has “lost his bearings.” McCain’s handlers cried foul, which is a nice change of pace to be able put the Republicans on the defensive, and O’Bama gave a shrug. Priceless.

With Hillary out of the way, perhaps O’Bama’s charisma and swift twist of phrase will befuddle Senator McCain in the upcoming debates just as Kennedy befuddled Nixon in 1960, how Reagan befuddled Carter in 1980, and how Clinton 1.0 befuddled Bush 1.0 in 1992.

Let the games begin!

The Audacity of . . . Audacity

Over the last eight years with George W. "Mission Accomplished"  Bush as president, I have had more amped-up, heart-racing, head-shaking, "is that guy really president" moments than I can or care to count.  But here I sit befuddled, head a shakin' and heart a racin', about my own party's presidential frontrunner. 

Last night, I saw true arrogance.  Yesterday, I saw true audacity.  And both moments came from the mouths of two apparent elitists who are becoming one of the most artful husband-and-wife spin teams I have ever seen.  Barack and Michele O'Bama (for now, he remains Irish to me, but he's about to lose that identity) have emphatically suggested that America is ready to move on and stop talking about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright issue. 

What?  Who is finished talking about Jeremiah Wright other than the O'Bamas? 

Jeremiah Wright isn't finished talking about Jeremiah Wright. 

Karl Rove isn't finished talking about Jeremiah Wright. 

The Hussy of Hate, Ann Coulter hasn't even begun talking about Jeremiah Wright. 

And I sure as heck haven't stopped talking about Jeremiah Wright . . . and I'm so far to the left that I don't even turn right at stop signs! This story has just begun!

To think that a presidential candidate has the audacity to declare that Americans are finished hashing out his past is down right arrogant and elitist.  It's as if a candidate wants to say that previous drug use is a personal issue and should not be a topic of discussion.  Oh.  Wait.  We did that.

If presidential candidates declare that they are different than other candidates, then they must be different than other candidates. O'Bama's message of Change is now a message of Change the Subject.

And his book The Audacity of Hope should be retitled: The Audacity of Audacity.

The Right Republican

Twentieth-century America was dotted with various xenophobic moments fueled by the fear of Communism and Terrorism, the twin threats, real or perceived, to American Democracy and national security. Red Scares accompanied every conservative lurch to the right beginning with witch hunts symbolized by the Sacco and Vanzetti sensation during the 1920; the Rosenberg trials and HUAC hearings of the 1950s; the Cold War, SDI-inspired saber rattling of the Reagan Era; and the military actions and attacks on civil liberties that are the hallmarks of the Bush response to 9/11.

The last bastions of Communism have either morphed into capitalistic societies or melted away in the Cold War thaw. And Terrorism is so amorphous, moving and malleable that it eludes both a meaningful definition and a necessary definitiveness. Communism had a definition against which Democracy and Capitalism could be defined. Terror is in the eye of the beholder. Communism created definitive enemies, nation-states that regarded physical boundaries, though often contested, as the scope of their realm. Terror is a ghost.

In the dysfunctional global stability that defined the Cold War, a conflict partner that was a legitimate, nation-state, such as the Soviet Union, was necessary to maintain that stability. Granted, there were many hot spots in the Cold War, the most devastating of which, Vietnam, became a quagmire because the enemy, the Viet Cong, was hard to define, find, and defeat. Even with the United States embroiled in our longest war, there was relative global stability between the superpowers. Are we entering another quagmire? Do the terrorists know our history better than we do? Do they know that the greatest lesson of history is that we do not learn from history?

Speaking of history, at the beginning of the twentieth century, President Teddy Roosevelt suggested that the United States, because it was entering the global arena as never before, should “speak softly, but carry a big stick.” Our stick is as big and bold as ever, but we neither speak softly nor tread lightly. Perhaps the first president “elected” in the twenty first century should evoke the memory and ideology of the first president elected in the twentieth century. Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, won the Nobel Peace Prize. Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, treasured and saved the environment. Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, was a military hero did not evade military service, but, rather, sought it. Teddy Roosevelt, a Republican, faced down corporate greed.

And what of Republican George W. Bush? The contrast could not be any greater.

Damning Data: Four More Years?

In the last eight years, the following slogans, sayings, and sound bites entered the American lexicon: Compassionate Conservative. Uniter, not divider. The MBA President. Bring it on. Mission Accomplished. No Child Left Behind. The Axis of Evil. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Green Zone. Wardrobe Malfunction.

With John McCain’s promise to extend the war in Iraq to 100 years, and with the possibility that one of the architects of the Blunder of Baghdad, Condoleezza Rice, will be McCain’s running mate in 2008, I am inclined to see that O’Bama’s promise of change, regardless of his pseudo-religious past affiliations, is becoming more appealing.  Not perfect, by any stretch, but more appealing.

By education and inclination, I am an engineer.  A scientist.  A number-cruncher. I like DATA. I used to like Dana, who was a hot, older girl in my childhood neighborhood. Dark hair, southern drawl, a much older woman of twelve, and, oh, so sweet, but I digress . . . .

What is not so sweet is the data that designates the last eight years as nothing less than a failure on scale not seen since the administration of Andrew Johnson. He was the first president impeached, and the first president to preside over the reconstruction of a nation torn apart by civil war. He failed. Sound familiar?  He was impeached.  Sound promising?

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and with data as my canvas, let me paint a picture.  Before pulling the lever for Senator John "More of the Same" McCain, consider the chart below, which compares LBB with LAB (that’s Life Before Bush and Life After Bush).  Brace yourselves; it's not pretty.

REALITY CHECK	Dec 2000     LBB	April 2008 LAB	Lament Percent
Dow-Jones Industrial Average	10,877	12,200	2% PER YEAR
S&P 500 Average	1366	1315	-0.50%
Unemployment Rate	4.5	4.8	Same
National Surplus (Deficit) (IN BILLIONS)	$100 BB	($600 BB)	OUCH!
National Budget (IN TRILLIONS)	$1.95 TR	$3.1 TR	OUCH!
Price of a Barrel of Oil	$29.01	$103.75	OUCH!
Price of a Gallon of Gas	$1.52	$3.48	AHHH!
Price of a Gallon of Milk	$2.98	$3.51	GULP!
Price of an Oz. of Gold	$300	$1000	BLING!
Average Home Price	$200,300	$206,000	BUBBLE POP!
Price of Halliburton Stock (SPLIT ADJUSTED)	$36.25	$78	DOUBLE
Price of Enron Stock	$90	0	GOOD!
Price of One Year of College	$21,000	$28,000	YALE?
Number of Dead Americans in Iraq (IN HUMAN LIVES)	0	4000	SURGE??
Number of Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq	0	0
Number of Children Left Behind by Dead Americans in Iraq	0	7,000

Damn!  I’ll vote for a black man named Hussein before I vote for Senator John McSame from Arizona.

Are you better off than you were eight years ago? 

Is anyone?

Will the South Rise Again?

Based on the current professions of the remaining presidential candidates, I think America is ready for a break from Southern governors.  Let history be our guide.  Carter, I’m sure, meant well, but Reagan made Carter, former governor of my beloved Georgia, look like a bumbling buffoon.

And I still get all misty-eyed thinking about the boom-and-boom cycle of the peaceful, prosperous, and plentiful 1990s.  Oh, those great times!  Great music.  Cheap gas.  No American Idol . . . but I digress.  Slick Willie, the former governor of Arkansas, really botched the works for Al Gore . . . and paved the way for the former governor of Texas, George W. Bush. Hell, I’m Southern and I’m done with Southern governors . . . and their wives, for that matter . . . for a while.

I admire former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, but he didn’t have a snowball chance in Little Rock at the White House . . . for a lot of reasons.  And former governors of anywhere didn’t seem to resonate with Americans this cycle, Southern or not. Will the South rise again? Does the Executive need executive experience?

Will a Senator have the experience to lead without compromising too much?  After all, Congressional leaders are deal makers . . . LBJ proved that. Let’s hope we don’t have a repeat of LBJ and Vietnam. Oh, LBJ, recall, also was from Texas.  Two Texas presidents.  Two ugly, long, ugly wars.  Perhaps there’s something in the water, but I digress.

Why is it that our choices so limited? Where is our Kennedy? Where is our FDR? Where is our Grover Cleveland? Oh. I guess we’ve had bad choices before.  Some Southern.  Some not so fortunate. And the republic thrived. In spite of our spat of bad choices, I am certain the republic will survive. 

Isn’t it pretty to think so.

A Recovering Republican

I was a Republican once, and young. In my 1980 high school yearbook, I appear in a photograph taken during a mock campaign rally. Standing out in the crowd, I am seen holding a giant campaign poster that reads in big, bold, block letters: REAGAN BUSH – LET’S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!! Yup. I supported Reagan . . . twice. And voted for his Veep, Bush the First . . . twice.

In 1992, I attended a George H. W. Bush rally in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Bush flew in on Marine One, landed in an open field, spoke into the microphone to the adoring crowd, and said something about family values and broccoli. Or maybe it was about victory in Iraq and broken promises about no new taxes. Marine One was still chopping in the background, so I could barely hear him . . . or read his lips. Regardless, he looked like a tired old man that we elected king, to borrow from Don Henley.

When I returned home from the “rally,” I turned on the TV to see some redneck governor of Arkansas rocking to “Don’t Stop Thinking About Tomorrow” with Fleetwood Mac . . . on stage. I said to myself, “Self, this yahoo is going to be president.” He was young. He was dynamic. He was Southern (pause for silence). He was uniquely Bill Clinton, from Hope. And from that moment on, I’ve been a Democrat.

Granted, I would love to take Clinton to the woodshed for his antics with that woman, that Ms. Lewinsky, but Slick Willy was not the first big man in the White House to use his little man in the White House. And his indiscretion, I am convinced, cost Gore the election in 2000 . . . along with that Nader fella…and Kathryn Harris…and Anton Scalia…and the fact that Gore was a bore . . .but I digress. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, see below why, in 6000 words, I am a Democrat.

Three Famous Democrats and their Associations

   

________________________________________________________________________________________

Three Famous Republicans and their Associations

With Friends Like This . . .

We've all been waiting, and now we know:  John Kerry backs O'Bama.  Looks like Vermont cared, but that's about it.  Political endorsements are funny things.  Loony Louie Farrakhan backs Barack. The Hussy of Hate, Ann Coulter, backs Clinton. Popularity deficient President Bush backs McCain. With friends like that, who needs enemies? This election, I am convinced, will not give Americans much of choice. Nor will the winning candidate be the lesser of two evils. More to the point, the presidential choice will be the evil of two lessers. In other words, our choices, while historic, leave a lot to be desired.

While issues trump personality, we need a dynamic communicator that connects with the people on their level and in their words. McCain reads his stump speeches from a teleprompter. O’Bama allegedly plagiarizes his speeches from backers and speaks in pleasing platitudes, but without much meat. And Clinton recycles speeches from Clinton. At least Reagan could act like a dynamic speaker! Yes, this will be a long, long summer of rehashed rhetoric and played out political posturing.

O’Bama’s supporters frighten me. No matter if O’Bama is black, white or polka-dot, he is still the product of Illinois politics . . . not exactly the paragon of purity. I overlooked Oprah’s endorsement of O’Bama; I cringe to think that her fans read Gabriel Garcia Marquez only because she suggest such and adds him to her list.  And if she really wants to promote a book that makes a difference, will end wars, and expose the horrors of battle, then she should add All Quiet on the Western Front to her list, but I digress.  I cannot overlook Farrakhan's endorsement . . . or O'Bama's waffling about it.  Will there be more waffling?

If O’Bama is the Democratic nominee, the Republican machine will make quick work of him, spin his past, and his reveal his connections. McCain might not be the most eloquent of speakers, and he is a bit clumsy at times, but I know darn well that the Republicans will back McCain in pithy word and dirty deed. O’Bama won’t know what hit him this summer when the GOP machine puts him in the crosshairs. Clinton’s right about one thing: She can handle the Republican onslaught better than O’Bama. Barack needs to cut his teeth a bit. I think O’Bama will be the first black president of the United States, but not this year.

A One Man Melting Pot

What’s in a name? Last week, Michelle Obama said that some of her husband’s frothy-mouthed detractors from the media had dropped a “fear bomb” by overusing Senator Obama’s middle name, Hussein. Mrs. Obama believes that right wing-nuts like raging Bill Cunningham, the Baby Jesus, a.k.a. Sean Hannity, and the Hussy of Hate, Ann Coulter, are referring to Senator Obama by his middle name to tap into the pent up xenophobia bubbling beneath the surface of the 2008 presidential campaign. Don’t forget, so the right wing logic goes, that the despot of Baghdad was named Hussein, so surely Senator Barack Obama is of the same evil, untrustworthy ilk! Aren’t Islamic terrorists named Hussein? Surely we can’t have a terrorist as president.

The Hussy of Hate, Ann Coulter, even goes so far as to refer to Senator Obama as “B. Hussein Obama” in her weblogs and articles, relegating his first name to initial status and effectively nudging, winking, and gesturing her right-leaning following toward that ignorant place of fear that masquerades as patriotism.  Coulter's strategy is nothing less than fear-mongering and a masterful manipulation of the unsaid.

In order to help Senator Obama combat fear bombs and identity projectiles thrust from right, and in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I have a gift for Senator Obama. Being Irish myself, and acknowledging the fact that everyone would be Irish if they could be Irish, I would like to give Senator Obama an apostrophe. Yes, my gift to the man who stands on the brink of being the first black president of the United States is that ever-so-subtle indicator of Irish identity, the apostrophe. While Obama’s enemies drop fear bombs, I would like to gently drop an apostrophe between the “O” and the “b” of Barack’s last name: O’bama. Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think? I knew he was Irish!!  Heck, he's not just Irish, he's a one man melting pot.

How wonderfully poetic that in November 2008, the citizens of this great country might have the opportunity to choose between two determined and charismatic Irish Americans: Senator John McCain and Senator Barack O’bama. Americans of Irish descent have come a long way!

Erin go Barack!!