Across the Great Divide

Call it a road trip for political junkies.

Millennials and recent college grads Ben Terris (Brandeis alum), Steve Kolowich (Bowdoin alum), and Rachel Pfeffer (Brandeis alum) have been on the road since June 7th reporting on the attitudes of members of their own generation.  They’ve driven through Huntsville, Alabama, Atlanta, New York City, and Philadelphia.

I encourage everyone to keep an eye on Ben’s reporting (updated daily) for an interesting look at what young people across the country are thinking about the election.  Steve, a former editor-in-chief for his campus’s newspaper, is maintaining a blog also, while Rachel, who is into photography, maintains a photo blog here.

I think that this might be something I’d like to do eventually when I have the resources to do it.

Leaving Philly today

After a great weekend of wedding fun, walking around Philly, and getting semi-stranded in the city, my girlfriend and I are about to leave and head home.  I am impressed with the historical area in the city and the work that has been done in reminding visitors and residents of Philadelphia of the city’s importance to the new republic started some 217 years ago.

Off to drive a few.. alright — six.. hours on Interstate 80.  Happy Monday.

On the road

I’ll be traveling to Philadelphia over the next few days (I write this from my hotel room in Clearfield, PA) for a wedding.  I may not be able to post much, but I’ll try to get a few in.

Enjoy your weekend!

Obama leads by a lot and he acts like it

Last week Newsweek came out with a poll showing Obama up on McCain by a 51-36 percent margin.  Today’s LA Times poll reflected a similar fifteen point margin when including Ralph Nader and Bob Barr in the field (48-33).  This, more and more, is looking like a potential landslide.  While we’ve seen similar Democratic leads this early squandered by November in the past, there’s a difference.

As Chris Bowers reflects at Open Left today, Obama is acting like he’s going to be the winner (even if it did mean using this ugly seal) and he keeps doing it no matter what the polls show.  He acts like a man in control, and after eight years of you know what, how could the voters not want that?

One more interesting (and awesome) piece to the first Newsweek poll:  66 percent of voters aged 18-39 are choosing Obama.  Only 27 percent are choosing McCain.  The 40-59 and 60+ age groups are even.  Young voters are indeed making a difference.

A political utopia?

I’ve waited a long time for a period of time in which most people are as obsessed with all things political as I am.  And not just self-serving politics, but, of course, a politics that serves everyone.

Matt Stoller, a blogger at Open Left, is attending the Personal Democracy Forum.  In a post today, he explained that he was hanging out with a man named Tom Steinberg, a civic engagement guru from England.  Steinberg’s enthusiasm led Stoller to reflect on the ramifications of a society leaning toward a wide-scale embrace of politics.  I got goosebumps reading it, as it sure resembles what I would like to see in the near future.

I’m going to guess that a good amount of 21st century campaigning will look like the 19th century, with a politicized business community, much stronger local political machines, and engagement levels at 80% or 90%.  Local debating societies, nonprofits that do service work and voter turnout, and a blurred line between government and politics are probably in the cards.  As social media and public spaces increase in importance in our culture, they will dominate our politics.  Right now, internet campaigns take people who like public spaces, harvest their time and money, and use it to target those who want consumer politics.  What happens when politics takes place entirely in social public spaces?

That last question is a great one to ponder; I can’t articulate a vision quite yet.  Soon, though.  What do you think?

Don Imus at it again

You’d think the man would learn.

From the New York Times TV Decoder Blog:

Don Imus, who was fired last year for referring to the Rutgers women’s basketball team as “nappy-headed hos,’’ waded into racially treacherous waters again on his new radio program Monday morning, in a brief exchange about a suspended professional football player, Adam “Pacman’’ Jones.

When told by the program’s sportscaster, Warner Wolf, that Mr. Jones no longer wished to be called by his nickname — so that people might forget his record of multiple arrests in recent years — Mr. Imus asked, “What color is he?’’

“He’s African-American,’’ Mr. Wolf responded.

“Well, there you go,’’ Mr. Imus said. “Now we know.’’

Racist?  I’d say so.

Veepstakes Update

Remember the SurveyUSA chart I posted a few weeks ago?  They conducted another poll of possible presidential/vice presidential tickets in four states:  Iowa, California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  Open Left has compiled both rounds for a few states to compare/contrast.  Here are the results:

As you can see, in all four of these “test” states Edwards is the only candidate that sustains and improves Obama’s campaign.  I agree with Paul Rosenberg from Open Left:  Of course name recognition (and lack thereof) limits the accuracy of these polls, they still mean something.  People are comfortable with what Edwards has to offer Obama and the country.  In a campaign that is apparently going to be focusing on the economy, Edwards is a great candidate to add, especially for Obama to continue to make some headway in the Appalachian demographic.

Let me know what you think.

Edwards is confirmed on Obama’s VP list

From the AP, via The Page:

Former presidential candidate John Edwards and former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn are on a list of potential running mates for Democrat Barack Obama, according to a Michigan congresswoman.

Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, who leads the Congressional Black Caucus, said Thursday members of her caucus suggested the two at a meeting with the officials vetting candidates. The vetting team, Caroline Kennedy and Eric Holder, indicated the two were on the list.

I still like an Obama/Edwards ticket, as it plays on the increasing importance of the economy in the voters’ eyes.  Edwards has waffled on the thought of being a vice presidential nominee again, but I bet he’d accept if offered.

Food for Thought…

Thanks to Luke Russert.

“This is the true joy in life – being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances.”
– George Bernard Shaw

‘Disposable Heroes’ — Veterans serving as guinea pigs

This hardly serves the common good.

Veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts suffering from mental distress, such as disorders like Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, are being used by our government for tests on pharmaceutical drugs which have been linked with violent and suicidal side effects.  ABC and the Washington Times have the undercover story.

In one of the human experiments, involving the anti-smoking drug Chantix, Veterans Administration doctors waited more than three months before warning veterans about the possible serious side effects, including suicide and neuropsychiatric behavior.

“Lab rat, guinea pig, disposable hero,” said former US Army sniper James Elliott in describing how he felt he was betrayed by the Veterans Administration.

Elliott, 38, of suburban Washington, D.C., was recruited, at $30 a month, for the Chantix anti-smoking study three years after being diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He served a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq from 2003-2004.

Months after he began taking the drug, Elliott suffered a mental breakdown, experiencing a relapse of Iraq combat nightmares he blames on Chantix.

“They never told me that I was going to be suicidal, that I would cease sleeping. They never told me anything except this will help me quit smoking,” Elliott told ABC News and The Washington Times.

On the night of February 5th, after consuming a few beers, Elliott says he “snapped” and left his home with a loaded gun.

His fiancee, Tammy, called police and warned, “He’s extremely unstable. He has PTSD.”

“Do you think that he is going to shoot or attack the police?” the 911 dispatcher asked.

“I can’t be certain. I don’t know,” she said. (click here to hear part of Tammy’s 911 call)

“He was operating as if he was back in theater, in combat theater,” she told ABC News. “And of course, a soldier goes nowhere without a gun.”

When police arrived, they found Elliott in the street, with the gun in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.

Stop and think about this for a minute — since we entered Iraq, how many different ways have we lost our credibility and integrity in the world’s eyes?  Let’s see — the invasion itself, after doing away with any effort to plan for the victory; the fact we even went into Iraq and let the Taliban re-form; the torturing that went on; and now, the horrible treatment our veterans receive after sacrificing themselves for a mission that was supposed to have been over in 2003.  I’m sure there are more that I’ve missed.

I can’t wait for January 20, 2009 (unless it’s John McCain).