So long, Bill!

Bill Richardson is out of the race. This makes me sad as Bill was my homeboy, I liked him the best. He had the balance of experience, level-headedness, and charisma, but since he wasn’t black or a woman and running around like a celebrity, no one even noticed him.

Richardson was a Latino, however, and as much as everyone is talking about how cool it would be to have a female or black president, I think it would be much more progressive (and helpful) to have a Latino president.

I think the whole women’s suffrage equality thing is long established. Women are equal to men, we get it, we’ve accepted it, we’ve moved on. Even black equality issues are passe, as the Latino population quickly moves into place as the biggest American minority.

We’ve already seen border and immigration problems top the issue charts, and that’s only a prediction for the bigger issues in America’s future. Now, having moved on from racism, we will join Europe with our problems of anti-assimilationism – hating immigrants not because of their skin, but because they refuse to swim in the melting pot. A Latino president, if he had the support of the people, could really smooth things over. But alas, no dice.

If we are only, just NOW ready for a female or a black president, we may have to wait another 20 to 50 years before we see a Latino president.  Goodbye, Bill.

Campaigns, Candidates, and Healthcare

I really liked Mark Halperin’s op-ed in the New York Times today, “How ‘What It Takes’ Took Me Off Course.”

 

Halperin talks about how the press frames presidential campaigns by asking the question, “who will win” as opposed to “who should win.”  This type of coverage takes it for granted that whichever candidate proves to be the best candidate will then be the best president, as if campaigning skills were indicative of a good president.  

 

I am getting more and more interested in following the campaign coverage, I think in part, because it helps me feel more involved and connected to what’s going on at home.  Also, I can’t help but feel more excited about this election since no matter what happens, the “feeling” of the last 7 years is sure to change somehow.  I’m ready for a new president, aren’t you?  And this time I want to vote in the Democratic primary, although I better not forget to get an absentee ballot.  

 

There was another article in the NYT today, called Massachusetts Faces a Test on Health Care, and I found that one interesting too, mostly because it gave a little overview of Hilary’s, Edwards’, and Obama’s positions on state mandated health coverage.  I have to say that while I am not a huge Obama fan, I liked his position best on this particular issue.  I think it’s stupid to think that a mandate will bring universal coverage.  I just don’t see how people can be forced to get an insurance policy when there really aren’t great options out there, and a lot of people, really and truly, can’t afford them.  It’s just presumptuous, and I feel like Obama recognizes the audacity of it, and although the article didn’t give me the clearest picture of how he would solve the problem, it seems as though he is on the right track.

 

Okay, enough politics.  As important as this is, I am still using it to procrastinate when I should be writing my essay on redneck culture and ethnicity.  (I love American Studies!) 

Unexpected

I was wrong.  There is something worse than waking up to a landscaping crew outside your window at 8 am.

Waking up to a JACKHAMMER outside your window at 8 am.  I kid you not, people.

In other news,

“Rumsfeld Resigns; Bush Vows ‘To Find Common Ground’; Focus Is on Virginia
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and JIM RUTENBERG
President Bush portrayed the election results as a cumulative “thumping” of Republicans and conceded that as head of the party, he bore some responsibility.”

Wow.  Just wow.

I heard alot about “change” and a “new direction” in all of those winning speeches.  Of course I was still a skeptic.  Does this mean it may be happening?  Like, for serious?

Observations

1. The pike (the Mass pike, or the “Massachusetts Turnpike” for those who really don’t know the insider lingo) was crawling with cops today! Just crawling! And not just the cruisers- they were in their undercover SUVs as well. In my opinion, that is not playing fair. Speeding laws are like a real life video game: see how far you can push the limits without getting caught. But in a game, there are rules of engagement. Cops already have the advantage here- the LAW. They shouldn’t be able to hide in unmarked cars.

2. No one asked for my ID when I voted. Now that I think about it, today was my first time really voting in at “the polls,” or a local elementary school. They asked for my address, which I gave, but only after stumbling over my words a little. We moved to our new address two years ago, but since I don’t actually live there, I often forget the new address and phone number. But not even the uncertainty of where I live made me suspicious to these people. Also, there were no cops there. They were all on the pike, I guess. Maybe I’m just paranoid.

3. I changed my mind and voted to allow liscences to sell wine and beer in supermarkets at the last minute. After all, this is America. It’s not about whether or not I’d prefer to get my booze at the liquor store or the grocery; it’s about whether supermarkets should have the freedom to sell the stuff. And why shouldn’t they? There’s plenty of freedom to go around.

Citizenship

Today, after class, I am driving home to Western Mass to vote.  I am not a good enough citizen to get my absentee ballot on time, but gosh darn it, I’m going to vote anyway!

I’m voting for Deval Patrick, which isn’t that exciting really.  I still feel the same way about him as I did before, but I still think he’s the best choice, and alot of that has to do with basic party lines.  And that general common sense rule, “If it’s broke, don’t not fix it.”

The really interesting voting decision is the proposition about selling wine and beer in supermarkets and grocery stores.  This is especially exciting because this issue only became relevant to me one month and 2 days ago.  Yeah adulthood!  Anyway, I think I am going to vote no.  Why should grocery stores sell wine?  Next thing you know, they’ll be petitioning to sell clothes and autoparts.  WHERE WILL IT END???  Plus, I like going into liquor stores.  Why?  It makes me feel super cool.