Blog Against the Machine

For Better or Worse, America Still Matters

I just read an awesome column by Roger Cohen on washingtopost.com. (Read it here.) In it, Cohen talks about how Europe and the world is riveted to the American presidential campaign.

That fact, Cohen notes, is in stark contrast to the conventional wisdom that America's importance is receding in the world. It's not. And that's both good and bad.

The Wave of Voter Rage

Here's what I think is going on around the country:

People are pissed.

OK, maybe "pissed" and "rage" are too strong of words, but I think that people are tired of the same old Washington bullshit. It goes like this:

One side elects their guys and girls so they can game the system and get a disproportionate share of the government largess. The other side schemes to get back in power so their peeps can return to the government trough. Meanwhile, we all set out land mines for the other party so as to make them look bad and keep them down or keep us up, whichever works.

Iowa Caucuspalooza 2007

7:06 a.m. -- Today is The Day, Caucus Day, here in Iowa. The caucuses begin at 7 p.m. Central in schools and churches and fire halls and community centers over the state. I'm wearing my lucky John Edwards for President T-shirt under my sweatshirt which will be under my coat as I trudge from house to house in West Des Moines knocking on doors today.

Don't Hate Us Because We're First

I'm seeing a few stories out in The Media about how much it sucks to have Iowa and New Hampshire as the first caucus and primary.

Iowa and New Hampshire are too small and too white, according to these stories. Hey, I think the primary process is goofy too. If I lived in another state I'd think it was extremely bogus. I've said before that the whole caucus process and concept is weird. It's a holdover from the days that dinosaurs roamed the earth and the parties used caucuses to establish party platforms. That went out right after Lincoln, but yet we cling to them.

Pretty much the only reason we cling to the caucus here (right on cue, I just got a recorded call from Ron Paul for President) in Iowa is because it keeps us first and lets us revel in the candidate and media attention.