IS THE MEDIUM THE MESSAGE?

What's music for? What does a song do? What should a song do? I've been thinking about these questions lately, as a consumer and a musician.

Recently, an old friend of mine (who is actually quite young, and a musician herself) introduced me to some newer tunes. She turned me on to Fleet Foxes and Greg Laswell, among others. It's not the sort of thing I typically listen to, but I really like them. I find that I am attracted to the sonic qualities and some of the lyrics. I bought 2-3 CDs on iTunes, and I'm enjoying them, particularly as background when I'm driving or having conversation with friends. It's good atmospheric music, in style and effect.

But, something keeps nagging at me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there is something substantively different about these new indie-folk-pop-rock bands than the music I play and listen to.

In a NY Times article today, Jon Pareles gets at part of it when he explores the way music is being made today. It's not about songwriters and albums anymore--the instrinsic appreciation of the songs--it's about marketing. Before you assume I'm criticizing the artists, let me assure you I'm not. It is virtually impossible to sell music today. No one believes they should have to pay for music anymore; so, the best way to turn it into a financially sustainable enterprise is to attach it to commodities. Whether it's a Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, a car commercial, or sonic wallpaper for office buildings, music has to be sold differently than a decade or two ago.

Pareles asks the important question:

What happens to the music itself when the way to build a career shifts from recording songs that ordinary listeners want to buy to making music that marketers can use? That creates pressure, subtle but genuine, for music to recede: to embrace the element of vacancy that makes a good soundtrack so unobtrusive, to edit a lyric to be less specific or private, to leave blanks for the image or message the music now serves. Perhaps the song will still make that essential, head-turning first impression, but it won’t be as memorable or independent.

After reading that, I may be getting a fix on part of what I was noticing about newer music. It is less specific...?

I have been told by a few people that a very personal song I wrote would be more commercially viable if I would take out the specific references and generalize it. I have not done that, probably as much out of laziness as anything; but, there is something about changing a song that tells my former brother-in-law's tragic, yet hopeful story, into a dramatic pop song. Nothing wrong with that. Might even be a better song. It's just something I am noticing.

I don't share the snarky perspective of Gawker, when Hamilton Nolan took Laswell to task for corporate "bootlicking" by selling his songs to hotel chains for lobby music, Pepsi and Amazon commercials, and nearly a dozen television soundtracks. I don't begrudge Laswell these moves, but I am still interested in how it changes the way music is made.

I wonder if songwriters and producers make room for more atmospheric spaces and less specific poetry so the focus can be on the product or the "feel" a potential buyer would want to get at with the sound.

For the record, let me say there is a difference between your music being picked up and used in a corporate context, and recording songs with a clear eye on that market.

I have several friends who have been delighted to find their songs have been selected for local commercials, national commercials, TV shows, and elevator music, among other commercial outlets; but I don't think that was on their minds when they wrote and recorded the songs. Maybe Nick Drake turned over in his grave when "Pink Moon" was used for that VW commercial, but I doubt it.

I saw a band last night that was a blast from my personal past. Fools Face, a local and regional phenom in the 80s, blew my mind last night. They were sensational, but they were pretty straight ahead rock and roll, with a nice selection of punk-influenced, new-waviness, and pop grunge in the mix. Don't hear too many soundtracks coming out of that, but it was tremendous music.

I guess I find myself at this mid-life point, where culture is changing around me, and I'm trying to make sense of it. I am not entirely unhappy with where pop music is going. It's just becoming something different than what it was. Isn't it? Hmm?

LET'S BE PLEASIN' FOR THE SEASON

We've come through an election where sides were chosen and winners were declared. Propositions were made and pastors proclaimed victory. Culture wars were restarted. We seem to be as aware as ever of the lines that separate us, and there is much money and power to be gained making those lines as clear as possible. Blessed assurance sells. Mystery is rarely profitable, outside Agathie Christie and Mickey Spillane.

May we join David Wilcox embracing the unsure this Christmastime, saying, "I didn't join the other side. The battle lines just disappeared."

May the Love we celebrate this season be fearless.

May the lines that we have drawn be blurred.

May "the others" in our lives become very sacred to us, whether they sit across the table, hold a different belief, or play for the other team.

May we all get at least a small dose of vertigo from the unhinged love contained in that small Child, so that when we speak we speak from our blindness and dizziness and emptiness, thus using the very voice of God.

A DIN OF INEQUITY

I don't really have anything to say about the economic crisis, or the various bailouts in the works. I just thought this moment in history should not pass without someone using this headline.

TRYPTOPHAN DREAMS

I don't think I had fully engaged my thankfulness until the morning after the morning after. Spent a wonderful Thursday with a family of 25, where I tiptoed up to the edge of gluttony, stared into its gorgeous face and embraced it. Fully. Reprised my performance yesterday with another family remnant of six, where, in addition to performing the roll (that's right, I performed the roll, not role) of digestion machines, we baked crazy amounts of cookies and chocolate goodies for my nephew and his buddies serving in Qatar.

Yesterday, as my wife and daughters and I were together decorating the house for the holidays, listening to Christmas music by Sufjan Stevens, James Taylor, Sarah McLachlan, and the late, great Dan Fogelberg, I was reminded--as I am every year about now--how fortunate I am.

When I turn on the faucet I can get hot water, while many in the world can't even get clean water.

I may fear the turns my life may take professionally, aesthetically, emotionally...but I don't live in fear that someone is going to conk me on the head and drag me by the hair into the weeds.

I have more than one guitar, even though I can only play (sort of) one at a time.

I live in a 98-year-old house that is aging well and continually shaping me in its image.

I have three women in my life (only sleeping with one) who are exceedingly beautiful, intelligent, funny, and simply the best company a man could want.

I have friends from the Midwest, to Colorado, to DC, to NYC, to New England, to Florida, to Oregon, to Greece, to Singapore, to New Zealand, to China, and all divers places in between who are meditative, irreverent, crazy smart, and full of grace; who would actually acknowledge my presence in their world and would at least stumble a bit in their daily lives if I were to depart this skin suit.

I live in a country that is confused and in disarray, but where no tanks are rolling in the streets, and we are free to bang our rhetorical heads together as we try to figure things out. And where we are hopeful.

I am generally content with the things I have, and I don't feel the need to trample my fellow humans to death in pursuit of outrageously low holiday prices.

I know Love, when so many do not.

In the words of the profound prayer written by Anne Lamott, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

TWO EARS, ONE MOUTH

We have just come through a time of talk. We have heard the candidates and all the pundits had to say, and we have all said our piece. Too often we didn't say our peace, just our piece of some bigger thing that was being hammered against the thing of the other, in hopes of being the winning thing. That's not to say that our piece and peace are always mutually exclusive.

It is my belief that there are two primary uses for communication: conciliation and critique. There is a time for each. There is a time to speak "truth" to power, and jab our rhetorical sticks into the soft underbelly of whatever beast is in need of poking. There is also a time to use our voices as magnets and glue--drawing closer to each other through the sharing of narratives and the building of consensus. Conciliation without critique makes us victims. Critique without conciliation can make us mean.

So, the timing is very appropriate for Storycorps to sponsor the National Day of Listening this week.

As we prepare to enjoy the balm of family and gravy, may we all use this time to be mindful. And listen. Be mindful of the one across the table. Everyone has stories to tell. And it is in the telling that we become aware of who and what we are.

In the listening we take on the posture of thanksgiving. How can we give thanks when we are onstage or on the attack, or preaching, or desperately needing to be right?

Two ears and one mouth? Must be a sign from God.

MY LIFE THESE DAYS

I'm Not One Of Those "Love Thy Neighbor" Christians

The Onion just keeps bringing it.

WHAT NOW?

Obama Win Causes Obsessive Supporters To Realize How Empty Their Lives Are

PREACH IT, KEITH

I'm not always an Olbermann fan, but on this day he could be my pastor.

SPREADING THE WEALTH IN AN AGE OF SELFISH CHRISTIANS

Conservatives regularly oppose state-supported social programs for the poor, arguing that they interfere with market principles and diminish incentive for individuals to achieve. In rare moments of compassion (or cold calculation), when they consider how the catastrophic failure of the proletariat will affect the ruling class, they will say any relief should come from private rather than public sources.

Politically conservative evangelicals and fundamentalists will continue this argument by suggesting that such relief is the responsibility of the churches, not the state.

Fine.

Where are they?

Let me say that I have read about and witnessed extravagant and impressive acts of giving from faith communities, and there is no doubt in my mind that well-intentioned and well-motivated believers are far more capable of addressing the needs of the poor than most agencies, public or private.

However a new book, Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don't Give Away More Money, delivers some sobering news about the reluctance of believers to part with their cash. In his review, Ron Sider (author of Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger), lays out some of the disturbing data:

• 20% of Christians give nothing.
• Those who do give average 2.9% of their income.
• 20% of Christians give 86.4% of the total.
• 5% give 59.6%.
• As our income has quadrupled, our giving has declined.
• The facts suggest that as we get wealthier, we get stingier.
  
• If Christians who attend church regularly would tithe (presumably the standard 10%), there would $46 billion extra available for serving the poor.
  

For the record, I happen to believe that relieving the suffering of the "poor" (in all manifest meanings of the word) should be the prime objective of our churches. Above mall-like worship centers, gymnasiums, and Starbucks, we should be serving "the least of these." And, it appears that as hard as it is to get believers to give, when they do we are more likely to fund our edifice complex than the poor.

A couple of disclosures: My wife and I used to give over $500 a month to an organization that serves the poor in Central America--we quit giving to churches years ago (see edifice complex comment above)--until things came to light about how the funds were not being used honestly. Now, we will only give to actual people in actual need. But, it is terribly inefficient and ad hoc.

Also, it appears from Sider's review that while evangelicals still have nothing to brag about, they give better percentages than other Christian groups.


So, I cannot take conservative Christian's arguments seriously when they protest loudly about "socialism" and "redistributing the wealth," while they are actively keeping more for themselves than even their doctrines demand.

We must be a culture that takes care of those who can't take care of themselves. If we aren't, we embrace a form of social Darwinism where the weak are trampled underfoot, and civilization as we know it deteriorates. Public means of support are terribly inefficient and often not the most effective, but until "believers" step up and get as aggressive in living out the gospel as they are preaching it, I cannot support a political ideology that would benefit the powerful over the weak.

CRACKER MAP (updated)

This map has been a point of discussion at The Ready Room, and in several email threads. Based on the reported numbers from Tuesday, the bluer an area the stronger the vote for Obama in comparison to the vote for Kerry in 2004. The redder the area the stronger the vote was for McCain than for Bush. The less color, the closer the vote was to '04.

The rash of red in the South seems to suggest a disturbing racial pattern. The southern areas with larger African-American and Latino populations are bluer, but Old South whites seemed to vote Republican in dramatically higher numbers this year than in 2004.

I tend to side with Occam's Razor in assuming the most obvious answer is the best. The reddest areas seem to be where the whitest Southerners live. What else would move them so deeply?

McCain supporters are strongly denying this is about race. Maybe so. What's another explanation? Somehow you would need to isolate an issue that was unique to that area.

Before you are tempted to make the reverse racism argument, take a look at the West. Not a lot of black voters in Montana and Nevada.

**********UPDATE 11/11/08**********

As pointed out by Stephanie (Mrs. Ready Room), today's NY Times supports the cracker map thesis, adding terribly disturbing interviews with crackers that position Inland and Deep South as being out of step with the rest of the country and on the wrong side of history.

While not exactly in Cracker Map territory, this picture was sent to me from Mike in Springfield, MO. This was sent to the local paper.



And, this news: The Sapulpa (Oklahoma) Herald did not print anything about Obama's victory in their paper Wednesday. The cracker-dominated county went overwhelmingly for McCain.

God, bless America. Please.

POST-GAME SHOW

My emotions are still too raw and unprocessed to do more than this for now.

An assessment and course correction on my predictions: First, I had a math error. I never got around to posting my state list. What I found as I marked the results on my paper copy last night was that I had misapplied Georgia. Early Sunday I had Georgia in the Obama column, thinking that the unanticipated African-American turnout would subvert the polls. However, late Monday I switched it back to McCain, but forgot to change the math. So, my real prediction was 375 to 163. Assuming Missouri and North Carolina end up the way they are looking now, I will have picked every single state in the country correctly, with the exception of Missouri. Some of you will find that amusing.

My prediction: 375-163
Likely outcome: 364-174

My prediction: 52%-45%
Likely outcome: 53%-46%

Not bad. Better than most of the people who are paid handsomely for their analysis.

I have more to say about where we go from here and what we should talk about next, but I'm still trying to assemble my thoughts. Not to mention the amount of work I need to attend to that has been put off while I followed the campaign.

IT'S A GOOD DAY

I voted at about 8:00 this morning in my swing state. Pretty uneventful, until I turned in my ballot and noticed that our Republican governor was right behind me submitting his ballot. On the way out of the building I wanted to turn to him and say, "I canceled you out, buddy. This state doesn't belong to you and yours anymore." But, my better angels prevailed (and my instinct for self-preservation, since I suspect his secret service detail might have interpreted "cancel you out" differently than I would have intended).

Instead I simply smiled at him, nodded, then looked up at the beautiful blue sky and choked back a tear. The time for rancor and division is over. It's a new day.

It's a good day.

Goodnight, Toot

I cannot imagine the exhaustion and emotion of two years of constant campaigning, nearly at its end. Then, on the eve of the greatest night of your life, you get the news that the woman who raised you passes from this life.

Thank you, Madelyn Dunham, for your life and your work. You done good.

May you rest in peace.

Our hearts go out to you, Barack.

MARK IT

Popular Vote*
Obama 52%
McCain 45%
Other 3%

Electoral College*
Obama 390
McCain 148

Winner*
All of us.

*Assuming voting irregularities are held to a minimum.

I know that's more dramatic than predicted by the pollsters and pundits. I'll give you the list of states and the analysis behind it. Tomorrow.

40,000 in Springfield...

MISSOURI!!!


Sorry Sarah. Eli's comin'.

FEAR AND LOATHING IN LOST GREATNESS

James Dobson's flying monkeys are at it again. The Word from the King of Chaos, the Wicked Pitch from the West is here--the Letter from 2012 in Obama’s America--designed to scare the beJesus into us. I wondered how long it would be before JD would once again offer us a toxic blend of bad theology, Rovian politics, and hide-under-your-covers fear appeals. Praise God and pass the gunpowder. This man likes the smell of gaypalm in the morning.

Dobson's Focus on the Family Action (Don't you remember that passage in chapter one of II Bealiah where Jesus encourages us to create cultural hit squads in case anyone disagrees with us and threatens our power?), feeling the pressure of being Left Behind, or Behind the Left, felt the need to use the power of time travel to scare us straight.

Sorry Barack. Dr. Dobson gave us the news: we got a bad case of loving you. Apparently, no pill's gonna cure our ill; and, in fact we are probably going to die miserable deaths at the hands of pornographic terrorists.

When faced with the likelihood of a Christian man being elected as a Democratic president, What Would James Do? It appears that he would scare the shit out of you.

According to Focus on the Fantasy, an Obama administration will result in a hijacking of the Court, ushering in nearly mandatory gay marriage, public elementary gay factories, the shuttering of Christian schools, adoption agencies, and publishing houses. Christian doctors and nurses, counselors and soldiers, teachers and broadcasters will all be out on the street. The Boy Scouts will be abolished. The streets will be littered with exterminated fetuses. We will terminate unwanted newborns like roaches. Our gunless citizens will be overrun by porn-juiced criminals. Americans will be killed abroad, and several major U.S. cities will be destroyed by terrorists. Our country will become communist, but for some reason at war with Russia. Israel will virtually cease to exist. Health care will become so rationed we will start euthanizing the old and infirm. Our economy will collapse, we will suffer electrical blackouts, while buying $7 gas.

Honestly, in the midst of all that, $7 gas doesn't sound so bad.

The letter is prefaced with a statement that includes a call for mutual respect.

Of course, there are many evangelical Christians supporting Senator Obama as well as many supporting Senator McCain. Christians on both sides should continue to respect and cherish one another’s friendship as well as the freedom people have in the United States to differ on these issues and to freely speak their opinions about them to one another.

Oh, yes, let's be respectful of the infidel wolves masquerading in sheep's clothing. Respect them until you get a clear head shot. If this is how you cherish friendships, all your enemies should shave their heads, move to Tierra del Fuego, and change their names to Chris (unless their name is already Chris, in which case they should change it to Terry).

Dobson and his kind are driving thousands of people out of the faith. They do so by devouring their young. They observe that young evangelicals may make up the margin of difference in this election. Then they tell them they are wrong. "We want you to be part of our Family, but everything that matters to you is crap. Now, sit up straight and repeat after me...."

On behalf of young evangelicals (one of which I'm not) told by Dobson they are wrong, let me say: "Are not. You are."

WHEN THE MAN COMES AROUND

Last summer my family had the opportunity to attend an Obama town hall meeting. It was great. Not as exciting as tens of thousands of people at an outdoor rally, but a solid, reasonable display of intelligence and leadership. At one point during his answers to audience questions, my 15-year-old daughter sighed and said, "I feel calm listening to him. He makes me feel safe." Back then I took that to be the words of a teenager who is more than a little intoxicated by this good-looking, charismatic man. But, reading Joel Klein's article "Why Barack Obama is Winning" in Time magazine, I now understand what she was feeling.

Klein closes with this assessment:

His has been a remarkable campaign, as smoothly run as any I've seen in nine presidential cycles. Even more remarkable, Obama has made race — that perennial, gaping American wound — an afterthought. He has done this by introducing a quality to American politics that we haven't seen in quite some time: maturity. He is undoubtedly as ego-driven as everyone else seeking the highest office — perhaps more so, given his race, his name and his lack of experience. But he has not been childishly egomaniacal, in contrast to our recent baby-boomer Presidents — or petulant, in contrast to his opponent. He does not seem needy. He seems a grown-up, in a nation that badly needs some adult supervision.

REPRESENTIN'

This and many more here and here.

BOOM...BAM...POWELL!!

Over 50 major newspapers have endorsed Obama.

Big deal. Many of them would endorse a shoe with cheese on it if it was running on a Democratic ticket.

But, when you combine the growing number of print endorsements with the cacophony of conservative voices lining up behind the Democratic ticket, a national consensus begins to emerge.

Today's nod from Colin Powell is more significant than most. As a lifetime Republican, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, National Security Advisor and Secretary of State in the Bush administration, Powell brings a bucketful of credibility to the table.

I KNOW SIZE DOESN'T MATTER, BUT...

100,000 in St. Louis...

...and 75,000 in Kansas City

Didn't know there were that many socialists in the Midwest, not to mention Missouri.

LOOK. THEY'RE FUNNY, MY FRIENDS

TIPPY TURTLE

No time to write up an analysis at the moment. For now, picture...worth...so...many...words...


'Nough said.

***Update***

My friend Matt sent this prescient video:

FRANK SCHAEFFER: AN OPEN LETTER TO JOHN MCCAIN

Senator John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence.

At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, "Kill him!" At one of your rallies, someone called out, "Terrorist!" Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee - an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman.

Shame!

John McCain: In 2000, as a lifelong Republican, I worked to get you elected instead of George W. Bush. In return, you wrote an endorsement of one of my books about military service. You seemed to be a man who put principle ahead of mere political gain.

You have changed. You have a choice: Go down in history as a decent senator and an honorable military man with many successes, or go down in history as the latest abettor of right-wing extremist hate.

John McCain, you are no fool, and you understand the depths of hatred that surround the issue of race in this country. You also know that, post-9/11, to call someone a friend of a terrorist is a very serious matter. You also know we are a bitterly divided country on many other issues. You know that, sadly, in America, violence is always just a moment away. You know that there are plenty of crazy people out there.

John McCain, you're walking a perilous line. If you do not stand up for all that is good in America and declare that Senator Obama is a patriot, fit for office, and denounce your hate-filled supporters when they scream out "Terrorist" or "Kill him," history will hold you responsible for all that follows.

John McCain and Sarah Palin, you are playing with fire, and you know it. You are unleashing the monster of American hatred and prejudice, to the peril of all of us. You are doing this in wartime. You are doing this as our economy collapses. You are doing this in a country with a history of assassinations.

Change the atmosphere of your campaign. Talk about the issues at hand. Make your case. But stop stirring up the lunatic fringe of haters, or risk suffering the judgment of history and the loathing of the American people - forever.

We will hold you responsible.

This post first ran in the Baltimore Sun as an op-ed on Oct 10, 2008. Frank Schaeffer is the author of Crazy for God: How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back.

JOE AND AMANDA: JUST BIDEN TIME

I had the privilege of attending a Biden rally today. I got to share the concomitant experience with my daughter, who was a volunteer for the same event a day earlier in another city. She got to have a pleasant conversation with a Secret Service agent named Allen, and a private meeting with the senator, who called her "honey." I have to admit the honey reference struck me as a little creepy at first, but I passed it off as a generational thing: a term of grandfatherly endearment. I was not so fortunate at my event, in that while I thoroughly enjoyed the speech, I only got looks from Secret Service agents that said, "Move wrong and I'll kill you;" and I got no love from the future VP. I was kind of hoping I could get him to call me "stallion."

Joe Biden has a way about him. He is very believable and seems extremely competent. I particularly like how he breaks down complex economic analysis for regular folks. He clearly explained how McCain's most recent $300 billion plan to bail out mortgages would only work to rescue the banks, and encourage their irresponsibility by rewarding their failed policies. He also repeatedly demonstrated, in surprising detail, how the McCain/Palin economic policies are showcased to feign help for all taxpayers, but are strategically designed to further empower the powerful at the expense of the middle class.

I know someone else who is good at unpacking this stuff for dummies like me. My good friend and economist, Amanda Watson Boles. She teaches college in Florida, and she gave me this schooling:

I am SICK of hearing that lowering taxes on big business and corporations fosters job creation. It is patently false. Here's why.

According to the International Monetary Fund, over the last 20-30 years, job creation in the U.S. has come mainly in the retail and services sectors---shopping, manicures, and baby-back ribs. The fastest job growth in U.S. history occurred during the Clinton administration, despite higher corporate taxes and higher marginal income tax rates for wealthy individuals.

Why? Because what keeps the retail and services sectors afloat is when the majority of Americans have money to spend on retail and services. Companies hire people and create jobs when they know their product/service will be bought, not when they think taxes are low.

On top of this, the largest part of our gross domestic product (72%) is consumption—which just means every day people spending money on stuff. Want to stimulate GDP growth? Make sure low- and middle-class Americans have money to spend. (See: JM Keynes. It still applies, now more than ever!)

Also something to consider: Our per capita GDP is about $47,000, but our average national income is in the mid-$30's—lower than it was in 1972 (adjusted for inflation). In other words, whenever you hear the Republicans talk about income redistribution, they're right—middle-class prosperity is being redistributed to the wealthy, and that's why McCain wants to continue the Bush tax cuts and continue cutting taxes for the rich and big business.

Amanda and Joe--two people I am inclined to trust on these issues--sketch out one of the fundamental differences in this election. We can continue to use the halls of power to create more privilege for those who already have it, and, in many cases, have squandered it; or we can put some new kids in them halls.

ABORTION DISTORTION

This post is back. I originally sent it to a newspaper, but heard nothing; so I put it up here. The newspaper eventually published it, and I took it down from the blog until it ran its course on the paper's website. Now it's back here for posterity. I'm sure you don't care about all that, but I said it anyway.



Last Sunday a few dozen evangelical pastors across the country defied the IRS by publicly endorsing John McCain from their pulpits. I will leave the constitutional implications of that move to other commentators and the courts for now. What I found interesting was the exclusive emphasis on abortion as the central issue prompting many of these congregations. It is not my intention to question their moral stance on abortion; however, it seems important to examine the practical realities under a McCain presidency.

There have been six terms and 23 years of Republican presidents since Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in 1973. Abortion is still legal. The most significant declines in abortion rates were during the George W. Bush and Clinton administrations with the steepest increases coming under Carter and Reagan. When we consider the historical trend and the fact that, according to the National Right to Life Committee, Senator McCain has only voted pro-life 66% of the time, it seems highly unlikely a McCain presidency would outlaw abortion.

Even if McCain developed some uncommon resolve to change this law, let’s examine the likelihood of court action. If McCain were to nominate activist judges committed to overturning Roe v. Wade, they would have to pass confirmation by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Not going to happen. The Democrats will solidly control the committee after this election. Even if a nomination made it through committee, all indications suggest the Democrats will have a nearly filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. It is very unlikely the balance of Senate power would shift during a first, or even a second McCain term, since Senators serve for six years. Perhaps it’s worth mentioning that a constitutional amendment is also out of the question, since both houses of congress will be in Democratic hands. It is virtually impossible that any serious threat to Roe would come during a McCain administration.

So, voting for McCain will have no impact on the availability of abortion in this country.

None.

That leaves Christian pro-life voters two alternatives: continue to fight a culture war to the serious neglect of other important issues, or vote for Obama.

Barack Obama is a follower of Christ. He recently told Christianity Today, “I believe in the redemptive death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that that faith gives me a path to be cleansed of sin and have eternal life. But most importantly, I believe in the example that Jesus set by feeding the hungry and healing the sick and always prioritizing the least of these over the powerful.” Obama went on to say he was committed to reducing unwanted pregnancies and making abortion less common.

A McCain vote is not a vote for life, it is a vote for a futile hope. It seems to me, if we care about faith, peace, the environment, our family’s economic health, a culture of life, and caring for “the least of these,” Senator Obama represents a hope worth believing in.

A hope that behaves like this.

THE GOOD (not quite great) DEBATERS

The first debate is over and the spin machines are running full out. The hacks are making their absurd claims of total victory. Virtually every scientific poll and focus group so far has Obama with a close or clear win. I'm reluctant to jump on that wagon at this point; although, as a debate coach I can tell you victory is declared by the "judges." Regardless of our partisan perspectives, or even our dispassionate evaluations of the arguments, when the "judges" (voters) vote, then we have a winner. For now I think it is fair to suggest a draw with a slight edge to Obama. I have a feeling over the next day or so, as the analysis filters in, it will evolve into a bigger win for Barack. But, no one is getting a KO here.

I'm not going to walk you through my debate flow. Instead, allow me just a few observations.

I think Jim Lehrer did a great job, except for his odd attempts to get the debaters to go after each other directly. While that might make for better TV drama, direct engagement tends to highlight something other than the issues. Much has been made of McCain's shiftiness and unwillingness to look Obama in the eyes. I wasn't particularly bothered by that during the debate. Keep it focused on the "judges" and the issues, not on personal attacks. But, here's what's strange about that--Obama made more direct contact, but was more issue-focused. McCain avoided direct contact but made more personal attacks. Interesting. Obama seems to come out of that looking more presidential. I do think McCain's squinting, smirking, and general nonverbal disdain for Obama hurt him. Watch the debate with the sound off and Obama wins the nonverbal contest hands down.

As an Obama supporter, I was delighted to see that he has been successfully coached out of the vocalized pause ditch. Virtually no "uhs," "looks," or "y'knows." He was clear and direct. Nice work, debate coaches. I suspect there were many drinking game participants disappointed by McCain's improved rhetoric as well. Only one or two "my friends," and with the exception of his reference near the end, he did not answer every question by connecting it to his POW experience.

I think McCain scored some points in keeping the experience argument alive and continuing to cast Obama as naive. However, there was nothing new here. In fact, most of McCain's best lines were borrowed from his stump speeches. Obama seemed fresh and assertive. He blunted nearly all of those attacks, successfully turned some, but a few of McCain's condescensions and fear tactics (or were they strategies?) may still make their way through the clutter.

On the whole I thought the debate was a success. Neither debater faltered in any signficant way; there were no big dramatic moments or gaffes. I know this disappoints many in the media. But, at the end of the day the debate did what it should. We saw a clear contrast of styles, different governing philosophies, distinct views on the role of government, and a showcase of leadership temperament. The debate helped us make a better decision. Precisely what it was supposed to do.

It was nice to see Joe Biden covering his mate's back after the debate. Where in the world was Palin? Hmm.

REALLY? SERIOUSLY?

I have been preparing myself for the possibility that, while Sarah Palin may be inexperienced, she may still be a formidable candidate and a quick study.

Um.

Uh.




Watch CBS Videos Online


By the way, there's more. I'm being kind limiting it to this single excerpt.

Well, okay. One more.



I'm sorry, but this is UNBELIEVABLE. She is lost. These questions come at her and she is twisting in the wind. She said when the call came from John McCain, she didn't blink. She should have blinked. She should still have her eyes closed, the blink should have been so pronounced.

It seems quite clear that on the subject of the Palin selection McCain was beyond irresponsible. This is ridiculous, that she could be our president in a matter of months. I will not apologize for how pissed this makes me. It's an outrage.

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE FAMILY IN NEBRASKA WHO LOST THE SILVER PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH THE SMALL CRACK IN THE BUMPER

We have your car. No, we didn’t steal it. We recently bought it from a car dealer friend who got it from the auction where your finance company sold it after repossessing it. We couldn’t really afford it either, but we couldn't pass it up. My wife and I are teachers and our daughter just started college about three hours away. She needs a car, because even though she has great scholarships, she had to take an off-campus job to help pay expenses. Even though we are struggling to make the bills, we have not had to face what you’ve been going through. We’re sorry.

You can tell a lot from the condition of a person’s car. The Grand Am is really nice. The shape it was in when we got it tells me you are good people. Except for the Happy Meal toy someone lost in the cushion of the back seat, the car was clean and, with the exception of the bumper, completely undamaged. Irresponsible people don't care for their vehicles this well. You seem to be a family that plays by the rules. But the rules keep changing, don’t they? Maybe your child got sick and you had to use the car payments to cover the doctor bills. Maybe mom was laid off when the factory outsourced her job to Asia. Maybe dad couldn’t keep up with the payments because he was sent back to Iraq for yet another tour with the National Guard. Maybe keeping your home or keeping food on the table became more important than keeping your car. Whatever the problems, you are not alone. More of us are facing the same kind of struggles every day.

I understand my words are cold comfort for you. I just wanted you to know that more and more of us out here aren’t too far away from where you’ve been. We don’t know you but we will hold you in our prayers. It is our hope that soon you will get the change you need.

By the way, don’t worry about that crack in the bumper. We took care of it.

It was the least we could do.

THEY'RE COMING OFF, THE WHEELS

The McCain/Palin ticket is going to start losing again. Here's why:

• He doesn't know who the prime minister of Spain is, he doesn't know Spain is not a Latin American country, or he is willing to publicly turn his back on one of our NATO allies.
• She is obstructing an investigation of her alleged corruption in Alaska.
• Conservative columnists say she is inexperienced and not ready.
• The former publisher of the ultra-conservative National Review endorses Obama as the more truly conservative candidate.
• Palin lies.
• She famously continues to lie about earmarks and the "bridge to nowhere."
• Even conservative Alaskans say she lies.
• She refuses to submit to a press conference. Interesting choice in a democracy.
• Oh, Sarah Palin lies a lot.
• The world overwhelming supports Obama (I know we're not supposed to give a damn, but, you know, silly me; I still think it's easier to build peace through diplomacy and dialogue than by killing everyone you don't like). Some in the world are apalled at the Palin pick.
• McCain and Palin both lie.
• His running mate outdraws him.
• He continues to lie about Obama raising our taxes.
• The story that he can't use a computer because of war injuries is a lie.
• Republican senator doesn't think Palin is ready to lead.
• Supporters leave rallies after Palin speaks and before McCain begins.
• Neither of them understands how to deal with the economic crisis.
• Conservative columnist, George Will, seems to think the only good argument McCain has left is that a divided government is better than a Democratic president with a Democratic congress.
• Right-wing policies and calling working families and the poor "whiners" doesn't help anyone.
• The former Republican mayor LA endorses Obama.
• Speaking of California, the GOP seems to be giving it up.
• McCain's ad in response to the Wall Street meltdown is to talk vaguely about "reform" for less than 30 seconds. Obama looks at the camera and gives his specific economic plan for 2 minutes.
• McCain campaign inaccurately uses factcheck.org to make an argument against Obama. Ironic.
• Both campaigns are dishonest, but McCain is The Biggest Liar.

***Update***
Another GOP congressman endorses Obama.

In fairness:

• Obama distorts McCain's taxation of healthcare benefits.
• Obama uses unfair fear appeals in his Spanish-language ad. But, McCain's ad also severely distorts Obama's immigration stance.

• The post-convention bounces are all bounced out. Obama is back up by 5+ points.

And that's pretty much just from the last 24 hours.

I spoke to a man last night on the phone who believes the anti-christ will soon take over the world, God removed his protection from the U.S. when we took prayer out of the schools, and we headed toward moral ruin when we started letting men marry men. Even that guy, by the end of our conversation, conceded that Barack Obama was probably a better choice for our future. I think he's on to something.

OH MY

You must read this.

McCAIN: JOEY IN A 'ROO POUCH

There's something happening here, but you don't know what it is. Is it a new sense of patriotism sweeping the nation? No. Is it a cascade of hope? Nope. Is it the jingle-lingle-ling of change? Is it a stampede of lipsticked pigs? Is it a new wave of spirit-filled laughter? No, no, and no. A colleague of mine calls it the "campaign season of discontent." Barack Obama calls it the "silly season in politics." Things have gotten dirty. And, it's our fault.

Americans regularly say they despise negative campaigning, yet negative campaigns are much more likely to be persuasive. I guess we don't like being fat either, but it doesn't stop us from strapping on the feedbag and scooching down in the couch for another riveting episode of "So You Think You Can Dance?". Negative attack ads are lowest common denominator discourse. And they work. For a while. If we allow them.

The McCain campaign is charting new territory in the depths of their distortions and attacks this past week or so. They will soon make the '04 Swiftboaters look like Boy Scouts. Make no mistake about it, the bulk of the negativity is coming from the Rovian Republicans, not the Dems. If it were balanced there wouldn't be scores of liberals wailing and gnashing their teeth at Obama's failure to come out swinging. And it's not just nastiness, it's flat out dishonesty.

Even Don Sipple, a Republican advertising strategist, argues “I think the predominance of liberty taken with truth and the facts has been more McCain than Obama.”

Matthew Dowd, Republican campaign strategist for Bush, says, “I think the McCain folks realize if they can get this thing down in the mud, drag Obama into the mud, that’s where they have the best advantage to win. If they stay up at 10,000 feet, they don’t.”

Let's agree on something here: politicians twist and distort the facts. Big surprise. Obama's campaign has done it, and I don't like it. You can't win a presidential race without lying. Sad but true. So, it seems that the choice before us is to withdraw from the process, or choose the candidate whose lies are less vicious and less frequent. There's no doubting the fact that I have a dog in this hunt, and that I have picked a side, but that does not change the reality that professional fact checkers (like factcheck.org) have called out McCain twice as frequently as Obama. The Republican response? It's liberal bias in the media. My response? Liars.

Pay attention now. I'm not going to say anything about McCain that is not objectively true here. At this point in the campaign, McCain is the much bigger liar.

It actually doesn't bother me that much when McCain distorts Obama's tax plan, suggesting that it will harm families. I happen to think the analysis relies on flawed trickle-down models, but it is a political argument, and that's fair game. Or, when McCain calls Obama's health plan "state-run" healthcare. It's a naive and inaccurate characterization, but normal for political rhetoric.

However, when McCain accuses Obama of sexism over the lipstick comment--when anyone watching that utterance would know it was not aimed at Governor Palin, and McCain used the same phrase to refer to Hillary's health plan--he's lying, plain and simple.

When McCain runs an ad suggesting the Obama values comprehensive sex-ed for kindergartners, and that he thinks it's more important to teach children about sex than to teach them to read, he's a liar. Obama passed legislation to teach small children how to avoid sexual predators. Kind of ironic.

McCain has reportedly flip-flopped over 75 times in this campaign (Obama has flip-flopped too, but I couldn't find a list), and by nearly all accounts his current communication strategy is to rely almost exclusively on misrepresentation. Seriously, what is John McCain for? All we know from his ads is what he's against: Barack Obama. McCain is a bigger liar than Obama. If that doesn't matter to you, then embrace your nihilism and do what thou wilt, but if it does, then it does.

What does John McCain have left? He's not a straight talker anymore. He's not a maverick anymore. He is an admitted joey in the Bush-Cheney 'roo pouch. He used to be a statesman of integrity. Now, he's the bigger liar.

Oh, and he's a war hero. Um, like John Kerry?

I have a solution for all this, by the way. Since experience has been jettisoned as an issue, let's focus exclusively on the candidates' policy proposals for the future. Let's look carefully at them and try to exam the facts without lying. Are we capable?

****UPDATE****

On Fox News Sunday Karl Rove agrees: "McCain has gone in his ads one step too far, and sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100-percent-truth test."

Man, if you're a Republican and Karl Rove calls you out, you know you done gone too far.

LIPSTICK, PIGS, HANK WILLIAMS, AND YOU

Sometimes a person has to find a little diversion to maintain some sanity. This week mine was to write the beginning of a bluegrass song. It goes a little sumpin' like 'is:

You bring the lipstick
And I'll bring the pig
You check my dipstick
And I'll wear a wig
You take my hand
And we'll dance a jig
Oh, honey, you bring the lipstick
And I'll bring the pig

Everybody now.

Write more verses for me now, hear.

PALIN AND DISRESPECT

First read on the speech: Competent delivery of material written by Matt Scully and Company. It was good, if the election were for student body president, but it lacked the gravitas of a VP (likely presidential) candidate. She could be a really good candidate some day.

I may have more analysis of Palin's speech later on, but here's my take on Wednesday night at the RNC: Disrespect. In particular, Giuliani and Palin totally mocked Obama and the sacrifices he made to work with the poor in Chicago. If smugness and mockery is all they have to offer, things are going to be tough for the GOP. This is exactly the kind of thing that drove me out of the Republican party. There were some hard hits on John McCain's record at the DNC, but NO ONE disrespected his character or his service to our country. I guess when you are desperate and losing you do what you have to in order to win. I just hope the old divide and polarize politics does not continue to pay off like it has in the past.

We should all demand more of ourselves, and our leaders.

Progressive and Religious

If you are interested in the intersection of politics and faith you need to read the new book, Progressive and Religious: How Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and Buddhist Leaders are Moving Beyond the Culture Wars and Transforming American Public Life, by my friend, Robby Jones. He is a former religious studies professor who has been working with political think tanks and high profile religious figures in the DC area for the last few years exploring the changes occurring in contemporary religious movements and political identities. Check out his blog too.

SARAH PALIN BROUGHT ME BACK TO LIFE

That's right, folks. I was dead. I had stumbled, squeaked, started up, quit, started again, then...pfffffttt...nothing. But, I'm back. At least for now.

I'm back because I'm upset. Senator McCain's choice for his running mate is not first a political issue for me, it angers me as an American. Let's break it down, shall we?

Sarah Palin will enter the race with a high school basketball championship, a victory in the Wasilla, Alaska Beauty Contest, a University of Idaho journalism degree, a one-year-old passport, two terms as the mayor of a village, and 20 months on the job as the governor of the fourth smallest and arguably least typical state in the country. I know what you just did. I did it too. You just thought, "I could have done that." Okay, maybe most of us couldn't have, but it's not a huge leap. Yeah, yeah, the beauty contest thing would be an absolute impossibility for some of us.

What's the big deal? Don't we want someone in the White House that's a lot like us? No! Not me. I want someone very, very different from me! Someone much better than me should occupy the most important chair in the world. Palin is probably a pretty impressive person, but she doesn't get in the same arena with the people running for this office. Dan Quayle was an impressive nominee next to this.

So why am I mad? Because John McCain gave such little thought to the well-being of his country when he made this decision. A colleague who may prefer to remain anonymous gave me a boost on this analysis. Currently, there is about a 50/50 chance that 72-year-old McCain will be elected the oldest president in our history at the beginning of his term. I'm no medical doctor, but add his multiple bouts with cancer into the mix and he couldn't have more than a 50 percent chance of surviving his first administration. Charlie Black, one of McCain's top advisers, said that "most doctors think that he will be around at least that long." Most? There are some doctors who think otherwise? Perhaps we should get a second opinion. Let me finish crunching the numbers. This means that there is a 25-30 percent chance Sarah Palin will be President of the United States. Soon. Black goes on to say Palin is "going to learn national security at the foot of the master for the next four years." So, she's going to be taking the train home to Wilmington, Delaware to Joe Biden's house each night? No, seriously. Seriously? What if she doesn't have four years to study? They don't have a GED for president, do they?

Are you kidding me? This is scary. We could have a president in a matter of months who has no demonstrable knowledge of world affairs, no national security experience whatsoever, no experience with broad domestic policies or economic issues, but who has shot a moose.

Let's ignore for the moment that Palin is a strident culture warrior on life issues, a supporter of mandated creationism in public schools, and does not believe human activity is the cause for global warming, this is just a terrible management decision. One that was so bad, everyone (Republicans included) was in stunned silence at first. Of course the GOP has fallen in line, what else are they going to do?

Is John McCain's judgment that bad, or does he just have no regard for us (his country) at all?

Pundits say that at the very least it nullifies the experience argument, since Obama is inexperienced too. Again, are you kidding me? Pay attention to this one, because this is the analysis you'll only get here.

Even if you believe that Senator Obama's Ivy League degrees, Harvard Law Review, years as a community organizer, multiple terms as an Illinois state senator from Chicago, and four years as a U.S. Senator still leave his resume thin, consider that he has served for nearly two years as the CEO of the largest and arguably most disciplined and successful grassroots campaign in our history winning support of tens of millions of voters along the way. He went on to pass the experience test when world leader after world leader parroted his ideas, and nearly a quarter of a million people came out to hear him speak in Germany. He passed the experience test when dozens of decorated generals publicly endorsed him and supported his views on national security, and when economic experts across the country in academia and political administrations certified his economic plans as sound. He passed all those tests, then in his first real presidential decision he selected a running mate whose experience far surpasses John McCain's.

Sarah Palin does not meet the experience test and she was not vetted by election, she was appointed. I'm sure she is a great person. People testify to her plain-spokenness and her maverick style. She's a member of the NRA for gosh sakes. I'm sure she's a hoot. A spitfire. A veritable ring-tailed tooter. She's a pistol, for sure. Unfortunately, we're not auditioning for Annie Get Your Gun. This is the real deal. And it's important, damn it.

Someone may be tempted to make gender bias my issue. Sorry. I have two beautiful daughters, and I desperately hope for a woman president. No sexism here, latent or otherwise.

This is about judgment. John McCain has failed this test so miserably, he deserves disqualification on this ground alone.

I guess there is one positive thing to come from the Palin selection. Once again, in this country, we can believe that anyone can be president. And I mean, anyone.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK

So, I think I'm done.

It's been an interesting ride. I have found this blog to be a cathartic outlet at times, a surrogate community at others. But lately, it has been little more than a drive-by shooting.

Maybe the blogosphere hasn't changed and I have. Maybe if I posted frequently and engaged the process responsibly we could recreate a meaningful community. Maybe I'll bring it back at some point. But for now I'm done. Blogging seems to do little more than bring out the worst people and the worst side of good people. It wears on my soul.

I have trimmed my reading of online exchanges of all kind these days, because it seems that little goes on there beyond narcissistic yawping. Who cares about anything or anyone anymore? We just want to BE HEARD. As a meaningful alternative to journalism I think blogging has mostly failed.

I will leave this up for a while, but I am disabling comments. After a time I will set this blog to be accessible only to invited readers, and I will not be inviting anyone. I may bring it back some day, so I don't want to delete it altogether. Those of you that know me can email me.

To those of you who pushed and have been pushed in our dialogue, I wish you well. To those of you who get your rocks off dumping on people, then running away into anonymous safety...I don't really have anything to say to you.

Except...goodnight, and good luck.

IN THE BEGINNING WAS HOPE, AND IT WAS GOOD

John B. Judis writes one of the best articles I've seen on American politics and the Obama candidacy.

Among other things, he says,

"The American instinct to continuously remake ourselves in the image of Adam--to achieve a decisive and final break with history--has periodically proven seductive to voters. And, sometimes, this instinct can produce important, transformative results. Yet the past--in the form of race or war or deeply held partisan animosities--has a way of lingering around. At the very least, it rarely recedes without a bitter fight. None of which is to say that Barack Obama will fail. He has already defied the expectations of wizened political journalists like me who believed he had no chance to win the nomination. If he becomes president, he will have a chance to prove me wrong again: to show that the party of youth and hope and change can govern effectively. No one will be more delighted than I will if he succeeds."

OH, YEAH

WAIT FOR IT

I'm saying this here and now. Expect another decisive Obama victory tomorrow. THEN...just wait for the bomb to drop. I don't know what it will be, but just wait for it. Somewhere between tomorrow and March 4th, the Clinton Machine will pull the pin on whatever WMD they've been working on. It will be brutal and potentially devastating...for all of us. These people know how to win elections. They don't know when to quit or how to win without significant collateral damage, but do not underestimate them. They refuse to lose. It might not be one blow, it might be a series of dirty tricks, intimidations, or full on attacks, but it will come. Just. Wait. For. It.

And we will all be the worse for it.

I hope to God I'm wrong this time.

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

Primary and caucus wins in Washington, Nebraska, Louisiana, the Virgin Islands, and Maine.

And now, a GRAMMY!

Not a bad weekend, that.

What's next, a Nobel? Loaves and fishes?

THE REAL PROBLEM WITH AMERICAN POLITICS

I was following the returns of the Maine caucuses. It was terribly hard to find a source that was even tracking the results. It was as if the Maine contest had no meaning. (Yes, it could be that it only had meaning to the weirdly obsessed political freaks like myself, but...)

So, I finally locate an official recording of the numbers. Obama is significantly ahead early on, yet I still see no one talking about it on any news sites. This is important. The number of delegates makes it all but meaningless to the overall count, but the cumulative effect of five in a row (WA, NE, LA, Virgin Islands, ME) for Obama in two days builds some momentum and growing feel of grass roots consensus.

After 70% of the precincts have reported and Obama leads 58% to Hillary's 41%, I go to www.cnn.com, expecting it to be their headline. No. Wrong.

The BREAKING NEWS banner: "CELEBRRITIES ARRIVE FOR THE 50TH ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS."

There you have it. "Who are you wearing?" has replaced "Who are we electing?"

Does anyone know who won the last American Gladiator? Pass the pork rinds. Belch.

READY TO GO

Then there's this one.

Obama definitely wins the cool musician contest.

SI SE PUEDE

This video directed by Jesse Dylan, Bob's son.



The first president I voted for was Reagan in 1984. By the end of that decade and into the next, I became disillusioned with the militant triumphalism that marginalized the weak for the sake of the powerful. I went from skeptic to supporter during the Clinton years, but I couldn't shake my concerns about dishonesty and the politics of division. The last seven years of malice, incompetence and Rove-ian tactics have driven me to despair. I have voted against Bush, but never really felt like I had something to vote for. Until now.

I am drawn to Barack Obama's words of hope and what author Toni Morrison calls his "searing vision." Some say we need more than words. Of course we do, but words matter. When words draw millions of people of every background together in a common belief, they matter. When words highlight "us" and "we" rather than "I" and "me," they matter. Obama's words move us beyond a candidacy and into a movement.

The cynics who prey on our fears ask us to dance with the devils we know. They tell us we can't change things through faith and hope. Our answer: "Yes we can."

DO SOMETHING TO HELP.

VOTE.

WORD

As a teacher and scholar of rhetoric and the use of public words, I am loving the way the Democratic primary distinctions are revealing themselves. It appears that it is becoming a choice between words and action. Of course, it's not really that simple, those with nice words also have deeds, and those with records of accomplishment also are fine crafters of language. But, this exchange in last night's debate was telling.

Hillary:

So you know, words are not actions.

And as beautifully presented and passionately felt as they are, they are not action. You know, what we've got to do is translate talk into action and feeling into reality. I have a long record of doing that....

Obama:

[T]he truth is actually words do inspire. Words do help people get involved. Words do help members of Congress get into power so that they can be part of a coalition to deliver health care reform, to deliver a bold energy policy. Don't discount that power, because when the American people are determined that something is going to happen, then it happens. And if they are disaffected and cynical and fearful and told that it can't be done, then it doesn't. I'm running for president because I want to tell them, yes, we can. And that's why I think they're responding in such large numbers.

Now, for the record, I am no fan of bluster or sophistry absent substance and follow-through. However, Obama's speech is much more than that. Who accused of FDR ("We have nothing to fear..."), JFK ("Ask not..."), or MLK ("Ihave been to the mountaintop.") of empty speech, simply because they sounded good and galvanized a society around a shared vision of hope and nobility? What's so wrong with a leader rising up who can use the power of speech to make us all believe we can do better and become better? Sure, if there was incompetence or other suggestion of an inability to back it up, it would be nonsense; but there is no evidence of a weak mind or soft resolve in this case.

Ultimately, it's about cynicism. The jaded among us scoff and sneer at the pollyanna notions of transcendence and imagination, opting for the verifiable pragmatism of the known quantity. It is a fair and reasonable reaction. But, if we hope to leap ahead, rather than crawl, we have to believe.

I'm ready. Word.

FIRED UP?

Ready to go.

RESOLVE

Some time ago I encouraged my sister (some of you may recognize her comments...she goes by, um, "Sister") to guest author a little sumpin' sumpin' for this sorry excuse for a blog. Just in time, she rises to the occasion.

December 2007

Resolutionary

I'm not big on making New Year's resolutions. Seems like a big set-up for failure, if you ask me. Ever so much better to do well that which no one expects than to fall short of achieving lofty goals, yes? This new year, however, I find myself approaching with something that feels suspiciously like resolve.

Clearing out has been a big theme with me for some time now. Digging deep and challenging those internal beliefs that no longer serve me and definitions that no longer know me. Cleaning out and discarding (or selling on E-Bay! Check it out!) physical items that are cluttering my living space and blocking my energy. Revamping what sort of things I do in exchange for a paycheck. Clearing out the old to make room for the new has laid claim to my dreams, my meditations, my prayers and my time.

It's good work, but hard.

The physical clearing out forces me to deal with packed away remnants of a former life. The emotional remodel entails somewhat painful excavations of long-held certainties of who I was and what and why. Spiritually I'm questioning everything and trying to Be Still and listen long enough to hear the answers. I'm not as sure of myself as I once was and I'm teetering, slightly off-balance in the upheaval. Yes, it's hard. Hard, but necessary if forward motion is to be achieved.

Yesterday I noted (for the hundredth time) a very large, very dead tree along the fence row of the pasture behind my house. I thought (for the hundredth time), "That tree really needs to come down," but then (for the hundredth time) went on about my business, forgetting it until the one hundredth and one time it catches my attention.

This morning as the coffee brewed and I stared absentmindedly out the kitchen window, I saw the pasture that was clear the day before now littered with branches and trunks and vines. Sometime in the night the tree that needed to come down did so with a crash, taking a couple of fence panels out with it. Now any plans I had for the day have been scrapped. I'll be bundled up in the cold sunshine, cutting up dead wood and repairing fence.

Already though, as too-hot coffee scalds my tongue and I gaze at the woods where decay had been taking center stage, I can see how much more pleasing that portion of the landscape is with barrenness erased. Already I can see how accustomed I had become to believing beauty was out of sight. Already it's better. All that's left now is work.

And I can do that. Oh,yes. That I can do.