Headlines Revisited & Rethought
D. S. Mitchell
16 Hours Of Loss
The Progressive political blog, Calamity News and Politics, has been quieted for the last 16 hours due to a phone/computer/wi-fi issue. It’s amazing the loss I have felt over that time. It felt as though a good friend had moved from across the street, to across the country. Thank God, the imaginary “move” only lasted 16 hours. OMG, my life without wi-fi felt so empty. My 21st century brain has become part of the technology it has created. I believe, it will be another 30-50 years before we know, and understand the consequences of this transformation from real to semi-virtual world.
The Forgotten Book
By hour six my brain reluctantly detached from my internet alter ego, and admitted that I would need to get along without half “my brain” for an undetermined length of future time. By hour seven, I was desperately looking for relief from my technological desert. As my head cleared, I remembered that book I needed to finish for a class I am taking. Good thing, there. I have a paper due based on the reading of that book due on 6-12. Since given a mandatory vacation day, I plunged back into the book I had put down after Chapter 3, six weeks ago.
The Democrats
The problem has been fixed. I still don’t understand what was going on but it is fixed and I am back in business writing for Calamity Politics. One thing I know, every day is full of political highs and lows, depending on which team you are rooting for. I am an outspoken ‘Resistance’ member. Grassroots organization, small pocket donations, and a younger face is invigorating the Democratic Party. There is a resurgence of Progressivism.
Random thoughts on recent pundit topics:
1.) “Why is Hillary still talking about her election loss?”?
2.) “When is Hillary going to accept responsibility for her loss”?
3.) “Why can’t the Liberals let it go, and move on”?
4.) “The face of the Democratic Party is north of 75 years old”.
5.) “The Dems are dead. They have less than 1/3 of the governorships, they have lost over 1100 state legislative seats. It will take a generation to recover.”
Wow, lots of stuff to discuss. I think the easiest is to discuss the issues in order. I will try to keep this short because, remember, I have a book to read.
1.) “Why is Hillary still talking about her election loss”?:
I believe that Hillary has made several appearances where she responded to audience questions about the 2016 election. I know she also made unsolicited remarks to the Wellesley College graduating class. Other than those events I am unaware of other public remarks, she may or may not have made about the election topic. In other words I am not addressing all of her post-election comments. Hillary Rodham Clinton is a brilliant woman. Not necessarily a great politician. Give her a break, for frog’s sake, she just “lost” an election by winning the popular vote.
Women Process Things Differently
I guess my take on her comments are this: Hillary is a woman. Women process life events differently than men. That can be a good thing. Women vocalize. We think the situation through, out loud. We tell our friends. They listen, while we talk, they don’t argue with our conclusions. Our friends don’t try to “fix” what we are feeling. They allow us to filter our experience through talking about the experience. We as women, we adapt, we adjust and we find a new stronger footing, by talking about our feelings, and how the events of the experience made us feel.
Processing The Loss
I believe that is what Hillary is doing. Just because she isn’t processing her loss the same as a white male politician does not mean that her method is wrong. It is just a new way for the public to see a national election loss by a female candidate. I believe, because I am also female, defined by that same womanliness I would react in much the same way as Hillary. Just because the man, screams at his family and slams his fist through the garage wall, but smiles dutifully for the cameras, does not make his the right method of adjusting to great loss.
Some Respect
So, let’s give Hillary the respect she deserves and allow her time to process this tremendous loss in her own way. What we, as a nation should be doing, is thanking Hillary Clinton and any other person, Right or Left, that has the courage and backbone to stand up to the lies and insults they are subjected to 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from the day they chose to run for political office in the United States, to the day they chose to retire from public life.
2.) “When is Hillary going to accept responsibility for her loss”?:
Part of the answer is in the earlier comment. I believe that in many areas of the campaign she has accepted responsibility. However, this election was different from any other in our history. There was interference in the election. Hillary won the popular vote, and it was only that 18th century Congressional North/South compromise that constructed the Electoral College and that antiquated system is what cost her the election.
The Electoral College
70,000 votes spread over three states guaranteed a Trump victory. That’s a hard one to stomach. The Dems have lost two very flawed elections in the last two decades. With hanging shards and electoral college victories the basis of winning elections she has every right to look at the system as well as her conduct.
3.) “Why can’t the Liberals let it go, and move on”?:
I think the very fact that the United States was attacked by a foreign adversary with possible collusion from the Republican candidate should be the answer to that absurd question. In fact, the Russian meddling in our election should be a rallying cry to all Americans. The Russians could have supported the Democrat and hacking and trolling against the Republicans. I suggest the GOP wake up, it could be you and your candidates next. The Republicans would be singing a different song if the shoe was on the other foot. I believe, as Americans we should put aside partisanship and find out exactly what happened, and install safeguards to prevent such an attack ever happening again. Otherwise, we might as well just accept that, we as a country, are going to tolerate being manipulated by foreign money and foreign interference in our elections.
4.) “The face of the Democratic Party is north of 75 years old”:
I think that statement is an exaggeration. The Dems have a wide age demographic. There are oldies like me and many young people that are deeply committed to Progressive government. As such, the Democratic Party, will always draw dedicated, committed citizens of all ages. I dispute the assertion that the Dems are a party of old farts. I’ve been to marches and I’ve seen a wide group of people. When I turn out on the television and watch the protesters there are a lot of young and middle-aged people in those crowds.
An Ugly Game
For anyone thinking about politics as a career, it is a really ugly game. But we need volunteers to suffer for the shaping of the future. If you are considering running for office, recognize that the more important the office, the uglier the attacks against you will be. It’s hard to voluntarily expose your life to public scrutiny and attack, but the movement needs you. The personal attacks that political candidates are subjected to, is unimaginable, but know that if you don’t do it, maybe no one else will. You could be our last great hope. Heroic, huh? Being a hero isn’t as easy as the movies make it look.
Change Of Direction
Many years ago I had considered becoming an attorney, as an entry into a future in politics. I came to my senses, thanks to my husband. He said “you aren’t law biding, or polite enough to pass political scrutiny”. He was definitely right. Even in the sixties and seventies the political air was toxic. His reasoning made me turn heel, and instead of jumping into the political arena I became a Registered Nurse, real estate investor and author. I am hopeful that the Millennial generation will step up, raise their middle finger to the backward looking Conservative movement, and swing this country in the direction of progressive ideas and policies. We as a people cannot turn our backs on over a century of progressive ideas and policies.
5.) “The Dems are dead. They have less than 1/3 of the governorships. They have lost 1100 state legislative seats. It will take a generation to recover, if ever.”
They hold less than 1/3 of the state Governorships. They have lost 1100 state legislative seats over the last decade If the Democrats cannot come up with a plan to recapture the lost seats the party will become a fringe party. It may take a generation to rebuild the Democratic party, or watch it dissolve into powerless splinter parties. I have hopes that the unvarnished hatred for the Trump Circus will ignite a ground swell of reaction to the regressive Trump agenda and voters will coalesce around the Democratic Party. God Bless all the young activists. I wish you strength and courage, because without a doubt both will be needed. I am now in my greying years and I am ready and willing to turn over the baton. Step up, help the party, help yourself, help your family, organize, take part and vote Democrat.
Fighting Fatigue
One of my biggest fears, is fatigue. The daily scandals seeping out of the White House are exhausting. I cannot even imagine how that environment must be to work in. This Russian scandal would have been unimaginable twenty years ago. Russian collusion? The anger the Dems feel is palpable, I just don’t want people to start giving up. We must keep up the fight. They want us to throw down our signs and go home. Don’t let them win. Democracy is at stake. Don’t underestimate the enemies, they are fewer than you know, but they are strong and they are RICH. They are very, very rich. They are the 1% that have convinced 39% that they are together in some “fight against the liberals.”
Reading The Rest Of The Book
Anyway, it is goodbye, for a while. I need to read another couple of chapters of Joanne Greenberg’s 1970 fiction tale of a deaf couple and their hearing child, titled, “In This Sign”. The class is an “Adult” Community College class. I think at my age, it would be okay to say, “Adult and Beyond”. Have a great week-end. Every phone call, every letter, every email, every march, every prayer lends strength to the Resistance.
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