McGarrett50's Open Salon Blog

Rick v. Kay in the Lone Star State

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:11:59 -0500

After months of political shadow dancing, Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison have started their campaigns for the Republican nomination for Texas Governor. The background on this is:

Rick Perry became Governor after George W. Bush was elected President. He has since won election on his own twice and is now the longest serving governor in Texas history. He is running for a third full-term to extend his record tenure.
Kay Bailey Hutchison became US Senator from Texas by winning a special election after Lloyd Bentsen resigned to become Treasury Secretary to Bill Clinton. She has since won full-terms in 1994, 2000, and 2006. She has eyed the Texas Governorship for years and has decided to challenge Rick Perry in the Republican primary for 2010.

The conventional wisdom earlier this year was that Perry was kind of an empty suit and that Hutchison would probably win through a combination of Perry-fatigue and just all around being more likeable.

Will She or Won’t She?

The first big issue Hutchison faced was whether she should stay in the Senate while running for Governor. Originally, she made it pretty clear she would resign before the primary. This led to a fun parlor game of trying to predict who Perry would appoint to the Senate until a special election could be held.

Houston-based speculation often includes the idea that Perry would appoint State Senator Dan Patrick. He is a former sportscaster, turned conservative radio talk show host, turned populist politician. He would have a chance to become a leader of the Tea Party movement because of his views and media savvy. I suspect he would eventually be given the Palin treatment by the MSM because of his strong religious views and willingness to speak his mind.

The other speculation is that if Perry thought he might lose the primary, then he would just appoint himself to the Senate. But, politics change fast. Perry has been gaining in popularity in Texas by taking advantage of the Tea Party movement. Polls in late 2008 and early 2009 had Hutchison leading. Polls since the Tea Party movement generally have Perry leading. Some of the swing is of Hutchison's own doing.

Kay’s Indecision and Horrible Political Ad

For reasons not entirely clear, Hutchison never firmed up her decision to resign from the US Senate. As months went by, the perception sank in that she feels she is entitled to be Governor. It appears that she believes Perry should have stepped aside for her. When faced with his lack of cooperation, she neither embraces the fight, nor accepts the idea that the Republican Party will be better off without a primary campaign that potentially alienates voters. An example of how this manifests itself is this truly horrible political ad that began running on TV in the last few days.

For a major candidate, this is one of the worst I have ever seen. While I agree with the views about government run healthcare, the noticeable thing about the ad is that it has her making the case that she should in fact stay in the Senate; and then exposes the self-interestedness that all politicians have by having her say, “at risk to my political future.” This subliminally confirms the perception that she feels entitled to the Texas Governorship. Continuing to do her job in the Senate is somehow a potential detriment to her. And, for some reason, she thinks voters should find this compelling.

Obviously, there is plenty of time to do better, but I don't think she is primed for how a Governor’s race, and particularly a primary fight, is different from running for the US Senate (sometimes opposed by only token candidates).

Rick Perry and His Media Opponents

As a contrast, here is Rick Perry’s first ad.

It has energy. It touches on issues people are mad about. It appears to be a positive ad but does subliminally attack Hutchison as being part of Washington. If this is just an ad war, Perry will win in a landslide. But, Perry is actually running against more than just Hutchison. He also must defeat the local media that dislike him.

A recent example is coverage of a capital punishment case earlier this week. The parole board had recommended that a man sentenced to death under Texas’s “Law of Parties” have his sentence commuted to life because he did not fire the shots that killed a convenience store clerk in a 1996 robbery. In a separate trial, the accomplice who did fire the shots was not sentenced to death. There were numerous headlines and I found myself somewhat sympathetic. Perry rejected the parole board’s recommendation and the man was executed. On the surface, Perry seems like a mean person who wants to kill criminals regardless of the facts. This editorial cartoon implies Perry did it for political reasons.

However, when I read the article to understand the details, it became clear that the media had over-simplified the story. The man that Perry decided to execute was actually the first one to fire shots. He shot one clerk four times but that clerk survived. He shot twice at the second clerk who would eventually die but missed. He then went for a point blank kill shot on the first clerk but his gun was out of ammo. As the two criminals fled the scene, the accomplice shot the second clerk twice, this time fatally.

The end result is that the executed man was not a murderer only because his shots were not actually fatal. Everything about what he did had full intent to murder multiple people, including trying for a point blank kill shot. And, this was part of a larger crime spree. To me, the original jury sentence certainly made sense and Perry showed respect for the jury and respect for the law in proceeding with the execution. But, the media does not like Perry so the headlines make it sound like he is executing some hapless criminal who was led astray by a more vicious accomplice.

The campaign impact is that Perry’s strategy probably needs to focus more on over-riding the media message rather than defeating Hutchison on the issues.

My Opinion

I will be voting in the Republican primary. I had never been a fan of Rick Perry and had Perry-fatigue. But, I have been far less impressed with Kay Bailey Hutchison and do not have confidence that she will do a better job. So, had I been polled, I would have been pro-Hutchison early and now would be pro-Perry. That can change but that is where I am today.

If Hutchison loses the primary, it will be interesting to see whether she resigns from the Senate or serves the rest of her term and then retires. Were she to resign, US Senator Dan Patrick would be fun.

20 Years On: "I Still Do Feel So Horribly Lonely"

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:11:29 -0500

After the influential 80’s band The Smiths broke up, lead singer Morrissey began releasing singles as a solo artist. He initially met with both critical and UK chart success. Then, in November 1989, he released “Ouija Board, Ouija Board”. The song was not well received and Morrissey endured some ridicule for having released what seemed to be a trivial song.

Back in the US, the video for “Ouija Board, Ouija Board” got some play on MTV. The song was very different from the heavier music I was listening to at the time. It became the catalyst for me to buy The Smiths back catalog and proceed to buy every album since of new material that Morrissey has released. I’ve always enjoyed the song precisely for its seemingly purposeful superficiality. It always resonated with me but I never took it seriously. About a year ago while listening to it, I began to wonder why this little song has held my attention for so long.

Musically, the song is very much a simple, minor key pop song. The opening keyboard and later the guitar are almost child-like in their sound. The melody and vocal performance are very typically Morrissey-melancholy... exactly the kind that earned him the nickname “The Pope of Mope.”

The song opens with the narrator consulting a Ouija board to contact a dead friend.

Ouija board
Would you work for me?
I have got to say Hello
To an old friend

Ouija board, Ouija board, Ouija board
Would you work for me?
I have got to get through
To a good friend

Well, she has now gone
From this Unhappy Planet
With all the carnivores
And the destructors of it

This is straight-forward enough with only some minor self-pity involved as the narrator imagines that the world is somehow a hostile place. But, the second verse takes a deep dive into the kind of pathetic self-absorption that Morrissey is known for.

Ouija board, Ouija board, Ouija board
Would you help me?
Because I still do feel
So horribly lonely

Would you, Ouija board
Would you, Ouija board
Would you help me?
And I just can't find
My place in this world

Well, she has now gone
From this Unhappy Planet
With all the carnivores
And the destructors of it

I still marvel that Morrissey is able to pull off lyrics like “I still do feel so horribly lonely” and “I just can’t find my place in this world.” My first reaction is often to laugh. But then, I admire how he is able to drive to that truly sad place so effortlessly. It becomes poetic precisely because there is not real poetry involved. It’s just a person confessing their loneliness in the face of death.

At the bridge, the song shifts from asking for help to actually receiving help.

Oh hear my voice ("hear my voice")
Oh hear my voice ("hear my voice")
Hear my voice ("hear my voice")
Hear my voice ("hear my voice")
The table is rumbling ...

The table is rumbling
The glass is moving
"No, I was NOT pushing that time"
It spells : S.T.E.V.E.N

The table is rumbling
The glass is moving
"No, I was NOT pushing that time" :
P.U.S.H.O. double F.

And there you have it. The dead friend contacts Morrissey (his real first name is Steven) and tells him to go away. The sad narrator now has even more reason to be sad. But for the listener, the playful nature of the music makes sense. The song is just intended as a joke.

So, a year ago, I asked myself a question. Why do I continue to enjoy listening to this joke song? What is sub-consciously going on that makes it more meaningful than it appears?

I came up with two answers.

Let’s assume that in the world that exists within the song that the Ouija board worked. The dead friend does in fact tell the narrator to push-off. But, what if it is not because the friend disliked the narrator? What if, instead, it is because the dead friend loves the narrator? Well, if you had a friend who was trapped in an unhealthy grief and sadness, you might be willing to tell them something harsh to get them re-engaged with life. That would certainly be an act of love… but would also warrant a melancholy song.

On the other hand, there is no reason to believe that Ouija boards work. It is our own hands that guide the movement. What would that tell us? It would tell us that the narrator himself created the push-off message. Trapped in grief, he gropes about for a way to move on. A childhood game becomes the vehicle to help an adult face a fact that all must face… people we love will die and we must learn to live on.

And, at that, a song that appears superficial and trivial becomes something that holds the attention of a grown man for twenty years.

10% Unemployment! Reagan v Obama Virtual Debate (video)

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:11:52 -0500

Unemployment is above 10%. The first time since Ronald Reagan was President. While watching This Week with George Stephanopoulos last Sunday, there was a bit of video that struck a very obvious contrast.

Reagan's policy: Reduce government spending and lower taxes in a broad way so the private sector can be free to grow.

Obama's policy: Dramatically increase government spending and borrowing, increase regulation and taxes through cap and trade & healthcare reform, and bail-out the weakest businesses at the expense of the successful.

We know that Reagan's policies worked since they allowed the country to recover from stagflation, a phenomenon once-thought impossible.

Obama's policies are more likely to result in stagflation by devaluing the dollar while simultaneously discouraging private investment.

The Subliminal

Reagan's opening comment emphasizes the impact of unemployment on "our friends, neighbors, and family."

Obama finds the unemployment rate "sobering". Basically, he's telling us how he feels, not how citizens are impacted.

Reagan closes with statements of action to get things fixed. Obama closes with "I'm confident we're moving in the right direction." Again, his feelings of confidence.

Two Hypotheses

Were Obama not the darling of the media and entertainers/comedians, the idea that an increase in unemployment is the right direction would be ridiculed.

I do not expect that the MSM will discover a homelessness crisis while Obama is President. But, if a Republican wins in 2012, then the homeless will be front and center.

November 9, 1989: The Wall Came Down

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 07:11:10 -0500

The Berlin Wall had existed for my entire life. It was a symbol of failure for communism. It was a symbol of evil.

The 1960's View

As a kid, I learned of it from my older brother in only that way that older brothers can teach you something. He elaborately described how East German soldiers would machine gun anyone who tried to cross, trying to create as much fear in me as possible. My mind envisioned searchlights and sentry towers with snarling men shooting anything that moves… bloodied bodies laying at the foot of the wall… left to frighten away anyone else foolish enough to try to escape.

My imaginings were correct, except for the snarling. My brother must have based his story to me on this short documentary.

The 1970's View

As I became a teenager, the Berlin Wall became a metaphor and part of pop culture. This is exemplified in the 1977 release of the Sex Pistols one and only studio album. It opens with the song “Holidays in the Sun.”

The narrator in the song is living in a collapsing Britain and imagines himself going over the Berlin Wall from West to East. It has lyrics that are simultaneously disconcerting and humorous. Excerpts:

Now I’ve got a reason, it’s no real reason, to be waiting at the Berlin Wall.

I’m looking over the wall and they’re looking at me.

I wanna go over the Berlin Wall before they come over the Berlin Wall.

I wanna go over the Berlin Wall. Please don’t be waiting for me.

It would seem that the West was conceding.

The 1980's View

But, elections matter. Margaret Thatcher is elected Prime Minister in Britain in 1979 and Ronald Reagan is elected President of the United States in 1980. Pursuing free market policies, the Western economies recover. Confident, the West pushes back against Soviet adventurism. During the 80’s, it is the East that flounders and needs a restructuring (Perestroika).

Ronald Reagan visits Berlin in June 1987 and gives a speech known for the challenge, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” But, if you watch this video, the much more powerful substance of the speech precedes the famous sound-bite.

Reagan describes in plain language the facts of how freedom had rejuvenated West Germany after the war. Listen to him talk about the businesses, the city life, and the culture that West Berlin came to demonstrate. That success was known in the East, particularly East Berlin from West German television. Communist leaders had to use force to keep people living under an obviously failed system that couldn't deliver anything like the prosperity and happiness that a free West enjoyed.

But, the good news is that the children of communism no longer had the will to use the amount of force that is required to keep the population captive and controlled. Gorbachev was not Stalin. Egon Krenz was not Erich Honecker.

The 1989 View

In January 1989, East German leader Erich Honecker said, "The Wall will be standing in 50 and even in 100 years, if the reasons for it are not yet removed." With the collapse of communism and the evil that it required, the reasons were in fact removed. The Wall was down 10 months later.

Tea Party Nov 2: Black Minister Challenges Whites (video)

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 11:11:30 -0500

Houston had another Tea Party on November 2, the day before this week’s election. It was a Monday night and more than 10,000 people came out. That’s a lot of people for a political rally in an off-year election with absolutely nothing major on the ballot in Texas.

Now, you may say, “I don’t believe there were 10,000 people there.” Well, the Tea Party organizers are getting smarter. They held this rally at the Sam Houston Race Park and counted heads using the turnstiles. It’s described in this article at the Houston Chronicle. For those less enthused about reading, here is a TV report.

In the TV piece, you see a sound-bite from Apostle Claver T. Kamau-Amani criticizing liberalism for harming the inner city poor. He is a local minister who heads an organization called RagingElephants.org that is dedicated to “leading America’s 2nd Emancipation” and advancing “the cause of conservatism-libertarianism by growing the ranks of conservative voters through RACIAL DIVERSITY.”

Here is video of the speech Apostle Claver gave at the Tea Party. It should make your head spin because what we have here is a black man with revolutionary zeal challenging the liberal establishment with the resistance philosophies of Gandhi, MLK, and Mandela.

At about the 6:55 mark, he defends the mostly white crowd from charges of racism and asserts to them that Blacks, Latinos, and Asians in fact believe in liberty like this crowd. He challenges the crowd to reach out to them and say, “You belong with us.” He accuses leading Democrats like Pelosi, Reid, and Rangel of being the real racists by seeking to divide people and using liberal policies to keep minorities poor and dependent.

This is the kind of stuff that is fun because it takes the normal boundaries that the MSM peddles as conventional wisdom and twists them so that everyone is challenged.

Word. Cue music...