The Opposite of Euphoria

There are a couple of different moods in the blogosphere, and indeed the world, these days.  One is, of course, the euphoria and excitement of millions of people worldwide that saw Obama elected as president.  The other is, quite obviously, the somber realization by others that McCain was not elected.  The realization that he never really had a chance.  As someone recently put it, McCain not only had Palin as a running mate, he had George Bush as a running mate.  A failing economy, an unpopular war.  And a movie-star candidate running against him.

I will not beat the proverbial dead horse.  I will not continue to pick apart a campaign that lasted longer and cost more than it should have.

And I will no longer spend any time reading commentary by people that I can only describe as hateful and mean-spirited.  One person made the comment to the effect of “finally, a real LADY as first lady.”  Are you kidding me?   Laura Bush, her daughters, and even her embattled husband do not deserve that.  I’ve heard several people actually wish death on John McCain.  Or laughing at his physical limitations (which came as a result of his honorable service to this country.)  A has-been think-she’s-cool “comedian” (closest I can come to air quotes and eye-rolling while writing) suggesting the gang rape of Sarah Palin.  Good God, people, this is a wife and mother of five children.  The governor of a state.  An up-and-comer whose time has not yet come.

I’m disgusted.  And not only with those who considered McCain and Palin fair game.  I’m disgusted with those  that made jokes about Obama and Biden.  I’m disgusted with those who voted against Obama for racial reasons.  And I’m disgusted with those that voted for him for racial reasons.

This campaign put a terrible taste in my mouth.  The gloves came off.  As did the manners.  This was the first campaign that both of my children were old enough to really appreciate.  They were both taken aback that what they learned in Civics class about the election process did not play out the way it did in Chapter 9 of the textbook.  For the first time, they debated the issues with friends and classmates.  And they came home telling horror stories from both sides of the fence.  Again, I’m disgusted.

For those of us who supported John McCain, we have four years to watch and hopefully be proven wrong.  And for those who supported Obama, you have four years to prove yourselves right.

I pray that it is a peaceful and productive four years.  And I pray that we have all learned something from this.

I know I have.

 

Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.*

Well, well.  Election day is here.  After today, there will still be opinions, there will still be rhetoric, there will still be a lot of folks that think the wrong guy won.

But there won’t be any divisive commercials, there won’t be radio spots that turn the stomachs of most levelheaded people, and there won’t be mean-spiritedness disguised as information.

And I can live with that.

What I cannot live with is how politics can make otherwise reasonable people absolute raving lunatics.

The sun is going to come up tomorrow regardless of who wins tonight.  I, for one, am going to go outside tomorrow and enjoy it.

I hope you do, too.

(*Ronald Reagan)

 

Can I Still Sit With You at Lunch?

Dear Friends:

I am a Republican.

I have, for the most part, kept my political leanings to myself.  I don’t write a political blog, and people don’t come to my site to read about politics (unless it’s the politics of the BCS and other college football ranking entities).

I am an independent thinker.  I don’t necessarily vote along party lines.  I’m a registered Republican, but I’m also a ‘cafeteria Catholic’ — I’m not very good at either.  But I make my political decisions based on reading and on educating myself.  I don’t watch the commercials.  I don’t watch ambushes thinly disguised as interviews, because I believe, perhaps naively, that the presidency, and indeed all of government, is the sum of its parts.  Therefore, how well you come across on glitzy network television, when the interviewer has a carefully crafted script and an agenda, has little bearing on how a president and his or her advisors will deal with an uprising in Bora Bora.  I can guaran-damn-tee ya that if you put a half dozen spotlights on me and started throwing questions at me, I’d get that deer-in-headlights glaze-over FAST – and I KNOW EVERYTHING.

I actually considered Obama early on.  I don’t think he, or Biden, or McCain, or even Sarah Palin are the antichrist.

What I am not is (a) a moron, (b) retarded, (c) misguided, or (d) all of the above.  I don’t resort to judgments and name-calling and I would respectfully ask the same of you.  (Yes, I’ve been called each of those – personally.  Ironically, by those who pride themselves on being accepting, accommodating, and non-judgmental.  I was even called a ‘hyperactive but retarded Republican’, whatever-the-hell that means.  But that was by a co-worker who refers to his office as his room.  So, yeah, whatever.)

I am not a bible-beating evangelical.  I am not opposed to gay unions/marriage.  I believe that the taking of ANY human life – whether you call it a ‘choice’ or an ‘execution’ – is wrong.    I believe that social programs have created a true welfare state.  I believe that everyone – regardless of race, creed, religion, or any other designation or demographic – should have the same opportunities.  But I believe that our Creator gave us free will and the ability to work hard.  Much like Communism, a share-the-wealth mentality is great in theory.  In practice?  Not so much.

I came from a working-class family.  There was never much money.  I got through college on loans and the blood, sweat, and tears of my parents, all in order to obtain a largely useless degree.  But I have that diploma and the pride of knowing I earned it myself.  I’ve worked my butt off since my first part-time job at age 14.

My family has endured more unemployment woes than you could ever imagine.  I saw my husband – a good, hardworking, decent man – lose a job because he wasn’t political enough, ten days before the birth of our first child.  I’ve seen him reduced to tears worried about what would happen to us.  But not once did we ask anyone else to take care of us.  We got through it, time and again, by sheer will and determination that we would not lose what we had worked so hard to obtain.

I believe in a strong military.  I believe in those soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other parts of the world.  They signed up to do this, and they are doing a fine job.  My heart swells with pride when troops deploy as well as when they come home to the arms of their loved ones.  And I believe that all those nations that are so quick to criticize us are damn happy to see us when we are defending their freedom.

I think it’s great when stars use their celebrity, in a bipartisan manner, to encourage our youth to vote.  But I don’t need Matt Damon to tell me who to vote for.

I believe that there is rank hypocrisy on both sides of the political fence.  I believe that for every crisis that has arisen during a Republican administration there is one that existed during a Democratic one.

But I believe ultimately in us – as a people.  And I think that no matter how dark the days appear right now, we will survive.

I am voting Republican.

There.  That didn’t hurt a bit.

 

Don’t Go Changin’…

And now, we resume our regularly scheduled programming. Without any reference to this, or this, or this. I can’t promise you that this will be a football-free zone until THE BIG DAY, but I appreciate and respect the diversity of my readers. Which brings me to the point of this post.

Diversity.

Guys, most of you know my politics. Even better, you’re nice to me in spite of my politics. But you also know that I appreciate diversity, I don’t judge people in any way shape or form (unless they drive a minivan, but that’s another whole post), I appreciate our differences. I celebrate our differences.

But dammit, I also celebrate Christmas. There. I said it. Not “the holidays”. Christmas.

LSU was the most recent entity, for lack of a better word, to attempt to change their annual Christmas Tree to a Holiday Tree. Fortunately, they put it to da people, and there was a resounding vote against changing the name of the traditional tree. So it was a Christmas tree once again.

As it should have been.

I don’t go trampling all over other holidays. I think there’s a place for your Hanukkah right next to his Ramadan and just to the other side of their Kwanzaa. And I would never, ever think of asking those with different beliefs to change the name of their holiday to one that I felt reflected MY beliefs as well.

Just as winter is winter, and Monday is Monday, and January 7 is the day LSU becomes the National Champions (oops, sorry, I slipped there), Christmas is Christmas.

Happy Hanukkah to those of you who celebrate it.  (See?  Didn’t hurt me a bit.)

 

Is That Your Wand, Or Are You Just Happy to See Me?

Although most of you know my political leanings, I tend to try to avoid political discussion here at the old Jambalaya Cafe.   Political bloggers are so much better at this stuff than I am, anyway, and you’re not really coming here to see if I can point you in the direction of a good presidential candidate.  anyone but hillary godforbid anyone but hillary Ahem.  Did y’all hear something?  No?  Ok.  Me neither.

Anyway, it takes a lot to get me to post something political.  But an article in today’s news has me fuming, I mean FUMING.  Political correctness, in all its crazyassedness, has finally been taken to a level that I simply. Cannot. Abide.

Dumbledore is gay.

That’s fine, actually.  I honestly don’t care WHAT gets his robes moving.   Except that he is a fictional character.  So, in that respect, he doesn’t have to have an orientation at all.  If he does, fine.  If it matters to the story.  But it doesn’t, and it didn’t.  One simple line, which could have been taken a million ways?  Clarified now, after the fact, to a group of kids?  For no apparent reason?

The author may have meant well.  She may have wanted to open the door to readers who may be dealing with these questions in their own lives.  Well, good for her.  Because now, some parents are going to have to address some serious questions that they may have wanted to put off for a few more years.

If I’m questioning my own orientation, I don’t think I’m going to look to the Harry Potter series for validation.

Unless I’m a two-hundred-year-old wizard.

 

Typical Instant Message At My Office

(Edited 10/11/07 to add the link to the quiz)

Me: So? You took the presidential candidate quiz to see who you should vote for?

Friend: Yeah. Who’s Mitt Romney?

Me: He’s a Mormon Republican.

Friend: Oh good grief!

Me: BWAH HA HA!

Friend: He’s a Democrat

Me: Nuh uh.

Friend: Barack and Hillary are tied for second on my survey!

Me: But Romney is ahead of both of them?

Friend: Yes

Me: I hate to break it to you, but Romney is a Republican.

Friend: I thought I saw an elephant?

Me: Elephant? Yes.

Friend: Isn’t that democrat?

Me: Goofball. No. Democrat is a donkey.

Friend: Holy sh*t. I got them mixed.

Me: Girl, you’re a Republican in Democrat’s clothing

Friend: OMG I’m going to slit my wrist. Gimme a razor quick!

Me: Hee!

And so it goes…

Note: Sorry about the purple. I couldn’t get it to go away.