The Truth vs. Mitt Romney

That Mitt Romney has taken to the same sort of distortions and fabrications that have characterized the looney right might seriously discredit his appeal to moderate independents; which was supposed to be his strength. Great documentation here by Dana Milbank in The Post

American Id-eology

A great column by Kathleen Parker.....again, (American Id-eology) Tracing much of the country's problems right to the source. If people wonder about why there is so much dysfunction in our political and social dialogue, they should look in the mirror.

A Musical Notion

President Obama crooned a bit of Al Green the other day, receiving some generous and surprised praise for his chops. Not to be outdone, Mitt Romney shortly followed with tortured renditions of America, The Beautiful.

Both the song selections -- and their performance -- struck me as metaphors for voting and cultural blocks, but also for where they're moving. Obama, the first black president, also embodies a hipness that more Americans, and especially younger voters, are increasingly comfortable with, and even identify as part of their character. Once in Europe, I realized in interacting with minorities there that they were distinctly different, and, more importantly, that I had more in common with African-Americans than I did with even white Europeans. As a white American, I had a black American's culture in my own. It had been blended into our common music, art, language and attitudes. That is not only continuing, but is a sensibility that more Americans are coming to accept; even if they don't quite realize it.

Also by a wide variety of social measures, Americans are more tolerant; whether with birth control, gays, marijuana, or even vulgarities. While the social conservative, Christian movement will continue to be a dominant force in this country, it will struggle with the other quintisential American stream of laissez faire tolerance.

GOP On Europe

As they have in so many instances, the GOP has been playing on American's ignorance and fears in demonizing Europe. This editorial in the Washington Post today captured the lunacy nicely:

Great Analysis of Obama & Administration

This so accurately reflects my interpretation of the President and his approach - that it is designed to be, by his nature, more strategic, more patient and more mature than our bickering, short-sighted, shallow, attention-deprived culture can quite grasp.

Andrew Sullivan: How Obama's Long Game Will Outsmart His Critics
Jan 16, 2012 12:00 AM EST

The right calls him a socialist, the left says he sucks up to Wall Street, and independents think he's a wimp. Andrew Sullivan on how the president may just end up outsmarting them all.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2012/01/15/andrew-sullivan-how-obama-s-long-game-will-outsmart-his-critics.html

Alone In The Universe

While I'm not a big fan of his, Charles Krauthammer had a column today regarding the odds of intelligent life in the universe and the fate of humanity. What struck me was one of his conclusions; that the contentious and exasperating art of politics is ultimately the crucible on which all of humanities accomplishments rest. To survive, art, music, mathematics, all of man's achievements are dependent on our ability to manage our own relations.

Well said..... The magical world of voodoo ‘economists’ By Steven Pearlstein, Published: September 10 If you came up with a bumper sticker that pulls together the platform of this year’s crop of Republican presidential candidates, it would have to be: Repeal the 20th century. Vote GOP. http://www.washingtonpost.com/the-magical-world-of-voodoo-economists/2011/09/07/gIQARBiEIK_story.html And if there was ever any doubt about the hijacking of the Republican party by the reactionary right and their fault in the increasingly dysfunctional government, these studies document it...... http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/what-the-tea-party-is--and-isnt/2011/09/10/gIQABcVQIK_story.html