Procrastination Is A Bitch

I'm not sure when I'm going to get started on my 15-page and 10-page term papers. I supposed I should work on at least one of them tomorrow. I just can't get motivated to write for hours about the relationship between Henry Hyde and his constituency. Not the most interesting stuff. But I know that if I put off the papers until the weekend, I'll regret it and end up frantically slapping down some random shit thus failing my papers, which is an option I cannot afford. I know that I'll get them done eventually but it's a matter of WHEN I'll get them done that's nagging at me right now. The thing that pisses me off the most is that both papers are for the same professor and for two relatively similar poli sci classes. My mind is so tired of hearing/talking/processing anything political that it's shutting down. Not that I haven't been thinking about this since the first day of the semester, but I've officially counted how many days are left this term. 11 days! Whoo hoo! Then it's a well-deserved six-week break where I can recouperate.

What's The Deal With The South?

As someone who lives in a conservative area populated with myopic, uber-religious, over-patriotic Republicans, one would think I would have these folks figured out by now. No. Absolutely not. I am as perplexed now (probably more so, given the results of the election), as I ever was. Why would the people who live in rural areas in the south and midwest, who mostly live in poverty and work two or three shitty jobs, want to vote against the party who struggles to give them higher working standards and social programs that could substantially raise their standard of living? I have no freakin' clue. It has to be more than just religion (or maybe not). I can't believe these people think of nothing but illegalizing abortion and gay marriage. Hopefully, the Democrats can break through to these people and show them that the Republicans care for no one but themselves. Besides, religion and politics don't mix!

The Republican Paradox

I am the typical southern Democrat. I share many Democratic philosophies as well as some conservative ones; not too far to the left or right. I am the typical American voter. As someone who has an interest in politics (quite a vested interest to be exact; I'm a political science major in college), I've noticed some incongruities in Republican thought.

First of all- they're pro-life. They're pro-life because, apparently, they're now the party of the religious and killing babies is wrong. However, they're pro-capitol punishment. OK, so sucking some cells out of my uterus is murder but frying someone in the electric chair is simply justice? Riiiight. I'm pro-choice and pro-capitol punishment; I'm consistently pro-death.

The current administration is running under the mantra of "compassionate conversatism," among others ("Vote For Us Or DIE!!!" is another Bush/Cheney mantra that comes to mind). However, more people have lost their health care coverage and more children have slipped into poverty since Bush took office. Not to mention the hundred thousand Iraqi civilans who lost their lives under Bush's "compassionate" war. Bush's "compassionate" tax cut favored the wealthiest people in this country, while stiffing the rest of us with increased health care premiums and decade-high gasoline prices (Can't we just take Iraq's oil already?). That's why I find the results of the election totally mind-boggling. People still seem to think that Bush a "good ol' boy" who's just like them. Bush may act like the dumbass next door, but he is just your typical spoiled rich kid who wants nothing more than to placate his wealthy "Big Bidniz" buddies and pack the courts full of fanatical right-wing judges who will overturn Roe v. Wade and execute retarded people, thus ending all of America's problems. It's insane!

There's Always 2008...

If there's any lesson the Democrats can learn from the reelection of George Bush, it's that Hollywood, MTV, and politics don't mix. Or they at least don't translate into votes. The tremendous efforts of Michael Moore, P. Diddy, MTV's "Choose or Lose: 2004," and practically every celebrity in America proved totally futile in the face of utter voter apathy. The percentage of young people who voted this year was 17%, the exact same percentage it was in 2000. If this doesn't send a clear message to celebrities that their support does nothing to help a candidate, I'm not sure what can. I've never been sure why celebrities felt themselves masters of political theory anyway, as if memorizing lines and repeating them or making some crappy songs suddenly gives them more political clout than the rest of us. Anyway...

I'm not sure anyone was surprised at the utter ass-handing the Democrats also got in Congress. The south has now solidified its shift into Republican hands, as was evident from the election of the first ever Republican senator from Louisiana and the narrow victories of Republican senators in Kentucky and Florida. Most importantly, in South Dakota, the Republican John Thune edged out the Democratic incumbent Tom Daschle. This was a huge blow to the already battered Democratic Party as Daschle was also the Senate Minority leader.

But why was George Bush reelected? Most Americans feel the war in Iraq was not worth it, especially since the publication of the Duefler Report, and most feel as if the country is heading in the wrong direction. So why vote for the guy who screwed it up? It's the morals, stupid. When exit-polled, most people who chose Bush did so because they feel he is the better person to lead America morally. The weekend after the election, many religious leaders, including the always interesting Rev. Jerry Falwell, announced that they were responsible for the Republican victories on election day. Falwell even went so far as announcing that there was an “evangelical revolution” occurring in America. Clearly, the religious right is expecting some sort of political “thank you” from the Republicans it helped into office.

It’s clear that we, the Democratic Party, have some major reflecting to do over the next four years. We’ve let the Republicans paint us as the “gay-marryin’, gun-takin’, baby-killin’, tax-raisin’ pansies” who want nothing more than to let the French determine our foreign policy. We have got to change that perception. Naming Harry Reid, a moderate from Nevada, as the new Senate Minority leader is a good start. We’ve got four years to change our image. In politics, four years is a long time. To paraphrase a rather famous Republican, “We WILL be back!”