Let Them Eat Cake

Monday, September 29, 2008


It was pretty touch-and-go last Friday. It wasn't until just before 11:00a.m. that John McCain decided to attend that evening's debate with Barack Obama.

Here where I teach, at Frederick Community College, we had scheduled Debate Watch Parties. Teaching in a community college with a 100% commuter population, and very few students taking Friday classes, presents its own challenges when planning a Friday evening event. Once the drinking age was moved back up to 21 from 18, it's been difficult to get students to attend college social events. I can remember being an undergrad at Hood College back in 1980 and Dr. Len Latkovski invited us all to watch the debate. He brought a 12-pack to the classroom. Those were the days.

The best I can offer my students is pizza and soft drinks and a sheet cake for each candidate. The idea is, once the debate is over, the students come up and take a piece of cake of the candidate they think won their vote.

It was a rainy evening, McCain's appearance was shaky, and I knew the newspaper and NBC affiliate were coming to do a story on college students involved in the political process. I pulled up in my pizza-laden pick-up truck to find several cars in the Conference center parking lot.
They came. Over 60 college students came back to campus at 9:00 on a Friday night to watch a presidential debate for what was probably the first time in their lives.

This is a year of firsts. I work a regular Friday afternoon shift at Democratic Headquarters in Frederick, Maryland. In 2004, I was needed for the full day—10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. This year, I am only needed from 4-6. Four years ago, I would spend the 8-hour day with very little to do. This year, in get much more traffic in a single two-hour shift than I got in a full 8-hour day in 2004.

It is not just that have registered more voters this year, but I have registered more adults who are voting for the first time in their lives. And I am registering voters who do not look like typical Frederick County Democrats. The typical gun rights, hard working, low taxes, family values, flag waving, socially conservative, yet politically apathetic, resident of Frederick County isn't buying it anymore. He wants things to change.

Things are different this year. But I don't see how it cannot go Obama's way. For the first time in a long time, the Electoral College is the Democrat's friend. In the 35 remaining days, I don't see how the map can change. Obama will get 283 electoral votes, despite Bubba. For the most part, Bubba lives in states that are going red anyway.

Actually, I had Bubba in my class last Thursday. I covered a class for a colleague and the class had been reading about politics: the Electoral College, the Meaning of Liberal and Conservative. A brash, vocal, opinionated young man was expressing total disinterest in politics in total and an admiration for Republicans in general. I went to the computer and brought up a presidential quiz and asked him to complete it while the class looked on. I don't have to tell you his reaction when he found that Obama would support his stand on the issues more that McCain.

So I say, "Let them eat cake." And, last Friday after the debate, they did. If you click on the link above for the first mention of the cakes, you can see them pre-debate. Click here, to see the results.

Like this cake, in 35 days, victory will be sweet.

This column was originally posted on airitoutwithgeorge.com

Let them eat cake

Here are the before and after photos of the Vote by cake after the first McCain/Obama debate

Why I Support Barack Obama

Monday, September 22, 2008


In Sunday's "Frederick News Post" a conservative letter writer attempted to explain why liberals (I think he means me) hate Sarah Palin. In typical Republican fashion, he begs the question by creating a fiction that liberals hate her and then proceeds to tell us why we are wrong.

In fact, I don't hate her; I actually kind of like her. There is much to admire about her. She's clever, confident, assertive, organized, and apparently fearless. I just don't agree with her. And I don't support her or John McCain.

What I hate is the McCain campaign playing fast and loose with US security by suggesting that this otherwise fine woman is a good choice to lead this nation in the event that an elderly man with a history of health issues should be unable to complete his term as president. I hope that is the last I will write about John McCain's choice.

The point of today's column is why I support Barack Obama.

Obama is a servant leader. Robert K. Greenleaf first described the Servant Leader in an essay published in 1970. In that essay, he said, "The servant-leader is servant first . . . It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is sharply different from one who is leader first; perhaps because of the need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions . . . The leader-first and the servant-first are two extreme types."

John McCain, in contrast, is a leader first. A leader in the military tradition where one seeks leadership and expects obedience from subordinates who do not necessarily grow under leadership as much as survive to achieve an objective.

Greenleaf goes on to describe, "The difference [between leader-first and the servant-first]manifests itself in the care taken by the servant-first to make sure that other people's highest priority needs are being served.

Obama's policies have our priorities in mind. They seek to provide health care for all Americans as a basic human right. To educate children, not just test them. To secure a source of energy that looks to the future and new technologies rather than to cling to a finite, fading resource.

To determine if a leader is leader-first or servant-first, Greenleaf suggests, "The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow as persons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And, what is the effect on the least privileged in society? Will they benefit or at least not be further deprived?"

I am always puzzled why the least privileged in our nations so often vote against their own self interest. The Bush tax cuts, once rejected but now supported by McCain, did not help the least among us—yet many of them support these cuts. Equally baffling is the widespread support of the elimination of the inheritance tax—cleverly renamed "death tax" that allows someone to leave to his heirs, tax-free, up to $2 million in 2006-2008 and to $3.5 million in 2009. Seriously, how many people who support this nonsense will ever inherit anywhere near this sum? To swindle gullible Americans and trick them into supporting something that actually hurts them is not servant leadership—it's a con game. It does not help them grow; it holds them down.
Barack Obama has the potential to make a fortune, yet he chooses public service. Republicans are quick to spew, "But he's a millionaire!" Technically, yes. The Obama's have a net worth of $1.3 million, mostly from the royalties on his book and his wife's income as a corporate lawyer. That's not even the $5 million McCain says would make him wealthy.

My point is, Obama didn't cash in—he pitched in.

Barack Obama is one of the smartest people to ever seek the office of the presidency. We should be pleased by that—not suspicious. He has steadily taken on new challenges and the causes of others. Obama has held elective office for 10 years. He has taught constitutional law at one of the top law schools in the country. He has experience politics and government from the ground up as a community organizer.

There is no real way of knowing if someone is qualified to be president. But I am confident Obama is. Let's take a look at his qualification.

He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Columbia University where his major was International Relations. His senior thesis topic was "Soviet nuclear disarmament."

At Harvard Law School he earned J.D. and was magna cum laude. He was also elected president of the Harvard Law Review. For those who don't know what that is--it's a really big deal.

From 1983-1988 he was Director of the Developing Communities Project.

He is a scholar of U. S. Constitutional law, and, from 1993-2004, he was a Senior Lecturer in Constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School

He served as an Illinois Senator from 1996-2004 where he was chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee

Obama has been a United States Senator since 2004, where he has been a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs

He has served on the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions; Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; Senate Committee on Veterans' Affair

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Obama has made official trips to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa.

I am not going to compare John McCain's career here. I am weary of disparaging the opponents. With 42 days until the election, I hope we can look for reason why we should vote for our candidate—not against the other. The American mood seems to be that we are looking for a president with vision, integrity, wisdom, courage and a record of good judgment, cool temperament, and the ability to make us all better people.

That is why I support Barack Obama.

This column was originally posted on airitoutwithgeorge.com

When Life Begins

Monday, September 15, 2008


Today is going to be one of the worst days of my life. At 5:00 this evening, I am taking my almost 15-year-old-dog in to have him euthanized.

My wife and I have been watching this once-strong, fast, athletic guy become frail and crippled. He can't even walk without the aid of a leash looped under his belly to hold up his once-powerful, now-useless back legs.

So it is a little difficult to think of politics this week. So for now, Sarah Palin can adjust her lipstick and say, "Thanks, but no thanks" for the pork that she orders while at her home is Wasilla taking a per diem for travel. John McCain can continue to pretend that he still has some honor while he cozies-up to Karl Rove and does to Obama what Rove did to McCain in 2000. Joe Biden can figure out how to debate a lightweight without looking like he is "Picking on a girl." And Obama can take this time to figure out how to be outraged without looking like an angry black man.

You all go ahead. I'll catch up with you soon. Tonight, I have to bury my dog.

Actually, it reminds me of a story:

A Christina preacher, a rabbi and a secular humanist are having a discussion about when life begins. The preacher insists that life begins at the moment of conception. The humanist counters that life begins when the baby is able to thrive on its own outside the womb. The rabbi says, "You're both wrong. Life begins when the kids move out and the dog dies."

My kids moved out years ago. I guess life begins tonight.

So, while I am on the subject, and in a life-and-death kind of mood, let's assume for argument's sake that life begins at conception. Put aside, for the moment considerations of choice and abortion. Let's suppose that the issue is settled in Palin/McCain favor and all abortion is banned. The choice has been taken away.

Shouldn't those who took the choice away now take responsibility for the consequence of that lack of choice? Aren't they responsible to make sure the unwanted child is loved and wanted? And clothed and fed, and schooled and sheltered, and healthy and happy? Isn't it now their—our—responsibility?

You know what I think—take away the choice and assume the responsibility for your choice to deny someone else a choice. Yeah, it's confusing. Better yet, I think men should just stay out of it. We will never be pregnant. We will never have to make that choice. I trust women to decide. If they can get together and come up with a solution, men should just shut up and go along with it.

But if life begins at conception, what about the 400,000 frozen, fertilized (meaning "conceived") embryos? Are they not "people"? Do they not have the right to life? Is it not de facto abortion to allow them to wither in liquid nitrogen until they become non-viable? Don't we put people in jail for failing to care for their children and causing them to die as a result? Why is this not discussed?

What ever happens, choice-no choice, abortion no abortion, I just want kids to have a fair chance at life with a family to love them and be sad when they die.

Once, I get over the loss of my friend, the election will still be there. The issues will still be there. And they will all seem important to me once again. Today—not so much.

This column was originally posted on airitoutwithgeorge.com

Jack 1993-2008

We had to put our Jack down. We had him for almost 15 years. He was a very good friend and the nicest person I ever knew. I really miss him.

McCain’s “Drive By” Vice President

Monday, September 8, 2008


It is Sunday morning, the day that my wife and dog sleep in and I have some alone time to read the paper and plan my favorite Sunday activity: watching the Sunday politics shows. Coffee in one hand the, newspaper in the other, I look to see who is going to be on which program. Let’s see . . . Barack Obama is on This Week at 10:00. John McCain is on Face the Nation at 10:30. Joe Biden in on Meet the Press at 10:30, and Sarah Palin is on . . . nothing.

It has been 10 days since Sarah Palin was tapped to be McCain’s Vice Presidential nominee, and she has not answered one reporter’s question. Not one.

She has given nearly a dozen speeches where she attacks Obama, belittles liberals, and charms the crowd. And then she is off like a gangbanger in a drive-by shooting. The McCain campaign strategy as far as Palin is concerned seems to be, “Get out while the getting is good.”

The best strategy for McCain is to keep her hidden, never let her speak without a script, don’t give anyone the opportunity to ask her a question until the debate, and then hope that her poor performance is overshadowed by calling Biden a bully.Here are some questions that desperately need asking.

“Are you now, or have you ever been a member of a separatist movement?” This seems a fair question given McCain’s “Nation First” theme at his convention.

“If we were to being offshore drilling today, what is the soonest we could begin to use this source of oil and what effect would it have on gasoline and heating fuel prices?” After the chants of “Drill Baby Drill” I think a good second verse is “When Baby When?”

“You were initially in favor of the Bridge to Nowhere and then said, “Thanks but no thanks.” Yet you accepted the money and used it for other projects. Given your opposition to earmarks, how can you explain this inconsistency?” This seems like something a reformer would want to clear up.

“While mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, you hired a lobbyist who procured $27 million in federal earmarks for your town. As a candidate for vice president, you pledge to end this type of practice. What changed your mind?”

“In 1996, you fired the police chief and library director of Wasilla for "not fully supporting her efforts to govern." The assumption of your constituents at that time was that you retaliated for their not supporting you in your election. This seems quite similar to the undergoing investigation into your firing your public safety commissioner for allegedly not carrying out your wishes that he fire your former brother-in-law. As a self-professed reformer, how can you claim to root out corruption given these past actions of your own?” Since administration is under continued scrutiny for its firing of federal prosecutors who were politically disloyal, it seems that McCain/Pail is indeed a third Bush term.


“You praised your 17 year-old daughter for making the right choice to bring her pregnancy to full term and marry the future father. Yet you seek to deny that same choice to others in your daughter’s situation. Shouldn’t everyone be given the same opportunity as your daughter?” This is a fair question given that she has built a political career by taking an extreme stance on reproductive rights.

This is a good start. We could go on and on: global climate change, endangered species, creationism...

I think we have enough here to fill the 30 minute interview. That interview is yet to be scheduled. According to reports, Palin is sequestered with tutors and unlikely to face any reporters before her Thursday, October 2nd debate with Joe Biden. Let’s call that the final exam.

Drive-by attacks are as despicable in politics as they are in street gangs. It is an act of cowardice. It is sneaky, It is dishonorable. In the meantime, it is helpful to recall American boxer Joe Louis (1914-81), who, on the eve of his fight with the light heavyweight champion Billy Conn, said, “You can run, but you can’t hide.”

This column was originally posted on airitoutwithgeorge.com

You Heard it Here First: Palin will Bow Out

Monday, September 1, 2008


On Monday, September 22, at 3:40 p.m., we will say goodbye to summer with the arrival of the autumnal equinox. By that date, we will also have said goodbye to the vice presidential hopes of Alaskan Hockey Mom, Sarah Palin.

That is how long it will take the McCain Campaign to realize what the rest of us already know. Selecting Sarah Palin was the worst mistake of John McCain’s life.

It was worse than getting involved with the Keating Five; worse than deciding to play a practical joke on the crew of the USS Forestal by wet starting his A-4E Skyhawk engines resulting in a fire that killed 27 and injured over 100 of his fellow sailors; worse than his embracing of Rovian tactics to make his campaign as ugly as Bush 2000.

Selecting Sarah Palin makes those mistakes look miniscule. The McCain Campaign is probably already crafting an exit strategy. It will go something like his:

Surrounded by her family at some Alaskan location, hair down and dressed-down, Palin, holding her infant son, will approach the podium. A concerned-looking McCain with wife Cindy by his side will hold hands as Palin bravely begins to speak. “Over these past few weeks, I have been honored and humbled by the confidence that Sen. McCain and the people of this great nation have placed in me by nominating me for the vice presidency. However, I have come to realize that the demands of my family, and my unfinished work of reforming the Great State of Alaska, must come first. Therefore, I must step down from the ticket so that . . .”

Or, it will go like this: In a tailored suit with hair up in business-like fashion, Palin and McCain appear together at a small press conference. McCain does not speak, but stands, alone, beside her. Palin begins:“The on-going investigation into the legitimate firing of an employee in my administration has become a distraction for Senator McCain and the campaign. Although these accusations have no merit, and I will be exonerated of all allegations, it is in the best interest of the Republican Party and the people of the United States that I step down from my candidacy of vice president so that Senator McCain can focus on what is really important in this election.”

There are other scenarios. The McCain Campaign will find some excuse to attempt to correct this bold blunder. Yes, this is the worst political blunder in modern American politics. And it proves what Barack Obama said last Thursday night: “John McCain doesn’t get it.” She’s not a plug-in Hillary, she is completely unqualified.

Alaska has a population the size of Charlotte North Carolina; Wasilla, Alaska, about the size of Thurmont, Maryland. Alaska is not a typical American state and does not reflect typical American issues and challenges. Alaska is a single issue state and Governor Palin is on the wrong side of that issue. They tout her reputation as a maverick and a reformer, yet to be a successful reformer in a rampantly corrupt state is just picking the low hanging fruit.

To argue that she has “executive experience” that qualifies her to lead this country, should a 72 year-cancer survivor die in office, is head-shakingly absurd.

By Republican qualification standards, Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon is more qualified. But then, Dixon is a Democrat. There are hundreds of Democratic women who are more qualified than Sarah Palin, but the pool of Republican women is pretty shallow.McCain has a history of poor choices and impetuous behavior.

Let’s hope it’s not too long before the American voter realizes that. Selecting Palin was a disastrous decision. It will be corrected. If not by McCain, then by the American voters.

This column was originally posted on airitoutwithgeorge.com