Why I don't talk much about politics

I rarely have much to say about politics. I rarely have enough information to make useful concrete statements.

When I've tried to pay close attention to political speaking and writing, I get confused quickly. Advocates for a candidate or cause seldom also advocate for honesty or fair-mindedness. To some extent, that's what advocacy is for. It's understandable, though unhelpful.

Finding true things takes time and effort, and is hard work even when professionals aren't working full-time to counter clarity. And that's just the cynical view. Partisans can be genuine (I'm told), and opposing viewpoints can equally claim legitimacy.

But I'm not of the mind that truth is malleable. If I find legitimate, meaningful, opposing viewpoints, then I haven't found truth yet. I've just found a hard place.

Elections so often come down to voting against someone, or "sending a message." I loathe playing those games. I want to be in favor of things, people, ideas.

The small solace I've found in presidential elections is that there's usually someone out there running with an agenda that I can get behind. That candidate has no chance to win. But if more people voted for someone they wanted to vote for, rather than Brand X or Y, politics might mean something again. That's my maverick hope.

Commentary after election night

Philadelphia has had an exuberant week. Winning the World Series last week caused us throw a 2-million person parade on Friday that shut down the city. Today won't see a parade, but the party mood carries on thanks to Obama's victory.

I talked to our furnace repairman last night, who told me he couldn't fix our furnace today because he was taking today off. He would be celebrating if Obama won, or mourning if he lost. Either way, far too busy for work.

For Philadelphia, Obama's victory reminds me of Nutter's mayoral victory last year. They're both effective, disciplined African-American men who mean to get something done. And Philadelphians want to follow them. We yearn to follow these leaders. We will even cut them slack, something we have not wanted to do with our executive-level leaders for a while.

Philadelphia could theoretically find a more beloved presidential candidate than Obama to support, if Will Smith got some political experience.


McCain's face had become noticeably grim and gray in the late stages of the campaign; his smiles looked like rictuses. But during his concession speech last night, he looked rejuvenated and relaxed. The speech seemed honest and frankly, relieved. Several of us watching CNN remarked that we would have liked to have seen that one running for president these last few months, rather than the tight, angry warhorse lumbering from podium to podium, conjuring increasingly strained vituperatives.

He seemed more like the long-lost McCain of 2000/2004, emerged from under a wicked spell, now magically broken with his defeat. I wonder how wrong that simile is... the Republican party has become strangely witch-like in the last decade or so. Anyone subjected to their ministrations might well suffer a similar fate.

Even though he won't be president, it's nice to have McCain back.


Time was, we needed a couple months between an election and an inauguration. It took that long to get the word out, for the new guy to collect all his brass tacks so he could get down to them. In these modern times, when you can call the election exactly one second after the west coast polls close, these 77 days seem like a vestigial appendage. Bush is still president in case anyone asks, but Obama has basically already started the job.


I'm uncomfortable with a Democratic majority in Congress. As useful as a president is, it's the legislative branch that gets shit done, according to our beloved Constitution. Our current messes would be less messy if we'd had a Democratic congressional majority eight years ago, because the Republican machine would not have had its way every time it glanced toward Capitol Hill. Mind you, the Democratic machine is no more benign or trustworthy. However, the electorate is more wary... and punchy. That might be balance enough. It better be, since that's all we've got now.