My ideological evolution and the importance of dialogue.

I was just thinking about all the political conversations that I have had since I have been at the University of Missouri.  I was also thinking about all the times that I have vented here about people in my class that I have vehemently disagreed with.  Then I started thinking to myself about how much I can really complain since, let’s face it, my ideology was not far away from them at a certain point of my life.

I first became involved in politics when I was 15 years old.  That is where I will start the timeline (voting for George H.W. Bush and George Allen in school mock elections when I was 7 and 8 years old should not really count).  I grew up in a political family: my father was a union steward at Norfolk Naval Shipyard before he was laid off in 1993 and my grandmother was a community leader who led the fight to integrate schools in Nansemond County, Virginia (now the independent city of Suffolk).  Yet, I had always looked to other endeavors, like meteorology, which was my first love and something that I had wanted to make a career out of.  When my father was talking to me one day about my career choices, I told him this (even though he knew this already).  He then told me to go look in the want ads and see how many jobs they have in there for weathermen.  Predictably, the answer was no, and I began to think about other careers.  I was sort of rudderless, going back-and-forth between business management, computer science, and journalism.

Then 2000 happened.  

Marco Rubio, Charlie Crist, and The Race for Florida’s Senate Seat

When Florida Senator Mel Martinez announced he was stepping down from his post last August, current Governor Charlie Crist fairly quickly announced he would not seek reelection to that office and instead run for Martinez’s seat. Crist is a long-time political figure in Florida and has generally been viewed favorably by Floridians (the recession has hurt his approval numbers more recently). He was considered a lock to win the seat at the time. Along comes Marco Rubio riding a backlash of conservatism after Barack Obama is elected, and just a few months ago Governor Crist had to switch from Republican to Independent because it was clear Rubio would win the GOP primary.

So now you have the back story in case you were unfamiliar with the situation. Enter: this article. A great read from Adam Smith that really raises some interesting points. Most poignant, has Charlie Crist, in effect, benefited from the Gulf oil spill? And is Marco Rubio starting to lose momentum because he doesn’t have a primary opponent or is it because Floridians are beginning to learn more about him and his questionable history?

Sen. Robert Byrd, considered.

Today, U.S. Sen. Robert Byrd (D-WV) died at the age of 92 in Washington, D.C.

This is a huge loss for the United States Senate.  Even though he had not been able to attend very many hearings in past couple of years, the institutional knowledge that has been lost today is immense.  He wrote five books on topics ranging from a complete history of the United States Senate to ancient deliberations in the Roman Senate.  He was a stickler for Senate rules and carried around a pocket-sized U.S. Constitution in the breast pocket of his suit.

While he was, indeed, once part of the Ku Klux Klan for a brief time and opposed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, I cannot judge the actions of another era by today’s standards.  What I can say is that he eventually became a progressive leader for the Democratic Party is United States Senate, and a voice against increasing corporate influence in the World’s Greatest Deliberative Body.  He was a good Democrat, a great West Virginian, a legendary American, and he will be missed.

President Nixon In The Rear-View Mirror

President Nixon had his flaws from ethics to some of his policies. However if one takes a closer look at his accomplishments while in office, they might see a version of President Nixon that is much different than that often portrayed in the media and I suspect President Nixon’s stock will continue to rise slightly over the next couple decades.

President Nixon was a traditional Republican who was progressive on many issues from the environment to health care, but sought proper balance with fiscal responsibility. On the environment, President Nixon signed the landmark Clean Air Act and established both the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency to monitor environmental efforts. In 1971, he proclaimed the first Earth Week.

Presiding over the continuation of the Vietnam War, it is clear President Nixon was not opposed to the use of force. But he seemed to prefer diplomacy as a first resort and notably opened the door to relations with China. Today, Presidents and candidates are criticized for meeting with leaders of nations that do not share our values, but Nixon’s foresight and courage set a precedent for effective diplomacy.

Human Trafficking

“ The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of people who won’t do anything about it…”

~ Albert Einstein

Myriad of topics were debated for my first foray into the blogging world, but ultimately my desire to share information on human trafficking won out. Of course when most people in the United States hear of human trafficking their first response is to relegate it to developing countries and espouse N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard). However, human trafficking knows no boundaries and outside of the drug trade is tied for the second most profitable criminal business. An understanding of the definition of human trafficking is necessary prior to discussing the issue any further.

General McChrystal – The Shakeup in Afghanistan

Over the last week, there was a shakeup in the U.S. military leadership of the war in Afghanistan. Though there has been controversy involving General McChrystal in the past, the most recent issue resulted from an interview General McChrystal gave to Rolling Stone magazine in which General McChrystal made critical remarks to numerous government officials within the administration and diplomatic corps. The end result was President Obama replacing General McChrystal with General Petraeus who led the surge in Iraq. Troy, Doug, Eric, and Craig weigh in…

President Obama: A Better Legislator or Executive?

I was inspired by a talk show’s discussion this week on whether President Obama is a better legislator or executive as President thus far. I believe that he’s taken a strong role as a legislator, and struggled as an executive.

Going back through my notes from my American Presidency class, the President has four major functions. (1) Symbol – head of state (2) Policy Advocate (3) Mediator – He’s the only elected official with a national constituency and (4) Crisis Manager. I think he has been weak on two of the four.

Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s Endorsement of Margaret Anderson Kelliher

This is merely a collection of thoughts on Margaret in response to some criticisms and based on seeing her in action on the campaign trail and in St. Paul:

I am thrilled Margaret Anderson Kelliher is the DFL nominee for governor for a variety of reasons. When she first became Speaker of the House, I was skeptical of her mostly due to her metro roots. I wanted someone who had concern for rural Minnesota and understood the issues. Gradually, she earned my respect and admiration. She has demonstrated a deep understanding of rural issues and concern for getting results for rural Minnesota. Perhaps this is due to the fact that, as I later learned, she actually has deep rural roots.

She has proven able to collaborate and negotiate without compromising her ideals. She has led an incredibly diverse caucus with common purpose and that is no small feat. These are skills unique to Margaret and will serve her well as a candidate and governor on a broad range of policy issues and the redistricting battle that is to come.

Margaret has been criticized for not having fire in her speeches. That simply isn’t her style. She instead is very poised, calm, and collected. During the campaign (and her tenure as governor) she will instead come across both as thoughtful. As it is important to look presidential when running for president, Margaret will come across as clearly gubernatorial.

I have seen Margaret and other candidates campaign in rural Minnesota. She has a rare ability to create a personal connection with voters and earn their trust. Her calm, steady demeanor comes across as nonthreatening even as she promotes bold progressive initiatives. People grow to trust her as they come to know her.

After losing the governor’s race for two decades, it is important to try something different. In many ways Margaret is a different kind of candidate who will change the dynamics of Minnesota gubernatorial elections. Though she is a steady and calm leader, she is something of a ramrod when it comes to passing legislation. She won’t be a governor who picks one legislative battle while hedging or forgoing others. After seeing her in action at the capital, one thing is clear: when Margaret sets her mind to something, she is relentless and it’s time the DFL has a champion, not just a spokesman.

Some argue Margaret failed in 2009 to propose a DFL budget. Not only is that blatantly false, but it is difficult to blame her for not getting it passed. No one foresaw Pawlenty abusing his power and the law to use unallotment and judging in 20/20 hindsight isn’t reasonable. We must remember also that voters have a short memory and few know what happened in 2009 much less whether or not it was a successful session. Considering the budget crisis the state faced and the arrogant governor Margaret faced, she did remarkably well.

There has been concern that Margaret will be stained from her legislative battles. I believe that logic is flawed for two key reasons. The first is that both of her potential GOP opponents bring legislative experience. But most importantly, this is an anti-incumbent-party year and the incumbent party in the governor’s mansion is Republican. By nominating Margaret, we have nominated the clearest anti-Pawlenty candidate as no other candidate can be more closely identified with providing consistent opposition to Pawlenty and his policies for the last few years. There could be no clearer contrast.

This election we have a rare opportunity with a credible candidate who is not afraid to campaign in Greater Minnesota and who has a unique ability to connect with voters on a personal level. Margaret is politically savvy like few others. She has a great grassroots operation and will be a unique candidate on both accounts compared to past nominees. After years of third party candidates from the left spoiling elections, we will have an Independence Party candidate from the right (Tom Horner). And the GOP candidate is effectively a Tea Party candidate, Tom Emmer. If there has ever been a window for winning the governorship, it is now.

Fun With Surveys

This post may be a bit less political than others, but when I read this article from AP, I had to write about it. The article is basically just a bunch of interesting bits and factoids about Americans’ state of mind, opinions, beliefs, etc. It comes from the Pew Research Center and is really quite typical in terms of methodology; they surveyed 1,546 American adults over the course of a few days and the margin for error is +/- 3 points. Read through the post, my goal is to progress from the least interesting to the most curious bits from the article.

Sarah Palin and the American political media, considered.

I read a lot.  Many people that know me will tell you this.  One of my favorite pastimes is reading various political blogs and news sites in the United States, Canada, and Europe.  The contrast between the three regions and their coverage of politics is absolutely breathtaking at times.

When I read sites like The Stilletoed Socialist or the British Broadcasting Corporation, I feel like I get a comprehensive look at political news and a breakdown of the issues.  That will be even more important when looking at politics in the United Kingdom because of the alliance between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats, two parties that have historically been at odds with one another on many issues.  When I listen to and read such news sites as the Toronto Star or the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, it seems as if they spend more time covering…well….the issues.  A look on the CBC’s Politics site reveal news on the Aboriginal Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the G20 conference in Toronto, and news about the Canadian Senate, which is still in session throughout the summer.

When I go to the Politico or listen to NPR (which I love enough to criticize), however, what do I hear about or see?  Sarah Palin.