Everything is Simple

“Like a leaf clings to a tree,
please cling to me.
We are creatures of the wind.
Wild is the wind.”

—Wild is The Wind

The Greatest

by Chan Marshall

Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust

Melt me down
Into big black armor
Leave no trace of grace
Just in your honor
Lower me down
To culprit south
Make ‘em wash a space in town
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I’ve been sleepin’
Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the later parade

Once I wanted to be the greatest
Two fists of solid rock
With brains that could explain
Any feeling

Lower me down
Pin me in
Secure the grounds
For the lead
And the dregs of my bed
I’ve been sleepin’
For the later parade

Once I wanted to be the greatest
No wind or waterfall could stall me
And then came the rush of the flood
Stars of night turned deep to dust 

2012: The Republicans

Questions I’ve received ad nauseam over the past few months:

• What do you think about the election?
• What do you think about the Republican race?
• What do you think about this politician?
• What do you think about that politician?
• Who are you going to vote for? 

So, maybe I should blog about it.

So. The Republicans.

Ron Paul

Ron Paul has some interesting ideas, though he’s such a purist with those ideas that he might as well identify himself as a Dixiecrat. For those of you unaware, the Dixiecrats were a splinter of the Democratic party in 1948, when a group of Southerners at the convention were displeased with the growing trend of Democrats’ support of President Truman’s Committee on Civil Rights and an end to racial discrimination in the military (this is back when the South was predominantly Democratic, before they all became Republicans during and after the ’60s.)

The Dixiecrats, in all their glory, ended up carrying 39 electoral votes in the Presidential election, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and one electoral vote from Tennessee.

The reason I compare Paul to the Dixiecrats, is because Dixiecrat apologists defended their positions by using the Constitution as a sort of shield. They claimed the steps being taken by the government were unconstitutional — whenever accused of racism or bigotry, they simply went back to the constitution, if they felt the need to defend themselves. Hell, even Paul has voiced his concern over the unconstitutionality of the Civil Rights Act. I give him credit for remaining consistent and true to his beliefs, but I will never vote for, nor encourage anyone to vote for him because I believe his views are archaic and would only destabilize our nation and its people.

Also, I don’t think enough Americans take him seriously enough to be a serious threat.

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum is another candidate who is able to say that he’s stood his ground and that his views have remained consistent and that he’s a true conservative.

But, what’s more important than remaining consistent and standing your ground is WHAT you’re standing for.

Rick Santorum is like an upgraded version of Ron Paul. He’s not engaging in any racist quips, which would have defined a bigoted candidate forty years ago. No, instead he’s what I would refer to as a New Wave bigot.

To save my writing time and expand on your knowledge, here’s a list of outrageous statements Santorum made while touring Iowa. And, yes, it’s from a liberal website, but do you honestly think FoxNews would promote this side of Santorum’s character? Good point. Anyway, read that list.

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney was probably the most viable candidate, all along, as far as winning the Presidential election goes. However, in this primary, he’s become SO MUCH MORE conservative that his usual, he’s been running from his record, going back on previous positions, and alienating many moderates in the process.

The biggest problem with the Republican Party, today, is that it’s become more about The Conservative than The Republican. And, in doing so, chances of appealing to voters across the spectrum are shot.

Even the Democratic Party has a wing of conservatives and it could definitely be argued that Obama has been more of a centrist President than not (how about that indefinite detention, Barry O?).

But, with Romney’s recent positions, I believe he has done a bang-up job of alienating all liberals and many moderates who would have looked to him as a sort of anti-Obama choice.

And, if and when he runs from his recent dive into excessive conservatism, he will alienate everyone else by being the inconsistent flip-flopper that he is (no offense, John Kerry).

Newt Gingrich

Then, there’s Newt Gingrich. He’s probably my favorite of all the Republican candidates. He’s well spoken, he’s a conservative, but with some liberal leanings, he’s fairly balanced, but he’s not too consistent. He also has record-amnesia, as he seems to have forgotten that he was the Republican Speak of the House a little over ten years ago.

I also don’t think he has much of a chance on the national scale, competing in a total Presidential race, because so many voters do remember him from his days in Congress.

He would be the Republican John Kerry. Flippity-flop.

Conclusion

“My President is black.” —Young Jeezy

Also: Love you John Kerry.

Getting in cars with Max

Two times, today, I picked up my roommate (Brown Bear) from the dorm to go run errands (Cane’s and Wal*Mart).

When I picked him up at the back of the dorm, to get dinner, I was listening to The Smashing Pumpkins. The song was “Zero” off of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. I had the volume up and the first lyrics to play after he opens the door to the truck was:

Wanna go for a ride?

It was awesome.

After that, I had been studying, off-campus, for a test and called to see if he needed to run to Wal*Mart. I, then, picked him up at the front of the dorm. This time, I was listening to “The Perfect Drug” by Nine Inch Nails, from the Lost Highway soundtrack. This time, he opened the door and Trent Reznor yells:

I come along but I don’t know where you’re taking me.

I feel like the next time we have to run somewhere, I’ll be listening to Norah Jones.

Come away with me… in the night…

And even though it all went wrong, I’ll stand before the Lord of Song with nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.

Waking up with Leonard Cohen.