Lies, damned lies, and presidents

I demand a recount -- he told more than that just in the State of the Union...

Beyond the pale

I mentioned this blog to an acquaintance the other day and she allowed as to how she'd considered starting one herself, but was afraid she'd end up posting one rant after another, to her eventual regret. It's certainly a temptation, but one I've tried to resist -- so far.

Sometimes, though, a rant is simply what's called for.

The tragedy in the Heath Ledger story seems obvious on its face -- young, talented actor and father passes away without warning. The appropriate responses are contemplation of one's mortality, sincere condolences to the family left behind, and respectful silence.

Appropriate, that is, unless you're a screaming fundamentalist nutjob.

Yep, the Phelps clan and their "church" -- the same hatemongering, spittle-spewing little Hitlers who've been protesting at soldiers' funerals, claiming the deaths of American soldiers are the acts of a vengeful God punishing America for tolerating homosexuality -- are planning to protest at Ledger's funeral, because he had the temerity to portray a gay man in a movie.

It's just about the most disgusting, immoral, anti-family, un-American and, yes, un-Christian behavior imaginable. This much seems certain -- if these SOBs are right about the existence of Hell, when the time comes they're going to be the hottest show in town.

Birthday wishes

The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered so many remarkable, inspirational statements in his lifetime that it's hard to pick just one to highlight on the day we have set aside to honor his memory and achievements. Still, his letter from the Birmingham Jail, reprinted in this morning's Sacramento Bee, is one of history's most pointed and profound arguments for nonviolent resistance to oppression.

I only wish on this day that there was a political candidate able to reach inside themselves and deliver that sort of principled eloquence, that kind of wise, unyielding and inspirational call to action. Oh, wait: there is.

Waist deep in the Big Muddy

There is one principal reason that, despite being a Political Science major and dedicated/opinionated follower of current events, I would not recommend politics as an avocation to anyone I care about: it's a dirty, dirty, dirty game. Just ask John McCain and Barack Obama.

Strange days indeed

Today's headlines feel like an episode of "News of the Weird," even when they aren't trying to be. First, for the geek squad we'll include the thinnest notebook ever. (Too thin for a CD drive? Hmm...) Then we move to the cops pepper-spraying and arresting unruly sports fans... at a tennis match. And of course we also had the Dems struggling to play nice, while the Reeps fell into complete disarray. Meanwhile, California voters may be grouchy about any number of things, but they still love their celebrity guv. In the Dept. of Strange Bedfellows, we find the ACLU leaping to the defense of Sen. Larry Craig. And finally, it seems the problems we are experiencing with health care for humans are merely the tip of the iceberg.

Ah, but then there's the news you really care about (if you live in my household, anyway). Unfortunately, Sam Warburg's terrific run at the Australian Open came to an end yesterday as he fell 6-4, 7-6(4), 6-2 in a hard-fought match with the impressive Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Regardless, Sam's four straight wins will give him a nice bump in next week's rankings and a nice check to take home. A great way to start 2008!

Shameless nepotism : a plug

My nephew Sam Warburg is in his second year on the pro tennis tour and is currently ranked #172 in the world. Or at least he was, until he won three straight qualifying matches to get into the main draw of the Australian Open and then on Monday won his first-round match against #97 in the world, Juan Pablo Brzezicki. Coming off his first-ever match play win in a Grand Slam tournament, Sam is set to go up against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, ranked #38, at 3:00 pm Pacific today. Watch for scores here and don't forget to check ESPN2 for possible coverage. His new ranking will come out next week here -- and it will jump quite a bit. Meanwhile, GO SAM!

Like Nixon to China?

I do love irony, so it didn't take long to grasp the significance of this story: "Solider: Policy on gays may be shifting.”

It seems that as the Iraqi conflict drags on, the all-volunteer U.S. military can no longer afford to pick and choose which otherwise fit-to-serve soldiers it will keep. As a practical matter, it appears that all willing and able Americans are now being permitted to remain in the service of their country, regardless of sexual orientation.

So yes, as a friend put it last night, it now appears to be an indisputable fact that “George W. Bush is responsible for allowing gays in the military.”

A long road ahead

Well, New Hampshire sure made things interesting on both sides of the presidential primary process. And the happiest people in the nation today? Thanks to our pay-to-play campaign system, that would be a dead heat between political fundraisers and television advertising salespeople.

Where reality and fiction blur

Time to address the biggest story of the new year so far (and no, I'm not talking about The Return Of Jon).

Barack Obama won the Iowa caucuses and appears to have big mo in the upcoming New Hampshire primary. The reasons why are complex but fascinating. Yes, as an Illinois senator he had an advantage in Iowa. Yes, he put together a great ground game with highly disciplined field organizers. Yes, Clinton and Edwards each have significant deficits of one sort or another that handicap their ability to sustain momentum.

What seems to be driving the Obama surge, though, is something so unimaginable in postmodern, hyper-cynical, 24/7 ironic America that it has columnists as sage and grounded as Frank Rich and Bob Herbert sounding positively giddy.

Obama seems to inspire people.

Yes, he's young and less experienced than many of the other candidates. No, he doesn't have all the answers. But unlike his competition, he doesn't necessarily pretend to. He doesn't claim to be more than he is -- a man whose profile embodies the multiracial nation America has become, and whose vision seems grounded in genuine affection for and belief in its promise. And that, coupled with a flair for self-deprecating humor and his notable skills as a public speaker, seems to be generating a wave of affection and yes, inspiration with him at its center. People really are tired of slimy lowball negative politics, and Obama offers a breath of fresh air.

There are of course still plenty of doubters, but really, the question of experience seems to have more traction than the most obvious question Obama's candidacy has presented to America -- the question of race.

And here's where my train of thought takes a turn for the fantastic. I decry the dumbing-down of television-sedated middle America as much as anyone, but really, you discount the pervasive nature of pop culture at your peril. I believe Obama has more than just Oprah to thank, though, for the fact that his appeal is reaching middle American homes that might not have been open to the idea of a nonwhite president just ten years ago.

Back in 2001 the producers of the TV drama 24 were searching for an actor who could project real moral authority in the role of Senator David Palmer, who during season one was was running for president. They probably already knew he would win the race and become president in season two and beyond. And they couldn't have chosen a better actor for the role than Dennis Haysbert.

It's tempting to think a co-starring role in an over-the-top spy thriller TV serial couldn't possibly change that many minds. But can anyone really doubt the role Will & Grace played in acclimating middle America to the idea of gay men as three-dimensional human beings deserving of fair and equal treatment? In the case of 24, for four years one of television's highest-rated dramas featured, with virtually no self-consciousness, an upright, eloquent and often formidable African-American president as the show's conscience and moral center.

There's no way to measure the effect that portrayal had on the nation's consciousness. But as one who believes in the power of our society's storytellers to influence not just the imagination, but our collective reality, I think Obama owes the 24 team as big a debt as he does Oprah. As for Haysbert himself, now there's a celebrity endorsement that would be rich with layers of meaning...

Happy(-ish) New Year

It's a new year and so far all we have to show for it is:

• Polls showing it's still anyone's race in the Iowa Caucus, especially on the Dem side.
• David Letterman and Conan O'Brien wearing "strike beards." (With scary pictures.)
  
• Nick Hornby's great young adult novel Slam (yes I finished it and yes it's wonderful).
  
• And the worst news of all: the San Francisco Giants have accomplished virtually nothing in what was supposed to be a substantial offseason makeover. Sigh.