What now for the Evangelical movement?

Now that two of the biggest social conservative presidential hopefuls for 2008 have failed to even hold on to their Senate seats, where does this leave the relationship between the republican party and the evangelical movement? None of the big republican possibles for 2008 (Guiliani, Romney, and McCain) fit the social conservative mold, though McCain has been jogging towards the right on many social issues. Talking heads have been talking about the Republicans running either Allen or Santorum anyway, and that does seem plausible given their gracious concessions. Evangelical disgust at the party for its scandals have also, however, been a big issue. More interestingly, some of the democrats have also seemed to pick up chunks of the Evangelical vote. McCaskill picked up 35% (CNN exit poll) and Casey 41% of the Evangelical vote. On the other hand, however, with the ouster of moderate Republicans like Lincoln Chafee, the rump GOP certainly has the ability to move further right, though the political wisdom of such a move would be questionable, so who knows. All that is certain is that this election has dealt a major blow to the influence of the hard core religious right. Hopefully, the 2008 election wont be dominated by these lunatics.

Laying in the bed you make

“At any moment, there will be war between the two sects,” he said. “I want to tell you the truth.” He repeated the word in English. “Right now, you are observing the men of the Iraqi Army, and seeing what’s on the outside. But I know the interior of them. My men are not coming here for nationalist beliefs, for one Iraq. They are here because they need work. So don’t be surprised if they stand and watch killing between the people here.”

And the administration expects us to believe a rosy and pretty picture. Is there even a solution at this point?

Some people need to get over themselves and stfu

Someone  I kind of met:

Isn’t it more of a trend to not be trendy? The irony of Marx’s Communism kills me. The poor proletariats become the rich bourgeoisie to merely have another anti system–system. The same goes for Fidel Castro’s castration of the caste system.

First of all, that makes no sense theoretically. Second of all, it insults me as a student of political science how oversimplified and uneducated it is. I don’t politicize about philosophy, so why must people who have very little understanding of both politics and philosophy attempt to philosophize about politics?

Also, in the same facebook blog entry:

 One of Nietzsche’s best books is entitled “Beyond Good and Evil.” In one of my other favorite horoscope books, Robin Macnaughton’s Sun Sign Personality Guide, it talks about each sign for about 20 pages. It said that Aquarius’ see beyond good and evil to what is. When I read this, I was convinced that I was an appropriate heir to his doctrine.

Heir to his doctrine? Get the fuck over yourself you pretentious hipster.

stoner moment

B: I want to go see one of the poles before I die!

Me: you might have to swim soon if you dont do it now

B: Dude, you have to write that down!

[…]

B: I’m inprinting myself onto someone elses journal… a whole new way of networking…..

The new facebook

Facebook was cool for quite a while. It was a great way to find forgotten numbers and screen names, and in general keep in touch with people who one does not see on a day to day basic. The new facebook, however, keeps track of all the changes you have made on your profile, and every comment left on the profiles or pictures of others. Whoever runs facebook have turned it into stalker heaven. I mean, good attempt to make it better, but come on…. no one needs to know everything someone else does on facebook.

Another visit from our president…

“This is my 11th visit since the storm hit. You see progress. ” -President Bush

However, according to the New Orleans Times Picayune

“crucial improvements aimed at upgrading the system to the level long ago authorized by Congress are barely past the planning stages.”

In the same article, Ivor van Heerden, deputy director of the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center, had the following to say

” […] the slow pace of construction of incomplete levees and levee walls on the West Bank in Jefferson Parish leaves open a major storm-surge window, van Heerden said.”

“If you had a Katrina that came up to the west of Morgan City, we could potentially see flooding of the entire West Bank, he said.

‘And if we had another Katrina that traveled just west of the (Louis Armstrong International) airport and slowed, it would have the potential of flooding completely both the east and west banks.'”

Years of neglect caught up with everyone last August. Certainly what happened can’t be blamed on any one individual or body. However, the question one must ask the president after hearing his comments is everyone doing enough now? An almost completed levee system that barely meets the grossly insufficient pre-Katrina standards definitely tell a story.

“A year ago, I committed our federal government to help you,” the president says. There are still many reasons to doubt the validity of the previous statement. Also makes me wonder about the point of his next statement:

“We can work together and will, but when disaster strikes, the first people that you rely upon are your friends.”

Or as a T-shirt on bourbon st. reads “BYOR: Build You Own Raft”

hmmm

When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and holding a cross – bumper sticker

Who, What, When, Where, How, Why?

Who? Me – political science and economics major with newfound interest in mathematics(?) Male, unmotivated, 5 on a 1 to 10 scale of hipster/indie-ness, Bookstore worker (former?), indebted college student, bitter leftist, smoker, fan of Hemingway, vonnegut, contemplative movies, cigars, vodka, beer, music lame and unlame, photographs, sunrises. Oh yes, and did I mention how much I hate Jpeg artifacts? (see header)

What? Life story, political rantings, whatever I feel like saying

When? Whenever

Where? Here, I guess.

How? I write, some people read.

Why? (still workin on this one)