Alright, here is the deal. We all had a rough day, huh? I know I did. I went through a gamut of emotions, was more irritable than necessary, and really had one of those "Damn you politics, damn you to HELL!!!!!!!!!" kind of days. I am sure many of you felt the same. But now that we are home, maybe enjoying a cocktail, getting ready for a good meal, settling in for some TV, or some reading, or a dog walk, or a work out, or family time; WHATEVER...let's just all take a nice deep breath together, shall we? And breathe in..............GOOD...............and breathe out...............GOOD................Just think of that awesome yoga lady on the local cable channel....there ya go.......
Have you relaxed a bit? Not yet? Well breathe some more if you need to; it's painless, healthy, and free. I have a scotch poured, so I am all set.
Follow me once you have cooled off a bit.....
This primary race has gotten ugly, and frankly (myself included BIG TIME) I feel that our horns have been showing a bit too much lately. As we sit at our computers, bitching, angrily pounding at the keyboards, two men and their staff are trying desparately to become Virginia's next Senator. They are both working hard to unseat George Allen, our biggest enemy. And many of us have pledged to work with them, and for them. But have we been doing that to the best of our abilities ALL THE TIME, in this very important final countdown?
Now, I know, I KNOW...people here at RK have complaints about BOTH Webb and Miller and you may feel that one is destroying the election itself while trying to beat the other, and you are justified if you are getting angry while reading this. I admit, I have been there, guys. You know that. I UNDERSTAND if right now you are screaming and panting, pulling out your hair and beating your head against the desk bc "phriendlyjaime (who really hasn't been that friendly lately) doesn't get it! _______ is the actual enemy here, _______ is actually WORSE for me than Gerge Allen bc he won't be able to win/get the job done/raise the funds/run a good campaign/remain a Democrat/perform IF he gets in office etc., etc., etc., and then some!!!! PHRIENDLYJAME YOU DON'T SPEAK FOR ME YOU HIPPIE BITCH!!!!!!!!!! Go take your brahless self and your crazy sunburned back and drink too much beer, or watch/scream at C-Span, or pick your nose or your ass, but get out of MY POLITICS!!!!!!!!!"
I know, I know. I have thought all of those things (though not neccessarily the SAME EXACT things) today about bloggers, and many, many, MANY other days. And you know what, guys and gals? WE ALWAYS WILL. WE ALWAYS WILL. We are going to disagree, and that is the beauty of Democracy. For just a minute, push your anger aside, and go ahead and rejoice in the fact that we are able to have this disagreement. Love it! Call a friend that has always lived in an area where a choice they had to make was not handled as PASSIONATELY as ours is right now. Smile smugly at yourself as you think of how many people are keeping an eye on this important race, and just be glad you are a part of it. I am. I am really glad. My political activism started right here in the Commonwealth, after I lived in NJ, NYC, OH and IN, and let me tell you; I am proud and humbled to be here. It rocks, and a lot of you have made it better.
Now, I am obviously not asking any of you to keep quiet about who you are supporting (I certainly haven't been) and I am not saying to make nice nice with those that disagree with you (bc I have CERTAINLY haven't been) over the next few weeks. But how about we take all of this drive and determination, and let's focus on the shit that really matters. Let's work the campaign. Let's work the campaign the way the men we are working for would want us to run it. I know I would rather my staff and/or volunteers to be picking up signs from headquarters, showing up to phonebanks, getting friends and acquaintances and strangers on board to halp out, talking them up, writing LTEs and press releases, etc., etc. So let's go do that.
And let's laugh more. Let's go back to those days when some really light hearted stuff made us giggle and hide behind our monitor or our cublicle walls. Let's not resort to name calling and silly troll rating (again-yes, I admit my faults) when we CAN respond with wit, facts, and logic. Let's inform, and let's engage. Sooooooooooo much more attractive...
Frankly, let's just look at it as a cost benefit analysis: we are going to go further and quicker and get there cheaper the more we work for the common goal at the end of the trail; if we keep stopping along the way every time we go through a rough spot, our opponent is going to catch on and keep moving. I make no distinction between any candidate, I am speaking on the candidates in the Democratic party in general.
So yeah. Let's get out there, and win! And let's not hate doing it! Let's at least TRY it. Can we all just agree to try to focus on our active contribution to the party by way of donation of our time on the trail (the active ones: the sidewalks, the phones, you get it-we have to get out of these chairs SOMETIMES...) or some cold, hard cash? I'm going to try. Maybe you'll join me.
Flame if you must, too, bc I am having an all "phriendly" evening. Thanks, RK!
Because after all of this anger and doubt, I come to this place where I remember what it means to me to be a Jew. And I am very grateful to have this honor and opportunity.
There's some magical when people have the right religion or belief system for themselves. Some people are born there and some never make it. It took me a very long time, but it was worth the wait.
As a Jew I can say a prayer on the way home and the rain stops long enough for me to make it across the road to the mailbox and back to the car without getting drenched. And I can laugh with folks who think I am so essentially hyperrational and just making a bad joke.
As a Jew I can look at this convoluted use of my chosen religion by others and know that it is a continuation of an ugly piece of history. And as a Jew on a day like today when I am very confused, out of the blue I can get an email from my spiritual mentor, and understand that, of course, this is how it should be.
This kind of ugliness does require our attention, but life is far too short to become a permanent part of it.
So I'm in a good place, phriendlyjaime. Now, what is the prize for guessing that song?
We honor those who let go of everything
but freedom, who ran, who revolted, who fought,
who became other by saving themselves.
-- Marge Piercy
CLIMATE
JASON LEE STEORTS: There's more ice in Antartica. “Scare of the Centuryâ€
JIM WEBB PHONEBANKING TONIGHT....IS EVERYONE SIGNED UP?
and if you want, you can read my thoughts over at dailykos