Politics Aside

For my fellow Vero Beach friends:

Often times, we lose sight of why we as Americans are a representative democracy. In their wisdom, our forefathers envisioned a future where people would come to represent their region in a manner that dictated integrity and fairness but, more importantly, a fierce dedication to the good will of the people they represented. It is in this spirit that I would like to wholeheartedly commend Kevin Sawnick for not only his integrity and fairness, but his personal dedication to ensuring that the city of Vero Beach continues to prosper. As a city council member, Kevin Sawnick has always fought to defend the city’s best interests, regardless of how it would reflect in the opinion polls. When the city council decided that city workers would need to take salary deductions in order to reduce the city budget by one million dollars, Kevin Sawnick volunteered to give the same percentage of his pay back to the city to show his support for the city’s workers. When the city needed job growth, Kevin supported tax abatement programs to spur economic growth. More importantly, Kevin was the first council member to address the ever important problem of electric costs by inviting Florida Power & Light to the local electric debate. As a council member and as mayor of Vero Beach, Kevin has done nothing but dedicate himself one hundred percent to the city. As a friend, Kevin has proven himself to be trustworthy and kind, while remaining pragmatic and wise. For these reasons, I would like everyone to please consider Kevin Sawnick for city council. I am honored to call him my friend and encouraged by his vision for Vero Beach, and I couldn’t envision a man more dedicated and qualified than him.

The New Garment File

That's right. After almost seven months of exile, I'm back.

But it's not the same old Garment File.

I've decided to change the format from strictly political to random entries. I'm just going to sort of throw stuff up here. Think of it as a cross between a traditional blog and twitter. That isn't to say that the politics are out, I have just been sort of basking in the victory of Barack Obama. I think he's done some great stuff so far, and I hope he continues.

My first topic is a new band that I saw open for Ben Folds. Their name is Jukebox the Ghost and they've taken over my life. I know it sounds crazy, but the album hasn't left my car stereo since I bought it. When I'm not listening to it, I'm singing or whistling it through the hallways at the office. It's catchy, it's alternately upbeat and eerie, and it's fun. The album is entitled "Let Live and Let Ghosts" and it is an experience.

Jukebox the Ghost is was pop was supposed to be. Jukebox the Ghost has been compared to Queen, Panic at the Disco, and a variety of other hazy references that attempt to classify their sound. It ranges from a sort of ethereal dirge with apocalyptic prophecies to the sublime sounds of synthesizer and piano. It ranges from passion to whimsy. The album is a sort of experience all its own. I'd like to pick my favorite song, but each song seems to bring something new to the table. Some standouts are Hold It In, Victoria, and Under My Skin.

The album, to me, exists as an album. The songs can be listened to individually, but as an album they flow together and take you on a sort of journey. I would advise listening to the album at LEAST two times before formulating an opinion. It takes at least two listens to begin to appreciate the subtle qualities that make every track shine.

Another tip, and it's weird. Listen to this in a car where you can crank it, or even better, high quality headphones. The piano in each song shines when you can hear it loud and clear.

Sarah Palin, the 3rd grader's choice.

Am....I....the...only...person...who...realizes...that.....Sarah Palin.....talks in sentence...fragments?

I am awaiting the official transcript, it should be good. When asked about the bailout, she starts rambling on about health care.

Then at the debates, when asked about nuclear weapons, she strung together approximately four different theses in one painful upchuck of words.

It is no surprise to me that this woman failed out of four, count 'em, four colleges before finally getting a degree. Talking to Sarah Palin must be like visiting a classroom of eighth graders.

I don't mean to be hurtful or mean, but someone has to say it.

Our current president rambles off to faraway lands of verbs and nouns, present tense and past tense, sanity and sheer lunacy. To think that the colossal failure of simple communication that is Sarah Palin could at one point lead our nation scares me to death. Imagine a world where our potential leader-in-waiting's breadth of experience in foreign policy consists of "trade missions" and the ability to see Russia from her "backyard."

At what point will people really begin to realize what Palin is all about?
All she did in the debate was drop buzzwords and phrases like "economic growth," "maverick," and name-drop "Ahmadinejad" about 7 trillion times. Are we supposed to be impressed? Is it really enough that you've been cramming for the last 72 hours? How many times do you think they had to quiz her on that? Not just the pronunciation, but where he's from, what religion he subscribes to, some "evil" phrases that he's said, and maybe some catchy phrase like "he hates golden retrievers, just like Senator Obama and Senator Biden."

It's really like pitting James Carville against a high school debate team.

Watch Palin stumble and bumble her way to a nonsensical answer"

Ctizenship, a Novel Concept

I have recently noticed a phenomenon that I find to be totally interesting and inspiring.

When I was at my local supermarket yesterday, I decided to start the air-conditioning in my car while loading my groceries to keep them from instantaneously melting in the ninety plus degree heat. When I was done loading them up, I realized that the parking lot had no repository for empty shopping carts. At this point I had a decision to make. I could leave my cart in the parking lot, thereby ensuring that an employee would have to retrieve it later, and drive off in my nice cool car. Or, I could do the polite thing and return it to the store. It turned out that an employee of the store was already in the parking lot, so I gave my cart to him, for which he showed genuine gratitude.

This may not seem all that ground-breaking, but for me it was a semi-epiphany. I realized that the reason I chose the more courteous route was because I was aware that an elderly woman had just glanced at my four Obama bumper stickers. I didn't realize it at the time, but my actions were shaped by the fact that I was essentially a surrogate for Barack Obama's campaign. I know that sounds completely idealistic and probably makes Bill O'Reilly want to throw up, but to me it's pretty cool.

The fact that my desire to demonstrate my support for Barack Obama led me to make the friendlier, more courteous decision, says a great deal about the dynamic of his campaign. I am not going to say that by electing Senator Obama, we will immediately solve all of the world's problems, but what I will steadfastly support is the sense of community that he speaks of and strives to engender.

To think that a political candidate inspires greatness just by virtue of his campaign is quite the accomplishment. I find myself wondering why anyone would be skeptical of a candidate who has made a significat impact, simply by running for president. To me, if Barack Obama can inspire kindness and keen sense of civic duty in me, the potential for nation-wide kindness and community is enormous.

Think about it. People recall with great fondness the sense of solidarity and compassion for their fellow citizens that the nation experienced with the second World War. We didn't hesitate to help those less fortunate than us. We were America. We were a nation united against an evil front. We didn't need Nazism or Communism, we had America. We had the promise and zeal that came from our unilateral commitment to democracy. People in times past realized that we are first and foremost humans, and by reasons beyond our control, countrymen.

Is it then a bizarre desire to long for the same sense of community that we once had? Is being friendly and neighborly that foreign of a concept that we write it off as idealistic? It is alarming to me the negative characterizations that Barack Obama has faced for suggesting that we re-examine the way we treat each other. It's absolutely insane to call a man "unrealisitc" or "idealistic" because he wants us to start treating our neighbors as family.

Do we really only resort to kindness when all other options have been exhausted? It should not take another World War to return America to a friendly place. I have a humble suggestion. Give kindness a chance. Next time you see someone you don't know, smile at them. Ask people how they are doing, and care about the answer. Courtesy should not be something we do when on the clock, it should be something that we do without ulterior motivation.

I realize I sound like an "idealist". That's because I am. The thing that people miss is that my optimism is not hopeless or unattainable. It is not unrealistic. We can very simply become a prosperous nation again. Sometimes all it takes is a little compassion for your fellow man.

It's a novel concept. One that I enjoy.

Experience

I am confronted with the battle over experience all of the time.

How could a junior senator like Barack Obama really know enough about the government to be able to be president?

People have come to equate the amount of time that a politician has been in office with his or her ability to lead. In essence, we find experience to be preferential to education or intelligence. When a senator has served for many years, he takes on a certain tenure. Politics becomes a thing very much reminiscent of a John Grisham novel. I am completely convinced that all sorts of deals and secret arrangements occur on Capitol Hill all of the time. Politics has evolved to a skull and crossbones good ol' boys club.

And why not? Being a senator is highly profitable. You can earn money and pension by working hard in a factory for years on end, but the easier route is to become a senator.

Senators are paid $162,100 per year and are eligible for lifetime retirement after as little as 5 years in office. Health benefits are available immediately and are life-long. The average senator spends his time attending parties and benefits and fund raisers. A small amount of time is dedicated to actually participating in the senate. Senators eventually become professional politicians, their lifestyle above and beyond what most people encounter. How many Americans travel by "driver" and have an assistant to take notes and run errands at every whim?

People who have been in government for a while have become completely out of touch with their constituencies. The interest, instead of the welfare of their electorate, becomes how to make the most money while still getting reelected. Politicians forget the times when they had to work forty hours a week.

While the average American makes $26,036 a year, politicians make over SIX TIMES that much! When was the last time that people making $26k and $162k had a lot on common? In my opinion, the longer a politician works in Washington, the more out of touch he becomes.

Hillary Clinton didn't know what Red Bull was.

John McCain doesn't know how to use a computer.

How then, can these people claim to know or even relate to the problems of the middle class? I think that the answer may be to elect people who, until recently, were not so different from us.

I like the candidate who only recently paid off his school loans, not one who has untold millions.

I find that people who have actually lived in the middle class actually know what's best for it, not people who can "imagine" struggling. It is not enough to envision the plight of Americans, we must elect someone who has been there. I don't need experience. I don't need someone who hasn't stepped foot in a McDonald's in 30 years. I don't need a candidate who can't even figure out Hotmail. I don't need a candidate who continually hits his senile head on car doors.

Vote with your brain, not your eyes.

I should preface this by pointing out that the county in which I live, Indian River County, is predominantly elderly and, consequently, largely republican. For every democrat, there are 1.6 republicans. I was at a local business the other day, and the man behind the counter lamented that it was getting harder and harder to collect money for outstanding invoices. I sympathized with him, citing that most of us are in tough economic times. I said I wouldn't get into the politics of the economy because I know that I am in the minority in my county.

His response?

"I'll tell you one thing, that old boy gets into office, some old country boy gonna take care of him."

Let's break that down. What he meant was:

"If Barack Obama is elected, he will be assassinated."

As harmless as this may sound to some, I have a big problem with it.

Every time I hear someone say that, it sounds to me like people are trying to dissuade me from voting for him. In other words, "why would you vote for him, someone's just going to assassinate him anyway." It's essentially an acceptance of our collective racism. To me it implies a conspiratorial vibe. As in "some old country boy, like me, will 'take care' of him."

People who did not, in some way, share that racial motivation would refer to it as assassination, not "taking care of him."

Maybe I'm reading into it too much, but it's usually accompanied with a knowing look, as if to say, "you're with me, right?"

I just don't understand why we, as a nation, can't come together and forget that the best qualified candidate is a black man. The economy does not rise or fall according to the color of the president's skin. Our global success won't depend on how light or dark our president's skin is.

To be accurate, I'm not imagining racism, some Americans openly admit that they will never vote for a black man. To these people I say, DON'T BREED.

To vote for someone because he is the white candidate is ludicrous. The white candidate doesn't have any good plans for our nation. He's an old, senile, angry man, and has no business making decisions for Americans.

It's the economy, stupid.

I'll make it quick, it's just a rant. I don't understand anyone who thinks that the Iraq war is going well. The timing of the war and our clear recession (yes, recession) is the 531+ billion pound gorilla in the room.

It's very simple. We had a budget surplus. We then decided to make tax cuts. Then we attacked Iraq.

Now the economy sucks.

How then, can we expect something new by doing the same thing? In the words of the great Rich Dickerson, isn't doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results the first sign of insanity?

John McCain can't offer any new ideas other than cutting taxes and continuing to perpetrate an utterly failed war.

Let's try something new.

barackobama.com