Move Over Al -and- A Digression on Coolness and Tipping Points
By golly, I'm going to loose my geek credentials. I didn't know McCain had a hand in inventing the Blackberry!
Interesting since John has said he doesn't use computers. Or at least use them well.
Now you know, and I know, that it's all silly. McCain said it was silly. In a way, though, it's sad. A staffer is trying ever-so-desperately to show that his candidate is cool by having had a hand in something like the Blackberry. It just goes to show the cluelessness of the campaign.
What is coolness? Coolness was Paul Wellstone. Paul was my senator, in fact, he used to live right down the block from where I live now. His death in a plane crash right before the election in 2002 was one of those titipping points. Paul was just Paul. When you met him, you called him that. Not "Senator". He raked his own front yard wearing a ripped sweatshirt. He worked out at the local club. What made him cool? He was of the people. In jazz (I'm a jazz musician on the side) we talk about "keeping up with the changes". Cool is knowing what was right for the people at that particular time, and doing whatever he could to make it right. Cool is being against war, but being the best friend the vet ever had. Cool is being out there even when folks aren't comfortable with it (Like my friend Pat Moriarity's Music. Not like Lawrence Welk.). Paul was cool. His death was also a "tipping point". More on that in a minute...
Coolness is also Barack. I mean it, just look at the guy:
He's happy. His smile isn't forced (oh, ghu, save me from McCain's smile. Scary.). He, like Paul, looks like you could actually sit down with him and say what's on your mind. Coolness is working in the city to make things better when you could have stayed with the big-buck lawyers in a practice. Coolness, like Paul, is telling it like it is. His election, or not-election, is a tipping point.
Ok, back to the tipping point bit. If you read that previous link you'd know that its that point when suddenly everything changes. History veers off in a different direction. What would have happened if Paul hadn't died? Well, he would have been one hell of a voice in congress yelling against the war in Iraq. That's for sure. Republican Norm Coleman wouldn't be in there...making up a majority that couldn't be defeated and rubber stamping Bush's policies. In short, we wouldn't be where we are today. Things wouldn't be pre-9/11, but they sure wouldn't be what they are now.
This fall's presidential election is another tipping point. Sure, things aren't going to be 100% rosy even if Barack gets in. But just think what could happen if McCain/Palin get in:
A President Palin would just follow what her GOP handlers told her to do. What scares me is that they would come up with some sort of entrenched bureaucracy that would take decades to root out.
Call me paranoid.
But... just think what would have happened at that other tipping point if Paul had lived.
Interesting since John has said he doesn't use computers. Or at least use them well.
Now you know, and I know, that it's all silly. McCain said it was silly. In a way, though, it's sad. A staffer is trying ever-so-desperately to show that his candidate is cool by having had a hand in something like the Blackberry. It just goes to show the cluelessness of the campaign.
What is coolness? Coolness was Paul Wellstone. Paul was my senator, in fact, he used to live right down the block from where I live now. His death in a plane crash right before the election in 2002 was one of those titipping points. Paul was just Paul. When you met him, you called him that. Not "Senator". He raked his own front yard wearing a ripped sweatshirt. He worked out at the local club. What made him cool? He was of the people. In jazz (I'm a jazz musician on the side) we talk about "keeping up with the changes". Cool is knowing what was right for the people at that particular time, and doing whatever he could to make it right. Cool is being against war, but being the best friend the vet ever had. Cool is being out there even when folks aren't comfortable with it (Like my friend Pat Moriarity's Music. Not like Lawrence Welk.). Paul was cool. His death was also a "tipping point". More on that in a minute...
Coolness is also Barack. I mean it, just look at the guy:
He's happy. His smile isn't forced (oh, ghu, save me from McCain's smile. Scary.). He, like Paul, looks like you could actually sit down with him and say what's on your mind. Coolness is working in the city to make things better when you could have stayed with the big-buck lawyers in a practice. Coolness, like Paul, is telling it like it is. His election, or not-election, is a tipping point.
Ok, back to the tipping point bit. If you read that previous link you'd know that its that point when suddenly everything changes. History veers off in a different direction. What would have happened if Paul hadn't died? Well, he would have been one hell of a voice in congress yelling against the war in Iraq. That's for sure. Republican Norm Coleman wouldn't be in there...making up a majority that couldn't be defeated and rubber stamping Bush's policies. In short, we wouldn't be where we are today. Things wouldn't be pre-9/11, but they sure wouldn't be what they are now.
This fall's presidential election is another tipping point. Sure, things aren't going to be 100% rosy even if Barack gets in. But just think what could happen if McCain/Palin get in:
- Big celebration on the right
- McCain takes office in January
- Gets overly excited and has heart attack
- Palin takes over
- Is totally clueless how to run things
- What's bad only gets worse....
A President Palin would just follow what her GOP handlers told her to do. What scares me is that they would come up with some sort of entrenched bureaucracy that would take decades to root out.
Call me paranoid.
But... just think what would have happened at that other tipping point if Paul had lived.
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