Protecting Our Common Future

If the election were held today, which thanks to early voting it partially will be, Obama will win by 8% in the popular vote over McCain, and by an astonishing 375-163 electoral margin. That officially qualifies as a landslide.

What is the GOP ticket's strategy to close the gap?

Good luck finding one. News reports indicate a rift between the hard-line conservative forces represented by Palin and the more moderate McCain faction. This is typically what happens to political parties as they confront utter failure at the polls. They split up into factions, point fingers in blame, and slice their already minority electorate into warring camps.

Thus, we appear to be headed not only for a landslide Democratic victory at the polls, but also into a period of disarray among Republicans that may take a decade or more to recover from.

The first step for Republicans will be how to manage their frightening extremist, Sarah Palin, who is the modern party's equivalent of Barry Goldwater, circa 1964; or the Democrats' George McGovern in 1972. Palin is driving millions of centrist voters to the Democrats, but her extremist base is digging in behind her "rogue" style politics.

The aftermath of this election, on the right, is going to be very ugly.

Meanwhile, the next President of the United States, Barack Obama, needs to get to work assembling an all-star team of advisers and Cabinet officials (Republicans, Greens, Libertarians, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, and centrists) to get this country back on track -- politically, economically, and socially.

He needs to turn the clock back to 2000, when the only other brilliant person to hold the office since 1980 (Bill Clinton) built a national surplus, a vibrant economy, a world at peace, while reducing the size of the central government, supporting free trade, and promoting a "third way" that essentially bypasses the tired arguments between more government or less government by motivating entrepreneurs to reinvent our society, creating new jobs, wealth, and social utility based not on imperialistic military dominance but on mutual global interdependence.

Obama is the only candidate for high office with the intellect to replicate the Clintonian vision. He also has something Clinton lacked, moral strength, which will inspire the American people rather than make us feel sad and depressed.

Barack and his lovely family represent the greatest chance for the U.S. to regain its position as a world leader, not at the point of a gun (the Bush doctrine), but at the inspirational table of conversation.

Those who talk, face to face, rarely kill one another. What the world needs now, in the end, is as all-inclusive dinner party where all of us, regardless of race, party, gender, age, wealth, religion, color, background, or any other foolishness, join together, and, in the immortal words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., sing the old Negro spiritual: “Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, we are free at last."

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Who Are the "Real Americans?"

Here is the most divisive story line running through our national election season this fall:

* That there is a "real" American and that all of the rest of us don't qualify. A "real" American apparently is white, Christian, flies the flag on his front lawn, chants "USA, USA" during the Olympics, and is suspicious of anyone not like him.

But, in fact, "he doth protest too much," as Shakespeare, the greatest English writer, would have noted.

This character, perhaps a stereotype, maybe called something like "Joe the Plumber," is about yesterday in America, not today, and certainly not tomorrow.

We have always been a forward-looking people, unrealistically optimistic in the eyes of our European friends. And, for the most part, this land has been good to us.

Unfortunately, some among us have become entrenched, deciding they are entitled to the benefits they currently enjoy, oblivious to how many lives have been and continue to be destroyed just so they can drive a big car, live in a big house, and overeat rich foods in complete disregard for the complex global human ecosystem that has been distorted by our military power into delivering these undeserved privileges to us.

That's right. The class structure of the world, forget America, is based on exploitation of billions of poor people to serve a few million white people. It's unfair and it is unsustainable. It was won at the point of a gun, never a good way to achieve human equality.

So, these thoughts make me less than a "true American," right? That I love all people equally, regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, IQ, color, gender, status, wealth, shape, size, age, and all the other differentiators that seem so important to the "real Americans" among us, makes me somehow less in your eyes, right?

Today, a troubled young white woman working on behalf of the McCain campaign pronounced that she had been assaulted by a large black man, who carved a "B" on her cheek (apparently and revealingly ignorant that the Democratic candidate's name starts with an "O" not a "B"). Of course it was a total fabrication, carefully orchestrated (just like the "Joe the Plumber" fakery) by those desperate "real Americans" who have hijacked the McCain campaign and turned it into the most embarrassing Republican campaign in our lifetimes.

This gutter behavior makes me literally sick to my stomach.

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Hunkering Down

So, according to Alan Greenspan and every other prominent economist, everything's gonna get quite a bit worse before it gets better. If you own a house, expect its value to fall. Your retirement funds have already shrunk faster than a buzz-killer shrinks one of those other assets we have. What else can be taken away from us American middle-class people?

The answer is, pretty much everything.

So, what kind of survival strategies should we be crafting. First, survey your network of friends and family. If the worst happens, and you lose your house or can no longer afford your condo or apartment, whom might you move in with?

Communes and collectives were a distinctive feature of the "60s," which mainly occurred in the "70s." It's time to recreate these joint households, where a group of adults share expenses and the work of supporting the group.

Grow your own food! Here in San Francisco, it is quite easy to grow enough lettuce in a small garden to sustain a family year-round. Not all climates allow this, but most allow seasonal growth of enough vegetables and fruits to sustain a family for several months.

The extra produce can be canned for eating in wintertime.

Hunt and gather. There is still plenty of wild game and collectible foods on our continent. Berries, mushrooms, fish, deer, flowers and seeds of many types are edible and readily available.

Buy chickens. They lay eggs.

Shop for bargains. Buy day-old foods. Downsize for a while. Check out Chicken giblets. Eat cheaper. Wear used clothes. Take public transportation. Bide your time.

Everything familiar will come back again, if you can be patient. But now is not a time to be silly. This is the time to be smart.

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Entering the Night Kitchen

Let's forget politics for a while. The polls are telling the story. The outcome becomes more certain every day. But it is no time for the winners to gloat or for the losers to pout.

Life is about much, much more than politics. At its core, to me, it is about love, family, and friendship.



I woke up this morning to the sight of a distinctly unsightly purple blotch beneath my right eye. Damn! A capillary had burst, disfiguring my already aged face, turning me not only old but ugly.

At times like those, all I can perceive are the shadows of life, not the active forms that make up its essence. Maybe this is a sign of a more serious health problem? Maybe the bell finally is starting its toll for me?

Alas, any such thoughts or fears of "stopping by the woods on a snowy evening," as the poet would put it, were erased by the comforting voice of my long-time doctor's trusty assistant, Cassie.

"It's a random event. There's nothing to worry about."

Good, now where did I put my makeup?

***

My family is dispersed across the continent. Tonight my hopes and thoughts are with my Uncle George Anderson, who is gravely ill back home in the Midwest of my youth. He is the sole remaining living blood relative from my parents' generation.

Previously, on this blog, I've shared stories about Uncle George, courtesy of my cousin Dan, whom I know is at his side as I write these words.

All I can do is wish and hope that my uncle is resting peacefully, secure in the knowledge that he is a good man, one deeply loved by his family, respected by his peers, and emblematic of what a truly decent American can aspire to be.

I do not know how much longer he will be here with us, but I do know that I, and many others, are far better people for having been touched by his presence in our lives. Rest easily, Uncle George. We love you and we will never forget you.

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The Ever-Present Danger of Prejudice & Hate

If anyone is naive enough to believe we have overcome the deeply embedded racism, ignorance, and anti-intellectualism of our collective past, that person needs to search out on YouTude a recent broadcast of the Chris Matthews show called "Hardball."

Personally, I hate this show, and consider the host to be a pompous ass, the worst kind of screamer and poser who so pollutes our political landscape that I fear for our collective future if the likes of him prevail.

That said, even a scumball like him is better than the hate-mongerers running for office this year. Which is why I missed his only useful contribution to the current election cycle the other day when he interviewed the incumbent Republican Rep. Michelle Bachmann (MN). In her appearance, she played one of the ugliest cards in American political memory.

According to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, one of many formerly great American newspapers now technically in bankruptcy: "Matthews on Friday asked Bachmann whether she believed that Obama may have anti-American views. Bachmann replied: "Absolutely, I'm very concerned that he may have anti-American views."

She went on to call for a broad investigation into how many other members of Congress hold what she considers "anti-American" views.

For the good of our country and our collective future, let's hope this idiot political hack loses her bid for re-election.

Like Sarah Palin, she represents the worst our people have to offer one another. No doubt, she is utterly unaware of the McCarthy Era, the darkest period for creative people, loyal, deeply intelligent people since the J. Edgar Hoover purges of 1919.

Does history have to repeat itself. Is anybody paying attention.

I cannot contribute to political campaigns because I am a journalist in the old-fashioned sense. I've never given a dollar to anybody. But if I could, I would send lots of money to the guy running against Michelle Bachmann, because she is a true "enemy of the people" like you and me, assuming that you also believe in truth not ignorance, tolerance not hatred, intelligence not prejudice.

On the other hand, when you look deeply into your own heart, you may still believe in the ugliness, and if so, go ahead and vote Republican next month. If you honestly believe some of us are more loyal than others, vote Republican. If you feel the knowing execution of an innocent woman in the '50s was justified, go ahead and vote Republican. If you believe the "blacklisting" of so many artists was justified in the McCarthy era, go ahead and vote Republican.

Perhaps, when all is said and done, your cohort may still prevail. I doubt it, but if it does, my voice will go silent. I will refuse to express myself in a nation of hate, preducice and ignorance, so if the GOP wins on November 4th, this blog will go silent, permanently.

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p.s. Bachmann is currently backtracking at 100 mph, saying she was "trapped" by Matthews. Right. Blame the messenger, all the way back to Plato's Cave. If you cannot stand up for what you said, Congresswoman, and what it means, more fool you. Pretend an evil media person tricked you, just like Palin claims all the time. Sorry, that dog just don't hunt no more. Either stand up for what you believe, and accept the heat, or get out of the way of those of us desperately trying to save this blessed society of ours!

Our Art Table

Lots goes on here. Writing, painting, drawing, and a variety of related activities.



Of course, through the eyes of a nine-year-old, certain popular TV characters are inspirations for her creative efforts.



And then there is pure experimentation by an adult, who somehow inserts her own cultural aesthetic to the work.

Foggy, Windy Left Coast Perch

This is a ROTC student drill. Yep, even here in San Francisco, we send many loyal soldiers into military service. We are ever bit as loyally patriotic as any of you in the middle of America, perhaps even more so.

We are not so full of ourselves out here in San Francisco. We know we are on the very edge of the continent, that a major fault runs under our feet that could, and in fact certainly will, destroy much of what we have here someday soon.



Living in San Francisco demands accepting your mortality. In other places, I suppose people can fantasize that they will be here for a long time still, no matter what their age.

We do not feel that way here. We know we can, and perhaps will, be killed in an instant of shaking, which could happen at any moment, since according to the experts, it is now badly overdue.



Yesterday, driving around town with my little soccer stars, 75 miles or so, the girls (Marisol and JuJu) decided to count the political signs hanging in the windows of our city. Their final count: Obama 75, McCain 0.

How do you explain to a child that this little slice of space is not the whole of our country; that there are places where these percentages would be reversed?



The kids worked very hard last night and today, under their mother's direction, baking sweets that they sold at the Festival on the Hill, the annual Bernal Heights street fair. All of the proceeds will go to Barack Obama's campaign. By the end of the day, they had raised $1,000 in support of the next President of the United States!



This photo was shot by JuJu. We have a small herd of bison in Golden Gate Park, something she didn't realize until yesterday.



At todays's festival, a variety of bands played for the crowd.



Amazingly, Senator Obama himself turned up at the kids' bake sale today. He seemed a bit flat, but lots of folks wanted to get their photo taken with him.



The brand "Newman's Own" has graced our refrigerators for years now. My little one created her own brand and gave it to me.

P.S. Gen. Colin Powell today committed the most loyal act any American could when he endorsed Sen. Barack Obama. This heartened me. The Republican administration exploited this hero's reputation to sell the Iraq War. They fed him lies disguised as intelligence. They reduced his standing so much that a college President I know well refused to allow Powell to give a graduation speech on the grounds that he was a "war criminal."

Today, Powell redeemed himself. He endorsed the next President of the United States, Barack Obama. He called him a "transformational" figure, and by doing so, he nailed it.

John McCain is a military hero, but he is not a credible candidate for President. His choice for a running mate, Sarah Palin, is a good candidate for celebrity or comedy status, but utterly unqualified to lead this troubled nation. She's utterly clueless.

Obama will win this election, as I predicted a year ago. It is now time for anyone who is a true patriot to get behind this great man and help him achieve the mandate he needs to transform our damaged nation into the global leader we all wish it to be.

For America's sake, I call on all Americans to vote for Obama, the right candidate at the right moment when our nation faces ruin, recession, and perhaps even worse if we continue on the failed path of George W. Bush or his surrogate, John McCain.

Fog City Weekend