Moderates Rule

Or we would if we realized that we are the largest voting bloc in the country. A recent Washington Post article talks about this: click here. Interesting that the term 'liberal' has become unpopular, while 'progressive' is acceptable as a self-descriptor. Also interesting that when you change the descriptor terms, the polls show an equal split between left & right in this country. Balance is good, so let's support moderate ideas when they arise.

(Like a public option in health care. A nice, middle-of-the-road compromise between single payer & ...well, whatever it is that the conservatives are suggesting. They've gotten so caught up in the rhetoric of attack that I couldn't tell you what they propose. Sad that their vitriol completely camouflages their ideas...)

SO Last Century

The GOP approval rating is the lowest it has been in a decade. (Click here for CBS article.) The Democrats have majority approval, but just barely. No one is happy with with Congress. The people are clearly mandating the new politics by giving the thumbs-down to the old. Will politicians listen, or will they continue to drag down the country by trying to operate under a last-century mindset? If they do, the voters will say bye-bye.

Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

President Obama won the Nobel Prize for Peace today, less than a year after taking office. It was given in recognition of his fresh vision, one that a few Americans have been loathe to accept ("It's not how we've always DONE it," is the usual refrain) but that has encouraged the rest of the world.

"In less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves and the world we live in and rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself," said IAEA Director General, Mohamad ElBaradei.

I see it as an affirmation of the middle way - the way of political moderates in this country. We have called for balance in both our internal & external politics. Obama shares our vision, and has forged a path that combines idealism with pragmatism.

He has demonstrated to us and to the world that is not weakness to treat others with respect. It is not weakness to listen. It is not weakness to say, "Here we stand. Show us how we can stand together."

His approach is popular with most Americans, despite the shoutings of some whose outdated domination-theory politics brought condemnation from the rest of the world and led us to the brink of ruin. Obama saves us from obsolete 20th century Cold War mentality, and leads us by shaping the politics of the 21st century with its challenges and hope.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said the award confirms "America's return to the hearts of the people of the world."

America's brightest destiny is to lead the world in prosperity & hope. Obama's vision can lead us down that path, as the Nobel committee has acknowledged. They said he has "created a new climate in international politics." I am proud of my president and proud of my country.

Shame on Both Sides

The Huffington Post is a liberal alternative to the Drudge Report. I've found that reading both gives an interesting perspective on many issues, if I can make it through the rhetoric that both obligatorily throw in to satiate the bias of their target markets.

Columnist Chris Weigant of Huffington Post made a couple of interesting points on Friday.

First, he spoke of the 2016 Olympic bid, and how some Republicans are hooting about our failure to secure the Chicago bid. His comment: "Republicans are looking more and more like they just want Obama to fail -- no matter what he is attempting. This is not exactly the best way to rebuild the party's appeal among suburban moderate voters."

He is so right. Why gloat over something that was an AMERICAN thing, not an Obama thing? 84% of Americans supported the Olympic bid. Perhaps I am naive (and I probably am) but I don't remember politics of the past being merely about attacking at any cost. Besides, I thought one thing I could count on about Republicans was love of the good ol' USA. When did loyalty to political party become more expedient than loyalty to country?

Another thing Weigant talked about was the current Polanski & Letterman scandals. Many are taking a live-and-let-live approach to these cases of child rape and workplace sexual harassment, and Weigant is indignant. He says, "I never thought I'd see the day when a child rapist was actively defended by anyone...and (Letterman) was applauded by a live audience for admitting essentially what was once the textbook definition of sexual harassment -- the Big Boss preying on a lowly assistant."

I have to admit that, at first, I had a lassez-faire attitude. Maybe it's because I used up all my righteous indignation after the mother of all workplace harassment scandals, Clinton in the White House. Bottom line: Clinton was the biggest of all Big Bosses, and he used his position to elicit sexual favors from a young employee, and then LIED about it. I thought the one thing I could count on about Democrats was to uphold the right of employees to a harassment-free workplace. But NOW and other groups either kept silent or supported him. When did it become OK to look the other way for the sake of political expediency?

Again, when did loyalty to the party line become more important than upholding American ideals?