BoyFromTupelo.com
I’m selling the domain BoyFromTupelo.com. I had plans for this domain, but priorities have changed and I’m looking to unload it.
If you’re interested, please bid here: https://auctions.godaddy.com/trpItemListing.aspx?&miid=21642415
As many of you know, “Boy From Tupelo” is a sometime nickname for Elvis and also a famous Emmylou Harris song.
Let’s Fund Family Planning: Mississippi Edition
A repeat of the previous post, this time accommodating Mississippi being named the leader in the nation in teen pregnancy rates by the CDC.
Of the dozens of facets of the stimulus bill, the section, relatively small in the overall spending structure, that seems to be attracting the most ire is the money being allocated to family planning. Last week, this section was removed at the behest of President Obama in an attempt to bridge the gap with House Republicans, who still voted unanimously against the bill. The bill subsequently passed 244-188, effectively rendering the issue moot.
The question still remains on the lips of many opponents of federal funding for family planning: how in the world are contraceptives going to improve the economy? The truth is, we really don’t have to look that far to see the benefits, both financial and moral, of a funded family planning initiative. The most obvious beneficiary is going to be Medicaid. By now, it’s no secret that a recent CDC report shows that Mississippi has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. Coincidentally, Mississippi is considered a leader in abstinence only program spending. Let’s also not forget that Mississippi’s Medicaid has either been wiped out or been on the brink of being wiped out for each of the past few years. A rapidly growing unemployment rate will only further this downward spiral. If we can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies to teenagers and low income parents through increased access to contraception and education on its use, isn’t that worth the investment? Isn’t the price of a pack of condoms worth the tens of thousands of dollars the state and federal government (i.e. you and I) will end up paying for that child’s healthcare? Isn’t education about the proper use of the morning after pill worth the thousands you and I will end up paying for that child’s WIC? Isn’t a cycle of birth control worth the thousands you and I will end up paying if God forbid this unwanted pregnancy should become an unwanted child and a ward of the state? An investment of millions now can save us billions in the future.
As far as a direct stimulus to the economy, these families will not purchase baby supplies “in addition to”, but rather “instead of”, meaning a teenage mother is putting her money into formula and diapers instead of saving it for college. When someone in America gets a college education, it is a natural boost to the economy. A college education opens doors not only to the college graduate, but to those companies in desperate need of new ideas. A higher rate of college education benefits everyone, particularly in the global economy of today. There are, of course, those that would not be going to college in the first place. I would submit that instead of paying for the needs of a baby, these people would have the extra income to save for a new house or invest in a new business or simply spend it on goods and services. An investment now can generate new jobs and the tax revenue that goes along with them. Also, let’s not forget that for a fully funded initiative, somebody has to make the contraceptive devices, the pharmaceuticals, man the offices, generate collateral, and devise a marketing campaign. All of those things would need to be done in the short term and would create American jobs.
Morally, it’s no secret that reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in the country will lead to a reduction in the number of abortions in this country. Though there’s no one definitive study published by any government agency such as the CDC, almost all private research or polling, regardless of agenda or political affiliation, suggests that the highest rate of abortions takes place among young low income women or couples. Much of this same research shows that women and couples below the poverty line are having abortions at about 4 times the rate of those above it. Research also shows, traditionally, that financial interests weigh very heavily in a woman or couple’s decision to have an abortion, which explains why down economies result in more abortions. Isn’t the price of an ad campaign directed at the use of contraceptives worth the life of an unborn child? An investment of millions now can eliminate millions of abortions in this country and I don’t know anyone, man or woman, Republican or Democrat, that doesn’t want to see that happen.
Mississippi’s approach to sexual education is especially indicative of sending the wrong signals. Mississippi law dictates that sexual education, if applied (as it’s not required), should be geared towards abstinence only, and that any mention of contraception should focus heavily on the failure rate of that contraception. While I believe the intent is to ’spook’ teenagers into abstaining from sex, it is serving only to encourage them to engage in unprotected sex. Why would a teenager go through the hassle of purchasing condoms or getting a prescription for birth control if they’ve been told repeatedly that those things are going to fail anyway? The CDC’s teen pregnancy report shows how ineffective this approach has been. We need to shift focus.
Now, will a fully funded family planning initiative eliminate all unwanted pregnancies in this country? No. Will it fix a broken Medicaid system? No. In the above, I don’t mean to imply that it will. It is, however, a start, a good start. We need to get rid of the idea that one pill will cure all that ails us and start looking at multiple initiatives that will attack our problems from multiple angles, whether it’s Medicaid, abortion, or our crumbling economy. We need to stop rejecting and vilifying ideas on face value simply because they’re outside the box or don’t fit within our view of the world. If an idea is proven effective, we should embrace it. If it is a proven failure, we should eliminate it. Abstinence only programs, heavily embraced by the governments of Texas and Mississippi, “leaders” in teen pregnancy rates, are proving ineffective. Let’s push access to and education about family planning and contraception, reducing Medicaid spending and the number of abortions. Again, I don’t know anyone that doesn’t want to see that happen.
Rodney Hopper II
Let’s Fund Family Planning
Of the dozens of facets of the stimulus bill, the section, relatively small in the overall spending structure, that seems to attracting the most ire is the money being allocated to family planning. Yesterday, this section was removed at the behest of President Obama in an attempt to bridge the gap with House Republicans, who voted unanimously against the bill. The bill subsequently passed 244-188, effectively rendering the issue moot.
The question still remains on the lips of many opponents of federal funding for family planning: how in the world are contraceptives going to improve the economy? The truth is, we really don’t have to look that far to see the benefits, both financial and moral, of a funded family planning initiative. The most obvious beneficiary is going to be Medicaid. Texas is third in the nation in Medicaid spending. Coincidentally, it is also has the third highest teen pregnancy rate., while simultaneously leading the nation in abstinence only program spending. If we can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies to teenagers and low income parents through increased access to contraception and education on its use, isn’t that worth the investment? Isn’t the price of a pack of condoms worth the tens of thousands of dollars the state and federal government (i.e. you and I) will end up paying for that child’s healthcare? Isn’t education about the proper use of the morning after pill worth the thousands you and I will end up paying for that child’s WIC? Isn’t a cycle of birth control worth the thousands you and I will end up paying if God forbid this unwanted pregnancy should become an unwanted child and a ward of the state? An investment of millions now can save us billions in the future.
As far as a direct stimulus to the economy, these families will not purchase baby supplies “in addition to”, but rather “instead of”, meaning a teenage mother is putting her money into formula and diapers instead of saving it for college. When someone in America gets a college education, it is a natural boost to the economy. A college education opens doors not only to the college graduate, but to those companies in desperate need of new ideas. A higher rate of college education benefits everyone, particularly in the global economy of today. There are, of course, those that would not be going to college in the first place. I would submit that instead of paying for the needs of a baby, these people would have the extra income to save for a new house or invest in a new business or simply spend it on goods and services. An investment now can generate new jobs and the tax revenue that goes along with them.
Morally, it’s no secret that reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in the country will lead to a reduction in the number of abortions in this country. Though there’s no one definitive study published by any government agency such as the CDC, almost all private research or polling, regardless of agenda or political affiliation, suggests that the highest rate of abortions takes place among young low income women or couples. Much of this same research shows that women and couples below the poverty line are having abortions at about 4 times the rate of those above it. Research also shows, traditionally, that financial interests weigh very heavily in a woman or couple’s decision to have an abortion, which explains why down economies result in more abortions. Isn’t the price of an ad campaign directed at the use of contraceptives worth the life of an unborn child? An investment of millions now can eliminate millions of abortions in this country and I don’t know anyone, man or woman, Republican or Democrat, that doesn’t want to see that happen.
Will a fully funded family planning initiative eliminate all unwanted pregnancies in this country? No. Will it fix a broken Medicaid system? No. In the above, I don’t mean to imply that it will. It is, however, a start. We need to get rid of the idea that one pill will cure all that ails us and start looking at multiple initiatives that will attack our problems from multiple angles, whether it’s Medicaid, abortion, or our crumbling economy. We need to stop rejecting and vilifying ideas on face value simply because they’re outside the box or don’t fit within our view of the world. If an idea is proven effective, we should embrace it. If it is a proven failure, we should eliminate it. Abstinence only programs, heavily embraced by the governments of Texas and Mississippi, “leaders” in teen pregnancy rates, are proving ineffective. Let’s push access to and education about family planning and contraception, reducing Medicaid spending and the number of abortions. Again, I don’t know anyone that doesn’t want to see that happen.
Rodney Hopper II
Joe Barton’s ‘Urgent’ Lead Hearing
As I read and research Joe Barton’s recent calls for a hearing to clarify the recent consumer protection laws being put into place, I’m filled with a little bit of confusion at his latency and suspicion of his intent. Let me preface this by saying that I… wait for it… fundamentally agree with Mr. Barton on the idea that we must protect small business owners from being squeezed out by exorbitant testing and certification fees, which can extend into thousands of dollars per item. In cases like those of the small business my wife owns, a children’s clothing and accessory manufacturer, each style must be tested separately. This means that if, say, one child’s outfit comes in five different colors, tests and certification fees must be paid for each color, easily skyrocketing the costs into the tens of thousands of dollars. For almost all small businesses, this is a heavy pricetag to carry. On top of this charge, the shops and boutiques carrying this merchandise could possibly be out the cost of any existing stock. So, accommodations have to be made to protect small business owners, and quickly.
My issue with Mr. Barton’s actions are in the timing. Debates on CSPIA took place over the summer and the law was passed in August. Why now, with less than a month before the February 10 date in which the law takes effect, does Mr. Barton all of the sudden see the mistakes in the legislation? Were small businesses simply never considered during the debate? Were they considered and dismissed as unimportant? Was our Congress again whipped into a knee jerk reaction in the wake of all the ‘lead in toys’ reports? We’ve seen this over and over from both sides of the aisle, legislation rushed to signature without being adequately fleshed out.
We deserve more from our legislators. Planning for contingencies, especially common contingencies like small business exemptions, should be made before legislation is passed, not in another rushed knee jerk days before legislation takes effect. Efforts could be made specifically to get a stay on this particular law to allow adequate time to make comprehensive small business protections while still protecting our children. We don’t have to rush into anything. Especially something that will weaken the CSPIA’s original intent which is to protect children from the effects of lead exposure.
Please understand this isn’t partisan rancor. There are plenty of Democrats to blame for this as well; Henry Waxman comes to mind. However, Mr. Barton is my representative and as his constituent, I must hold him accountable for any failure or show of incompetence. I know there are those that would say I should at least be grateful that Mr. Barton is acting at all, but I’ve never been one to thank the fox that raided the henhouse for cleaning up the mess later. While we should support Mr. Barton’s moves for a new hearing and any efforts to protect small business owners from this mismanagement of government, we should also remain ever vigilant to keep an eye on any legislation coming out of this debacle. We must ensure especially that no freebies or special accommodations are made for those who have really put our children in danger, such as Mattel, whose PAC for the first time in October 2008 made a sizable contribution to Mr. Barton’s campaign.
Rodney Hopper II
Response to Joe Barton’s Recent Message
I’m writing in response to Joe Barton’s bizarre recent mailer. I find it discomforting that in this time where the American people have shown overwhelmingly that they want to move beyond partisan bickering and want true bipartisanship that my Representative took time away from fixing the endless problems that face this country to use my tax dollars to write a political hit-piece that would have fit better during the late 90’s Gingrich-Delay era. The majority of this country is well past the “us vs. them” rhetoric and, quite frankly, Mr. Barton needs to catch up.
Let’s look at some of the actions that Mr. Barton has taken issue with in one day back on the job. One day. Mr. Barton refers to the House of Representatives as the Peoples House because it is the body “closest to the people”. Given the canned or non responses I get whenever I try to contact Mr. Barton’s office, my representative’s office and the decidedly unapologetic pro-corporate anti-consumer policies he’s championed, I would submit that Mr. Barton hasn’t been close to “the people” in quite some time. Mr. Barton should spare us this ‘everyman’ act.
Mr. Barton indicates that he feels that “that legislation is best made when regular order and process are followed and the input of all members is heard and considered”. I guess this doesn’t apply to the Combating Autism Act, which he refused to release from his subcommittee despite UNANIMOUS Senate approval. If you can find a word that describes bipartisan better than unanimous, I’d love to hear it.
Mr. Barton decries the new House rules that remove term limits from committee chairs. Let’s not forget that it was Mr. Barton’s party who just five years ago removed term limits for the Speaker of the House. Chalk it up to another piece of the Contract with (on?) America that was later in breach.
Mr. Barton complains about removal of the “motions to recommit”. I suppose Mr. Barton hasn’t heard the term “Do Nothing Congress” or he simply doesn’t have a firm grasp on the reasons behind Congress’s single digit approval rating. We have too daunting a challenge ahead of us to live through political maneuver after political maneuver. I can’t find any record of Mr. Barton being so outspoken about fellow Republican Bill Frist’s continuous threats of the “nuclear option”, the removal of filibusters in the Senate.
Mr. Barton laments the idea that Congress can now subpoena anyone at anytime. Imagine that, a separate but equal legislative branch that will actually enact checks and balances and oversight over the other two branches of government. For my money, this is a welcome change from the rubber stamp Congress that all too eagerly helped former President Bush create a climate of secrecy and corruption that helped bring this country to the brink economically, militarily, and morally.
Mr. Barton continues his complaint with elaborate sobs about uneven committee assignments, which are approved by a full House vote, meaning Republicans have their chance to vote on committee assignments just as Democrats do. He continues this odd diatribe by essentially calling Nancy Pelosi a brutal dictator. If Mr. Barton is seriously this afraid of Nancy Pelosi, this is more a sign of his own impotence than any attribute of Mrs. Pelosi. I’d hate to think what would happen if he ever had to actually face down a real brutal dictator.
Looking at his rant as a whole, I think what I find most troubling is Mr. Barton’s third paragraph, which effectively pits 170 million vs 130 million, 60% vs 40%, Democrat vs Republican, and, really, neighbor vs neighbor. It’s time to move past this divisiveness and these crybaby playground who hit who first games and work together to fix the problems facing this country. The task is simply too daunting and the risks of failure are simply too great. We deserve better and if Mr. Barton can’t provide it, he should consider retirement.
Rodney Hopper II
Barton’s original mailer:
Published: Thursday, January 15, 2009 2:34 PM CST
Joe Barton
U.S. CongressThe House of Representatives is often called the “People’s House” because it is the government body closest to the people with members facing election every two years.
I know that elections have consequences. Democrats won fair and square and earned the right to govern by holding on to control of the House and gaining seats. However, whether I am in the majority or the minority, it doesn’t change my core belief that legislation is best made when regular order and process are followed and the input of all members is heard and considered — regardless of party affiliation.
But on our first day back at work, Democrats effectively took away the legislative rights of conservatives — silencing the voices of the more than 130 million people represented by Republican Members of Congress, including more than 60 percent of Texans.
They’ve changed the rules of the House to stack the deck in their favor. These new rules are really old rules. They revert back to the undemocratic one-party rule and backroom politics that ran Washington for decades and led to higher taxes, unruly spending and larger government.
I believe that how we do things here in Washington is almost as important as what we do because the two are interlinked. The rules governing the way legislation is crafted has a direct effect on the final product.
After Republicans gained the majority in the House in 1995, the chamber adopted rules to limit the terms of all committee chairs to three terms in order to reward new ideas, innovation and merit rather than the strict longevity that determined chairmanships in the past — a reform that was reversed last week by the new Democratic rules package. The new rules imposed upon Congress by the Democrats consolidate the power of committee chairs by ending those term limits.
They further shut down free and open debate on the House floor by refusing to allow all members the opportunity to offer substantive alternatives to important legislation — opportunities that Republicans guaranteed to Democrats as “motions to recommit” during their 12 years in the minority. This proposed change prevents conservative members from exposing and offering proposals to eliminate tax increases and earmarks hidden by the Democratic majority in larger pieces of legislation.
Another one of the rule changes pushed through by liberals acts as a gag order. It effectively eliminates the minority member’s rights to give opening statements during congressional hearings. On top of that, Democrats have basically given themselves the ability to subpoena anyone at anytime — no matter the cause.
Democrats have also set up an unfair advantage by breaking with tradition and stacking the most influential committees with extra members from their party.
I am the highest ranking Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee and the situation there is a perfect example of this injustice. Democrats took an additional three seats on this vitally important committee. Unfair ratios can be found on other major committees as well, including Ways and Means, Appropriations and Education and Labor. It all adds up to millions of Americans being left without proportional or adequate representation in committees responsible for writing critical legislation that will affect the lives of every citizen.
These new rules are turning President Obama’s pledge of openness and transparency into another empty political promise.
The new president wants Congress to work together to pass legislation to help our ailing economy, but Nancy Pelosi and the other Democratic leaders have crafted rules to shut Republicans out of the process.
And for those of you that still don’t think rules and processes are important, remember the rules and processes are what separate the United States from military dictatorships. The rules and processes are what ensure our government is “of, for and by the people.”
I know because of these changes I will have to work harder to make sure my conservative viewpoints — the ones you sent me here to represent — are heard and considered. As we move forward, I promise Republicans will strive to be the party of better solutions, not just opposition. Democrats may be trying to silence our voices, but they can’t stifle our spirit.
Congressman Joe Barton, R-Ennis, represents the Sixth Congressional District of Texas.
We Are the Kickers
The SNL Sports Bash was this past weekend, but I think they overlooked a very important sketch “We Are the Kickers”, a spoof of the ‘85 Bears Super Bowl Shuffle. The sketch is introduced by none other than the greatest running back of all time, Mr. Walter Payton.
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Bowl Playoff Series
I’ve spent the better part of the last two weeks doing a lot of soul searching. I’ve consulted family, friends, coworkers, along with the teachings of Christ and Buddha to find the answer. It’s led to a string of sleepless nights, long hours of research, and a complete rejection of everything I’ve grown up to believe, but through all of this introspection, I firmly believe I have found the answer to the single greatest challenge facing this country at this defining moment in our history. I’ve found myself amazingly inline with both Republican Congressman Joe Barton and President-Elect Barack Obama on this extremely pressing issue. It is without qualification or precondition that I say to you now that we need to implement a playoff system in NCAA Division I football.
Now, I know there are naysayers with a ton of questions. First off, doesn’t this trivialize the regular season much like college basketball’s 65 team tournament? Not at all. My proposal is a 16 team, 15 game, 4 week tournament that would invite the champions of the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Conference USA, MAC, MWC, PAC 10, SEC, Sun Belt, and WAC, along with 5 ‘at-large’ teams. The ‘at-large’ teams would rely on a system similar to the current BCS ranking system to determine eligibility. The regular season absolutely matters, I would argue, even moreso under the system I propose because undefeated teams will actually be rewarded, no matter their conference or ’strength of schedule’. I would remove the conference limits too. If the Big 12 or SEC have 2 national caliber teams other than their champion, they deserve three tournament spots, end of story.
So what about all of those big money endorsements from the sponsors and networks of the bowls? Won’t schools lose out on those dollars? This year there will be 33 bowl games. 33. Plus the BCS Championship. Think about how many of those you actually plan to watch. Generally, only about 6 or 7 of these bowls each year are seen as important enough to draw a sizable audience. If you’re not a Kentucky alumnus or a fan of the East Carolina Pirates, under what circumstances do you imagine yourself watching the Liberty Bowl? Don’t get me wrong, I grew up in North Mississippi, so the Liberty Bowl has a special place in my heart, but truthfully, unless one of the Mississippi schools were in it, it was never a part of my New Year’s Day plans. My plan calls for granting corporate and network sponsorship and traditional bowl names to the first, second, and third round games. That doubles the number of games that matter from 7 to 15. The other 19 bowls can remain for those that don’t make the tournament, because, let’s face it, the Papajohns.com Bowl MUST live on!
So which bowls are endowed as ‘tourney’ bowls and in which rounds? This is where it gets a little tricky in the ‘trying to please everybody’ department. Let’s start with the first round. I would base these on mid-majors that have higher seed participation, major conference participation, and have been around for a while. I would also force these games to adopt their original monikers, not their corporate namesakes. I’m more than willing to put the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in the first round, but not the Chick-Fil-A bowl. Based on this, the first round would include the Liberty Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the Sun Bowl, the Gator Bowl, the Independence Bowl, the Holiday Bowl, the Hall of Fame Bowl, and the Alamo Bowl. I’m pretty adamant about Liberty, Peach, Sun, Gator, Holiday, and Hall of Fame, but I’m open to discussion on Alamo and Independence. First Round done, easy enough.
Now for the tricky part. How do we accommodate 4 BCS bowls into a sort of semifinals? My solution is to promote the Cotton and Citrus Bowls to BCS status, giving them, along with the Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Fiesta bowls, a two-bowl, three-year rotation between second and third rounds. For example, the first year, the Cotton, Citrus, Fiesta, and Orange Bowls will be the second round, while the Sugar and Rose Bowls will be considered the third round. The second year, we’d see Fiesta and Orange Bowls in the third round. The third year, we’d see the Cotton and Citrus Bowls in the third round. The Championship game would rotate locations every year to the site of the one of the 6 second and third round games, much like they do now.
Seeding is from where the most pushback will come. I’ve toyed with the idea of a lottery, but I think this would lead to the possibility of a very weak bracket winner coming in against a very strong bracket winner. This doesn’t benefit anyone. That being said I think the best course of action is to grant, based on current BCS rankings, the top 8 tourney entrants vs the bottom 8 tourney entrants, regardless of Championship status. For example, if Oklahoma is ranked #1 in the BCS, they should play Sun Belt Champion Troy in the first round, instead of possible ‘at large’ team Texas.
Scheduling provides another challenge. 15 games over the course of about 4 weeks is a feat unto itself, but not at all undoable. The tournament would start on the Saturday a week after the major bowl championships with 3 games on Saturday, 3 games on Sunday, and 1 on Monday and Tuesday nights. The second round would include one game the following Friday night, with three on Saturday. The third round would be two Saturday games the following week. This would bring us to the Championship which would fall on the Monday a week later. Brackets would be setup so that the #1-#4 seeds are spaced far enough apart that they’d have a greater likelihood of playing each other in the third round and/or championship. Special accommodations could be made so games fall on Christmas and New Year’s Day.
So, let’s look out how that would play out this year. We’d open on Saturday, December 13 with Oklahoma vs. Troy in the (Chick Fil-A) Peach Bowl, Penn State vs. Boise State in the Alamo Bowl, and Alabama vs Virginia Tech in the Sun Bowl. Sunday, December 14 would see USC vs Cincinatti in the Gator Bowl, Utah vs TCU in the Independence Bowl, and Texas vs East Carolina in the (Outback) Hall of Fame Bowl. Monday, December 15 would see Texas Tech vs Ohio State in the Holiday Bowl, and finally Tuesday night would give us Florida vs Buffalo in the Liberty Bowl. No doubt there are some potential snoozers, but overall, the matchups are much more intriguing than what we’d see otherwise, and more importantly, each game matters. If Troy were to somehow upset Oklahoma, it would be more than a ‘feather in the hat’, it would have major consequences on the National Championship.
That being said, let’s assume that the higher rated team won in each instance and we’d get a December 19th Friday night second round matchup of Oklahoma vs Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl and a Saturday tripleheader of Alabama vs USC in the Orange Bowl, Utah vs Texas in the Cotton Bowl and Florida vs Texas Tech in the (Capital One) Citrus Bowl. Now we’re talking about four potentially classic matchups. Now, let’s assume that the favorites continue to win into the third round. At this point, we’d get Alabama vs Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and a Florida vs Texas in the Rose Bowl, both on Saturday, Dec. 27. The winner of each would of course play in the Championship game in Miami on Monday, January 5.
So there you have it, 15 potentially great games. The sponsors and networks get their money. The schools get their money. We’ll eliminate hundreds of ‘what if?’ scenarios and see matchups we would have never imagined. There will be much less ‘this team got screwed’ talk. If the Utahs of the world think they deserve a place amongst the Oklahomas and Floridas of the world, they’ll have a chance to show it. Most of all, we’ll get a true, undisputed champion through actual head to head matchups instead of BCS voodoo. You would be hard-pressed to argue that any team that beat Troy, Penn State, Alabama, and Florida or East Carolina, Utah, Florida, and Oklahoma or Virginia Tech, USC, Oklahoma, and Florida or Buffalo, Texas Tech, Texas, and Alabama in consecutive weeks is in any way “overrated”.
I think it’s time the world realized the joy that could be December Madness.
Why Obama Won
Two weeks ago, Americans made a very important decision. As we watch the post-mortem of the McCain campaign unfold, as reasoning for their collapse, we’re hearing things like “Sarah Palin’s ineptness”, “the economy”, “the Republican brand”, and the most overused, “Bush’s approval rating”.
I for one am tired of the “Obama only won because of Bush” rhetoric. It’s disingenuous to imply that Bush was so major a factor. I was ‘anti-Bush’ in 2004, but I would have never done the things for John Kerry that I have for Barack Obama. Not that I didn’t respect John Kerry or support John Kerry, but I wasn’t inspired by John Kerry.
That’s what McCain and Palin (and the media, really) never understood. It was never about a bad economy. It was never about ‘Bush 44′. It was never about ‘the lesser of two evils’. It was never about Sarah Palin’s complete failure of a candidacy. It was never about how poorly John McCain’s campaign was run. It was never about Ayers or ‘lipstick on a pig’. It was never about black turnout, youth turnout, Hispanic turnout, white women between the ages of 18 and 56 turnout. It was never about race or the desire to be a part of something historic. Those things played a part, but it was never really about that. It was never even really about Barack Obama.
It was about me, like millions of others, wanting to provide a better world for my daughter and believing I had the power to make that happen. The man who made me believe in that power was Barack Obama. Barack Obama inspired me, a white 28 year old, raised in the reddest parts of North Mississippi and living in one of the reddest parts of North Texas that I could go out and make a difference in this campaign and, by extension, the world, and that nothing I did was ever an act of futility.
You see, Obama won because he gave ownership of this campaign to the people making calls from home, writing letters to the editor, donating $5 or $10 when they could spare it, organizing voter registration drives, and hitting the streets on foot. Sarah Palin mocked Obama’s ability to make “dramatic speeches before devoted followers”, but it was this ability to inspire and mobilize millions of us ‘devoted followers’ that lead firmly to a victory on November 5. Think about this for a minute: Obama’s supporters in Texas were responsible for over 1 million phone calls to swing states on Election Day alone. McCain and Palin could never inspire that sort of devotion.
It was this belief that any individual can achieve great things along with Obama’s desire to find common ground with everyone no matter your personal politics or beliefs (How many times did you hear him malign people into groups or use labels or even say “the conservatives” or “the Republicans”? You’ll be hard pressed) that lead to our success last Tuesday. I do say ‘our’ success because I take a certain amount of pride in the idea that it might have been one of my recruits down in Florida that got out the vote in a crucial neighborhood or one of my phone calls to an undecided in Virginia that helped put that state into the blue column for the first time in 44 years. I take greater pride still in the idea that when my daughter, now 2, is old enough to understand what the President is and what the President does, that President will be President Barack Obama.
Now the campaign is (finally) over and I can use a broader collective ‘us’ to describe our victory because last Tuesday, America won. Not a Blue America. Not a Democratic America. The United States of America won last Tuesday. I believe in time, we will all see that.
To the McCain supporters, though our rhetoric got heated and ugly at various points throughout the past year, and it is with great lamentation that I myself sometimes embraced this ugliness, I always believed that for the great many of you, our goal was always congruent and it was only in the way to achieve that goal that we truly disagreed. I say to you now, we must work together to move this country forward and I look forward to working with you. We are all Americans first, partisans last. The times are too critical to continue in the divisive exchanges of the past.
Now, let’s go fix our country.
Rodney A Hopper II
Free Obama Victory Sticker
The folks over at MoveOn.org are giving away free Obama Victory stickers, designed by Shepard Farley, the guy that did the famous Obama “HOPE” picture.
To get your free sticker (free shipping too!), simply click here:
http://pol.moveon.org/shepstickers?id=15066-10871207-WSN8ESx&t=5
Decisions, Decisions
With Obama’s election, the focus of this site will shift from election coverage to … I dunno.
I have some personal decisions to make, including the future of RodneyHopper.com.
Should I continue with political coverage? Shift to weekly commentary? Focus on local candidates?
Email me at rodney@rodneyhopper.com with your suggestions.
Remember also, we’re not done yet. To really press forward our mandate for change, we need to get as many Senators as possible on our side of the aisle. While we can’t do anything about Franken in MN and Begich in AK, we have a real shot at bringing Georgia back to the good guys.
We can do that by helping Jim Martin with his December 2 run off against perennial slimeball Sen. Saxby Chambliss. I invite everyone who can spare a few minutes to make phone calls or have any extra dough to spare, sign up to volunteer on Jim Martin’s website.
http://www.martinforsenate.com/
Let’s keep moving forward folks. We already changed America, Georgia should be easy. Brighter days are ahead.
