| This is the week that "they" post the "10 best" lists and the "moments we remember" lists and the "in memoriam" lists. I've seen some of them, but they don't seem final. As if there needs to be just a few more days to do what needs to be done this year. By hey, I'll play, let's take a look back. For me personally, the high point was going to the Democratic National Convention. With a press pass. I'd say it was a once in a lifetime thrill, but I plan on going back in 2016. You should start planning, too. The convention crystallized a lot of what the Democratic Party **IS**. When I was a kid, my dad had this joke that was about the differences between various religions, with their leaders discussing "what is heaven?". If we move the joke over, "Democratic heaven" is filled with loud voices, and lots of colours, and tons of people running around, and all sorts of food. "Republican heaven" is wide, tree-lined streets, perfectly manicured lawns, gorgeous houses...the "Democratic leader" asks "But the people? What about the people?" The reply is "There aren't any people."  Think about it - the RNC threw a gathering that was quiet, subdued, and as Clint Eastwood showed us, they couldn't even fill all the chairs. But we could. In the arena, the Convention Center, all the bars and restaurants. And a couple months later, again the White House.
This was the year that the grassroots made a rebound. A billion dollars, about half of which was dark money, was spent on Mitt Romney's campaign, and we beat them not so much with money, but with boots on the ground. It is a beacon of what we can do if we try hard enough going forward. If we hold it together, we get the House back, and with that, the legislative ability to finish what we started. This was the year that we saw the complete implosion of the remnants of the Republican Party. The Party of Lincoln (who it turns out was gay, which means he couldn't be a Republican in 2012.) That will all come home to roost during the Inaugural Address and the State of the Union when our president points out to America what their Republican House members did to destroy the economy of the US. If we're really lucky, he'll also point out that these people want to see the country completely destroyed on all levels. He may point out that the funding branch of that party doesn't even want a dime spent on Sandy relief. This was the year we saw cognitive dissonance hit about 98% of the 47% of the Americans who voted for Mittens. And about 10% of the people who voted for Republican Congressmen. These are people who listened to, as Jon Stewart calls them, Bullsh**t Mountain News. Surveys pointed out that people who watch Fox actually know LESS about current events then people who don't read/watch any news source. I must say, though, that watching Karl Rove meltdown on Election night, and then having him and Dick Morris banned was a lot of fun. This was the year of Senate women, and that's not over yet. There are now 20 women in the US Senate for the first time ever, and there may be another to replace Senator Inouye...and early next year who knows who will fill John Kerry's seat. And seriously, they need a bigger bathroom... This was the year that it became obvious that the Republicans at the state and national level want there to be complete nationwide government control of uteri. It started anew a couple days after the election with renewed vigor in Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas and Georgia. That seems unfinished, in that we need to fight to get our uteri back under our control. My in memoriam goes to the little polling widget. For the past 4 years, I've been using it, and the company that owned it killed it off. I'm looking for a new one, and hope to have polls up again in January. The ones I've found so far are not compatible with our platform. So those are the big ones for me...there are still a few days left before we drive over the fiscal curb, so there will be more government at a time that is usually quiet. Please use the comments to present your thoughts on 2012. |
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