More Adventures with my Formerly-Republican Uncle: Discussing "Progress" in the US

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Wednesday October 22, 2008 · 3:45 PM PDT

2008/10/22 · 15:45

When I first shared my chronicle of email interactions with my conservative uncle spanning about nine months and leading to the revelation a few weeks ago that he will be voting for Barack Obama, it warmed my heart to see that folks actually used my story as inspiration to talk to conservative loved ones about which candidate truly represent their values.

I have to honestly say, as much as I was triumphantly shocked about my Uncle's abandonment of the dark side, I was a little cynical about whether or not it would stick. But recent email correspondence has brought new hope to my jaded little Democratic heart.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Friday October 10, 2008 · 9:19 AM PDT

2008/10/10 · 09:19

My uncle is a conservative dentist in Chicago. He never shared in the Chicago pride with my parents and I over the rise of our beloved Senator to the rank of front-runner for arguably the most powerful position in the world. In fact, this was a guy that I distinctly remember peering upon my newly-acquired nose ring as I sat in his dentist's chair, home on a break from college, and sneering, "I'm gonna rip that thing right off of your face, you tree hugger." (That should come off more tongue-in-cheek and lighthearted than it reads - he's actually a very nice man.)

So, for a few months now, my uncle and I have been engaged in an electronic war of words (and forwarded partisan propaganda). I'd like to share the story arc of correspondence that has occurred between us, starting way back in June and ending with the bombshell I received from him yesterday afternoon.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Wednesday October 08, 2008 · 9:01 AM PDT

2008/10/08 · 09:01

Last night, I received an email from my boyfriend's younger, college-age brother, and, after I picked myself up off the floor from laughing, I realized that this absolutely needed to be shared far and wide. The email contained his own synopsis of the debate last night, which I found to be hilarious, shrewd and poignant all at the same time, for multiple reasons:

here is a kid whom I have never known to be particularly political, able to, in one fell swoop, see through all the campaign-spin BS and read the subtext of what the candidates say their policies will actually be,

it speaks to how the circus-like nature of this campaign season, combined with the recent financial crisis is getting more youth engaged in the election, and

it shows how the roles these candidates have been playing this election season fit into literary archetypal roles that could seriously be the basis of a superhero movie- McCain as the aged, glory-seeking villain fallen from grace, and Obama as the virtuous underdog earning his glory through sheer virtuosity and grace.

Oh, also, it's effing hilarious.

Update: Sam sent me some additional text on the whole nuclear (say it with me - NU-CLEE-AR - bit- inserted below.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Monday September 29, 2008 · 9:37 AM PDT

2008/09/29 · 09:37

2004 was the first year I was of age to vote in a presidential election. It was my sophomore year at Colorado College, a notoriously liberal private college nestled in the picturesque Pikes Peak region of Colorado.

However, around election time especially, life surrounding the CC community was not as idyllic as it may seem. CC is located in Colorado Springs, which some may recognize as:

a.) the headquarters of the anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-sex evangelical propaganda machine, Focus on the Family

b.) home of the anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-sex mega church, Newlife Church, which served as a backdrop to Pastor Ted Haggard’s political downfall

c.) a city so rife with right-wing conservatism it earned the nickname "The Evangelical Vatican."

So you can imagine the kind of relationship that Colorado College had with its host city.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Sunday September 14, 2008 · 5:45 PM PDT

2008/09/14 · 17:45

Nine weeks until the election, and still, the Obama camp is experiencing the "M" tag as the hardest to shake. It's the most simply misunderstood fact about Barack Obama, the easiest to debunk, and yet many anti-Obamans cling to it like their lives were dependent on it.

This is partly due to the fact that saying Barack Obama is a Muslim is just a euphemism for thinking something even worse.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Friday September 05, 2008 · 9:34 AM PDT

2008/09/05 · 09:34

Remember back when stories of John McCain's misogyny and chauvinism toward his wife (hint: there was a specific word used) surfaced, stirring questions about that alleged contemptuous streak of his which may or may not have the utmost respect for women?

I just have to wonder how accurate those concerns were, given that his completely transparent tactic of choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate with the hopes of snatching up wayward, disillusioned Hillary Clinton supporters. I can't imagine that McCain would think women are all that smart if he thinks we would gaze upon a person with the same anatomical makeup but without a single regard for women's issues, and think "potato, po-tot-o."

NeverStopTheProgress

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Tuesday September 02, 2008 · 12:19 PM PDT

2008/09/02 · 12:19

Who has the Bush administration hired to make sure our voting rights aren't violated on Election Day?

Meet Hans Von Spakovsky, a key player in the right-wing vote-suppression agenda.

When he was supposed to be ensuring the voting rights of minorities as a member of the voting rights section at the Justice Department, Spakovsky instead used his position to promote voter ID laws. When Republican officials were accused of discriminating against Native American voters, he allegedly hindered the investigation. When it came time to interpret the Help America Vote Act, he opted for a policy that would "keep eligible citizens off the voting rolls for typos and other mistakes by election officials."

NeverStopTheProgress

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Friday August 29, 2008 · 9:38 AM PDT

2008/08/29 · 09:38

"If folks were expecting any drama tonight, they'll just have to make due with the uplifting kind." Such was the bottom line of David Goldstein's blog for HorsesAss.org, entitled "A Stunning Lack of Disunity." I ran into David here at the Big Tent (the DNC mecca for new media journalists, bloggers, reporters, and non-profit leaders - erected here in Progressive Future's parking lot), and thus launched into a discussion of the disparity between the media's playing up the contention between the Obama and Clinton camps, and the actual on-the-ground unity within the Democratic Party.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Wednesday August 27, 2008 · 3:24 PM PDT

2008/08/27 · 15:24

"If folks were expecting any drama tonight, they’ll just have to make due with the uplifting kind." Such was the bottom line of David Goldstein's blog for HorsesAss.org, entitled "A Stunning Lack of Disunity." I ran into David here at the Big Tent (the DNC mecca for new media journalists, bloggers, reporters, and non-profit leaders – erected here in Progressive Future's parking lot), and thus launched into a discussion of the disparity between the media's playing up the contention between the Obama and Clinton camps, and the actual on-the-ground unity within the Democratic Party.

NeverStopTheProgress

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Tuesday August 26, 2008 · 8:04 PM PDT

2008/08/26 · 20:04

To set the context for this blog, let me just start by explaining that there is currently an 8,000 square-foot, two story structure in my office building's parking lot, which is known as the Big Tent. The Big Tent is the place to be for new media journalists, bloggers, reporters, and non-profit leaders covering the Democratic National Convention. One of the great things about the Big Tent is the immense lineup of panels on the second floor throughout the four days of the convention. (Another great thing is the free beer garden provided by New Belgium Brewery).

This morning, I attended a panel on Net Neutrality. As a blogger, my interests in this issue are probably quite obvious, but the bigger picture of what I walked away with is how the real stakeholders in this are all people who live in the United States and are appreciative of our country's commitment to democracy. Panelist Adam Stoller, of OpenLeft summed up the importance of this issue:

"This isn't a story about technology – this is a story about democracy."

NeverStopTheProgress

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Monday August 25, 2008 · 9:06 AM PDT

2008/08/25 · 09:06

Well, I'm here at the Big Tent for the DNC, and the buzz on everybody's lips is the recent announcement of Joe Biden as Obama's running mate. So far, the folks that are hyped about Obama's choice agree that Biden represents a balance of progressive ideals for Obama: he brings a complimentary platform to the table while filling out gaps in support base and experience.

Which makes me wonder about the thought process going on in McCain's camp as he narrows in on a running mate....

NeverStopTheProgress

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Friday August 22, 2008 · 3:28 PM PDT

2008/08/22 · 15:28

Last November, Michael Mukasey stood in the Justice Department's Great Hall as he was sworn in as the new US Attorney General. Having been given the first opportunity to speak publicly to his staff, Mukasey said:

"We do law, but the result is justice. And that is why our ultimate client - the people of this country - can and do rest secure in the knowledge that our unswerving allegiance is to the law and the Constitution, and that the result of faithful performance of our duty is justice."

My, how time reveals the true nature of people; we've now all come to recognize Mukasey as the disappointment who refused to come out against waterboarding, squelching our hopes for a firm protector of the Constitution.

And it seems he's on a roll.

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