FIRST-DRAFT AND ALL OVER THE BOARD: So yesterday I voted FOR our likely corrupt incumbent Dem governor, given that his opponent seemed slow-witted, equally corrupt, and just plain annoying. I voted AGAINST our incumbent Dem representative, just because of all the smug comments I've heard attributed to him, not to mention the fact that the guy keeps building bigger and bigger houses in our neighborhood as he earns his nominal salary as a public servant. (He won easily anyway.) I voted AGAINST the Dem running for Cook County Board president on little more than his father's name and corrupt legacy. (He won anyway, proving you can't beat the machine in Chicago.)
A little more about our congressman...the guy now lives in a roughly $1.5 to $2 million dollar home 'round the corner from us. His bootstrap story seems to preclude him coming from money. And yet he continues to be mentioned as owning significant real estate around our every gentrifying neighborhood, all the while complaining to a reliable fried of mine about all the "yuppies" moving in. Perhaps because he's Hispanic he thinks he's excluded from that category? Where is this guy getting all his big bucks, one wonders? He's not the only local politician who seems to have had unbelievable luck in real-estate "investments" over the years. (Not so long ago it was revealed that he was only paying a few hundred bucks a year in property taxes while the rest of us yuppies have been kicking in nearly $10K/year. Go figure.)
More randomness...
Don't really like anything I've seen of Pelosi. Talk about smug and self-important. Do like Barack Obama, thus far, so I hope his public presence continues to overwhelm hers, on the Dem side of the aisle. Not a Hastert fan either, so glad we'll see less of him.
Alright...time to for for a morning walk out here in Bellevue, WA. The sun is peaking through the fog, and there are more trees here than I've seen in ages.
11.08.2006
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7 comments:
I understand what you mean about Pelosi coming across as smug and self-important. My question is this: What successful female politician does not give off that impression? I think it's something in our society where (1) female pols feel compelled to act that way; and (2)the public is rubbed the wrong way where they might not be with male pols - e.g., Bush, Delay, Cheney, Schumer, Rahm, Leahy, etc. are all smug/self-important, but are rarely chastised for it.
Note that I included an equal number of Republicans and Democrats in my list of smug male politicians. I don't think this is a partisan issue. Pelosi, Hilary on the Democratic side... Hutchison, Harris on the Republican side... they all come off the same way. The only possible exceptions are the ladies from Maine (Senators Snowe and Collins) who manage to exude a sense of detachment and mellowness probably only viable in such a low-key state.
I think it's our problem as a society more than it is theirs.
Interesting article on Obama and his home purchase in latest Craines. It's funny how if you're not in politics and your buddy gets you Cubs tickets or money off a new car it's not a big deal. When you're in politics, you're supposed to pay ticket price for everything.
link here.
I know what you mean, Ike. I've been impressed with the public carriage of at least two major female pols: Governor Granholm of Michigan (a Dem) and former Governor of New Jersey, Christie Todd Whitman (a Republican, and a total star when she's on Bill Maher's show). I don't like smug, no matter what package it comes in, and Gutierrez (our congressman) and this Rahm Emmanuel both have ample quantities of it.
Casey, had heard of that episode but had not read the whole story like that. Wow, stinky.
I see that Whitman is considering a presidential run in '08. I'd take her over Billary any day, fwiw.
I forgot about Whitman. She's definitely the exception to the rule. I've heard her speak a number of times and am definitely impressed.
Don't know much about Granholm.
I think you forgot about Liddy Dole, smart, but never smug or obnoxious. Granholm is definitely a sharp cookie, and rarely is she smug and obnoxious. She and her husband are people to be admired, 'though I don't care for her politics. She was very impressive when she came to actually work on building a house on the Habitat Build 3 years ago. However, during one of tis year's debates she acted badly, didn't hurt her, but I thought it was out of character.
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