You're elected

Now that it's post-Watergate California for just a moment, with the state's youngest ever governor once more returned as its oldest and latest, I took a moment with his campaign page. The tone of state issues and approaches would become the background for the local issues I observe as they pass through Representative Davis here in San Diego, and like a real citizen, I get involved with what is going on in my city, and not just my own rich inner life dwelling in its center but living in its margins.

http://www.jerrybrown.org/solutions

Why is Michael Bennett in Colorado beating his opponent Ken Buck by two points among polled independents? Is there more going on, after the confusion over the Boulder, CO ballots, or will the most expensive race in state history bring us a Senator-elect later today?

I am not going to go deep into regurgitating the estimations of the pundits who shared my night. In cases where my opinion's almost entire based on what I overheard, it's worth saying that my attitude may well be set, but have I checked all these campaign webpages and compared all these records? That has not occurred to me to be my business, as I must moderate all my curious impulses in relation to the time I have to get inspirations and then, when the time is right, act upon them.


But I did watch the speeches tonight. I really didn't want to hear Joe Sestak's smiling speech, though I knew he had his vision set further into the future than this defeat, as he damn near pulled out an upset of Pat Toomey. Who knows who has the best policies? The drama for saving America through the power of representative democracy can just as easily be told from might hastily be called "the other side." Of course you'll fight on principles without pragmatism, if you crowd everything you don't understand and can't stand into the place of the numerous people you don't know, who exist more or less as Platonic forms of ideas you really despise or even find troublesome.

I never heard, before Sharron Angle tonight, nor thought about, a candidate praising 80% outside money from across the nation in her campaign donations. Aside from whether it came from small donors, and was their substance---well, it defies the cliche, all politics are local, doesn't it? Harry Reid surprised damn near everyone winning in Nevada. The Wild Alaska Race is led by "WRITE-IN VOTES" in the one state I know of that doesn't open the write-ins "unless they're relevant to results." Looks like the first write-in success since 1954---practically since the Giant won their last World Series, till this year!



I really intend to be brief, as this is not becoming a full-time political blog...I know me, it would be interesting, but I'd require myself to get out of the house as much as possible, because otherwise too much time online will make you a hermit! There are worse things, and hermitage, like politics, is also, what you make of it. Believe me, I grew up--weird! ---in the part of Shannon Georgia referred to by its residence as "the Hermitage." Now, my friend with the birthday right after mine by one day( preceding me by a year!) also lives in "the Hermitage;" that's the name of the road to his house, Bamunu Gedara. Come to think of that, I would love to present his poem he began co-writing with me, so I'll bring you more than the two stanzas I know he had before going offline and running his busy family business. It felt right for him to write something as magnificent as possible, as he has just lost his wonderful older generation ally this week. Having a mentor pass away is profound to the sensitive soul, who then tries to pass something of that person along to the world. In his country, my friend's older friend was a leader in his day, too.



We are becoming the leaders, we are becoming the embodiment of what this society made of individuals is all about. No big deal, it happens every generation---but don't you feel sometimes like you simply need to make the most of your time? Those who decide, lead. Decisions are the cumulation of your consciousness, the break through point of size you may yet not foresee in the entirety of its consequences. You are living through the edge of the next Great Depression, and I live in a state with about 12% straight unemployment that's emptying of anyone who can afford to move and has another prospect. That's why I gave Jerry Brown's page a chance: I want to think about where adults believe they can go with the woeful inequities that make it that much harder for my professional endeavors to succeed---and while material possessions are not the only net result of the pursuit of happiness, the intentions you take into the world will determine your enjoyment, appreciation, and capacity to learn from and improve upon this way of life--- your own way of life.


Barbara Boxer has a lot of personality, and I don't know of any issues where I know we disagree. So long as she seriously understands "nothing must be done to harm the children," then good luck, we're far apart on the same side, which is where we should be.

Marco Rubio has been on his way to overcoming independent-running Governor Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meeks, in a big Florida stand for the Republicans. But this morning rises on a hot contest there for the new governor. The election's not been called by anyone as of 6:15 am Pacific.

And how do I feel about the Republicans gaining the House? Oh, I feel great about that. Why can I assume they don't need a voice? Did the Democrats not fight hard enough for their policies, were they too far ahead of their time and not in synch with a quick return to jobs and credit? Let's face it, whatever bill the House came up with, a Democratic House couldn't write a bill that would survive the filibustering Senate---which none the less bore the wrath of both where they did their job and where they did not.

What a mistake I'd be making not to mention Rand Paul. I do not think you have to like or dislike the man's politics to understand one thing: he has a sincere message about out of control spending ---and his election also conveys this: personal attacks on one's faith are not the province of even the sleaziest season of advertising.

The Republicans will bring more adversity the President's way, but over the next few months I hope some cooperation breaks out. If it were all flowing from MY heart, they'd really care about helping each other succeed in helping people regardless of political affiliation, but then you have the basic idea that government can help people and the idea that government best leave people alone, and those two are presented as polarized, despite the creative hybrids that could arise with a very different and less greedy perspective coming from the business community.

A lot of things really shouldn't require government to foot the whole bill to get things done, nor be managed or supervised beyond inspection codes and permits, for the sake of accountability. Any kind of power can be used for good or ill, and as you find in business, you will have to compete at critical times to stay viable. When your government is set in competition with other nations, you can say in that aspect it is being run like a business. But government or business, there is a need for cooperation to produce results. So the question is: who's inside?



If you want to find the real leader who takes on relevant challenges, the vote truly lies with you.
You're elected.

P.S. Yes, I know we're still and always for my lifetime will be post-Watergate; I'm just struck by living here during this bookend to a governor career in its primaries while I was in my nursery, and I wonder what might be born next.

Drawings/ doodles by Marc Kane

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