Category Archives: Electoral Politics

(Un)Free for All

1/19/2012 – 3:56 pm

I’m on Rick Santorum’s side – in a narrow, limited sense.  The former senator from Pennsylvania is not my kind of politician.  There may be a few issues on which we agree, but I’m not inclined to seek them out.
That said, Mr. Santorum meets the qualifications to run for president of the United States.  He’s [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Screaming to Get Out

1/12/2012 – 4:36 pm

I’m starting to believe there’s a decent man inside Mitt Romney, screaming to get out.  To my mind that’s the most logical explanation for Tuesday’s famous gaffe and several others.
In a speech Tuesday, Mr. Romney said, “I like being able to fire people who provide services to me.”  The context, which is important, was health [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Daddy Issues

12/15/2011 – 6:59 pm

Whatever happened to Leslie King, Jr?
He grew up to be president of the United States, but we know him as Gerald R. Ford, Jr.  Mr. Ford’s mother left his father (who was said to be abusive) 16 days after little Leslie’s birth.  Two years later, she married Gerald Ford, Sr. and though the future president [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Still America

11/17/2011 – 1:53 pm

The teenaged girl did not want to attend the Democratic mayoral caucus with me, but I didn’t give her a choice.
Burlington will hold a mayoral election the first Tuesday of March, town meeting day.  Four candidates put themselves forward for the Democratic nomination.  Vermont caucuses and primaries are open to all registered voters in a [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Civil Liberty, Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

One Year Out

11/3/2011 – 3:33 pm

The presidential election is one year away.  What are we talking about?  Is Herman Cain a heinie-pincher?  Was Rick Perry drunk at the podium in New Hampshire?  Can Barack Obama win re-election?  For the answer to number three, see questions one and two.
Just like global warming, we’re getting used to this crap and we don’t [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

What the Left Hand is Doing

9/29/2011 – 2:55 pm

Cognitive dissonance is name given to the discomfort caused by trying to simultaneously hold two conflicting ideas.  Policy dissonance might be the name applied when two conflicting ideas are the basis for government action.
An example: Texas is still in the worst single-year drought in its history and the hottest summer in Texas history just ended [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Commentary, Energy, Global Warming | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Cowards, Every One of Them

9/23/2011 – 9:00 am

A week ago, I asked how bad political discourse can get in this country.   Discouraged as I was, I hadn’t seen this coming.  Perhaps – despite everything my family and friends tell me – I’m too optimistic.
Last week, Republicans who hope to be president stood silently by as their constituents cheered for the notion [...]

By floegel | Also posted in Asides, Civil Liberty | Tagged , , | Comments (0)