Monday, December 31, 2012
A look back: 2012 presidential campaign
If you're like me, you revel in the cornucopia of strange goings-on in the 2012 presidential election cycle. You know, the kinds of things Mitt Romney says during one of his uncomfortably awkward sit-downs with ordinary Americans ("Corporations are people, my friend.") So here is a salute to the goofy, inarticulate or inept words from politicians' mouths--some of which ultimately caused their electoral downfall.
Mitt Romney: the 47 percent
A lot of voters were unsure about Mitt Romney. After all he was rich. He was awkward on the stump. He seemed unable to connect with the average person. Romney could have overcome all of that. Until he spoke to a gathering of his campaign contributors. His speech as secretly taped by someone--to this day, no one knows who. But that tape probably sealed the doom of the Romney campaign. The perception that he was Not One of Us was set in concrete.
More of Mitt
Mitt Romney had a way with words. An odd way. A bizarre way. Here are a few choice phrases than endeared him to everyone who rooted for President Obama:
No Mexican gardeners need apply: "I'm running for office, for Pete’s sake, I can’t have illegals." (Said during a Republican debate in October 2011.)
On joblessness: "I should tell my story. I'm also unemployed. … I'm networking. I have my sight on a particular job." (During one of those awkward moments to endear himself to Real Americans, some of whom actually had no jobs.)
On the poor: "I'm not concerned about the very poor. … We have a safety net there. If it needs a repair, I'll fix it."
Again, trying to appeal to the common man: "I have some friends who are NASCAR owners." (When asked whether he follows NASCAR, a requisite for Southern Republicans.)
And for the football fans: "I've got a lot of good friends--the owner of the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets--both owners are friends of mine."
He's a betting man: "I'll tell you what. Ten thousand bucks? Ten-thousnd-dollar bet?" (Romney offering to bet Rick Perry in a debate over Mitt's role in Romneycare.)
So conservative am I: "I was a severely conservative Republican governor."
On baked goods: "I'm not sure about these cookies … They came from the local 7/11 bakery or whatever." (Tasting cookies after a campaign stop that included a trip to a mom-and-pop Pittsburgh bakery.)
On Harvard: "We have a president who, I think, is a nice guy, but he spent too much time at Harvard, perhaps." (Romney has two Harvard degrees.)
Huh?: I'm not familiar precisely with what I said, but I'll stand by what I said, whatever it was."
On how much he likes American cars (except for that part about letting GM go bankrupt): "I drive a Mustang and a Chevy pickup truck. Ann drives a couple of Cadillacs, actually. And I used to have a Dodge truck. So I used to have all three covered."
The home touch: "This feels good, being back in Michigan … You know, the trees are the right height."
'Oops'
Texas Governor Rick Perry was supposed to be the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination when he entered the campaign. As they say in Texas, he was all hat and no cattle. Here is Perry explaining how he would reduce the federal bureaucracy.
College is for snobs
For a brief moment after the Iowa caucuses, it appeared that Rick Santorum might have a shot at grabbing the Republican nomination away from Mitt Romney. That prospect lasted only a couple of weeks. Santorum has some rather strange ideas about how the world operates. Here is one of those ideas:
Some of Santorum's other gems:
On why same-sex marriage is wrong: "Marriage is what marriage is … It's like going out an saying, 'That tree is a car.' Well, it's not a care. A tree's a tree. Marriage is marriage." Santorum also compared same-sex marriage to a napkin, not a paper towel; to water, not beer; and to tea, not basketball.
Santorum also volunteered that fellow Catholic John Kennedy's respect for the separation of Church and State was so strong as to "make you throw up." Santorum quickly apologized for that statement, but by then the damage was done.
Some of Santorum's other gems:
On why same-sex marriage is wrong: "Marriage is what marriage is … It's like going out an saying, 'That tree is a car.' Well, it's not a care. A tree's a tree. Marriage is marriage." Santorum also compared same-sex marriage to a napkin, not a paper towel; to water, not beer; and to tea, not basketball.
Santorum also volunteered that fellow Catholic John Kennedy's respect for the separation of Church and State was so strong as to "make you throw up." Santorum quickly apologized for that statement, but by then the damage was done.
Lunar Gingrich
Earth to Newt. Come in, Newt.
Newt was riding high the moment he announced his candidacy in 2011. Within weeks, he crashed and burned with a remark that strayed from the Republican orthodoxy. The phoenix reappeared in early 2012, winning the South Carolina primary. He crashed and burned a second time a few weeks later, trying to appeal to voters in Florida's Space Coast that he would be an ideal choice for the White House.
Newt was riding high the moment he announced his candidacy in 2011. Within weeks, he crashed and burned with a remark that strayed from the Republican orthodoxy. The phoenix reappeared in early 2012, winning the South Carolina primary. He crashed and burned a second time a few weeks later, trying to appeal to voters in Florida's Space Coast that he would be an ideal choice for the White House.
'I am America'
What clip of the 2012 presidential contest could be complete without the antics of Herman Cain? He entered the race to get exposure for his gigs as a motivational speaker on the lecture circuit. He accidentally became a serious contender for the Republican nomination. At least for a few minutes. Something to do with adultery. Here is his classic campaign commercial.
Voter ID = voter suppression
Throughout 2012, Republican legislators did their damnedest to require voters to present ID at the polls, to reduce polling hours or to close polling stations. Voter suppression? Oh, no, they assured everyone. All this was in the interest of preventing vote fraud. It was nice to catch one these Republicans in a moment of candor. Here is Pennsylvania's state House Majority Leader in a speech at the Republican State Committee on June 23, 2012, shortly after the state Legislature passed a stringent photo ID law.
Turzai's plan never came to pass. The state Supreme Court set aside the law for the 2012 election, and voters by a large margin chose Barack Obama over Mitt Romney.
Turzai's plan never came to pass. The state Supreme Court set aside the law for the 2012 election, and voters by a large margin chose Barack Obama over Mitt Romney.
'Please proceed, governor'
At times, Mitt Romney seemed to be living in the alternative universe that is Fox News. Only there could someone condemn President Obama for not identifying the shooting of the U.S. ambassador in Libya as terrorism.
The images of the 2012 campaign
The Donald. The fool's idiot of 2012.
Newt Gingrich, the gift that keeps on giving. He's back as political commentator.
Ham Rove, the stand-in for Karl Rove. Stephen Colbert used the caricature to explain, in the easiest and strongest terms, what was wrong with America's campaign finance system.
2012: Kudos to Nate Silver
No wrap-up of the 2012 presidential campaign would be complete without a tribute to Nate Silver of FiveThirtySeven.com. All year, the statistician had been sifting through polling data, applying it to his own statistical model and calmly explaining, to the disgust of Fox News, why President Obama would re-election.
Silver's confidence was unmatched. Well before Election Day, Silver was forecasting that Obama was an odds-on favorite, even in the wake of the president's poor performance in his initial debate with Mitt Romney. And even as the race seemingly tightened toward Election Day, Silver was forecasting that Obama stood a 90 percent chance of being re-elected. His forecast correctly called Obama's win in each of 50 states. In the 2008 presidential election, he correctly called 49 states, missing only Indiana, which had not gone Republican since 1964.
Fox and the Republicans howled about his forecasts. Even political pundits on the left said he had gone too far out on a limb with his 2012 forecasts. He rejected the idea that he was biased in favor of Obama and the Democrats. Indeed, in the 2010 mid-term elections, all three Senate seats that Silver misdiagnosed were won by Democrats, not Republicans as he had forecast.
Silver says his "most important distinguishing characteristic" is that he is open-minded. That quality, he adds, is probably encouraged by the fact that he is gay. That open-mindedness makes him skeptical even of parts of the gay culture, he told OUT magazine in its December 18 profile of him.
OUT tells of Silver noticing a series of memorials in Chicago's Boystown to various gay Americans such as Keith Haring. "I was like, Why isn’t he just an American artist? I don’t want to be Nate Silver, gay statistician, any more than I want to be known as a white, half-Jewish statistician who lives in New York," he told the magazine.
Silver says he considers himself "kind of sexually gay but ethnically straight." Until recently he had a boyfriend; they separated but remain close.
So here's to Nate Silver: the nation's premier analyst of election data, a superb statistician and sabermetrician, and a writer and author. Oh, and by the way, he happens to be gay.
Fox and the Republicans howled about his forecasts. Even political pundits on the left said he had gone too far out on a limb with his 2012 forecasts. He rejected the idea that he was biased in favor of Obama and the Democrats. Indeed, in the 2010 mid-term elections, all three Senate seats that Silver misdiagnosed were won by Democrats, not Republicans as he had forecast.
Silver says his "most important distinguishing characteristic" is that he is open-minded. That quality, he adds, is probably encouraged by the fact that he is gay. That open-mindedness makes him skeptical even of parts of the gay culture, he told OUT magazine in its December 18 profile of him.
OUT tells of Silver noticing a series of memorials in Chicago's Boystown to various gay Americans such as Keith Haring. "I was like, Why isn’t he just an American artist? I don’t want to be Nate Silver, gay statistician, any more than I want to be known as a white, half-Jewish statistician who lives in New York," he told the magazine.
Silver says he considers himself "kind of sexually gay but ethnically straight." Until recently he had a boyfriend; they separated but remain close.
So here's to Nate Silver: the nation's premier analyst of election data, a superb statistician and sabermetrician, and a writer and author. Oh, and by the way, he happens to be gay.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
2012: Big gains for same-sex marriage
This year was a turning point in efforts to achieve marriage equality. For the first time, voters on Election Day agreed to allow same-sex marriage. Not once. Not twice. Three times! In all three states where the issue was on the ballot, marriage equality won. Same-sex couples are now being wed in Maine and Washington State. Maryland's referendum will take effect on New Year's Day.
Nine states (New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa, Maine, Washington State and Maryland) and the District of Columbia give same-sex couples the right to marry.
In yet another landmark, Minnesota on Election Day became the first state in the nation to reject a proposal to ban same-sex relationships through a constitutional amendment. The state still retains a law prohibiting marriage equality, but a constitutional amendment would have enshrined that ban permanently.
"This is a real sea change moment," Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson told The Huffington Post. "This is a real national moment. It shows America is ready for the mainstreaming of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."
Before November's victories, opponents of marriage equality had a 32-state winning streak to block same-sex unions or to write marriage prohibitions into state constitutions. One of their triumphs, California's Proposition 8, is now before the U.S. Supreme Court (for details, see the December 9, 2012, post).
Nine other states offer broad protections short of marriage. Illinois, Hawaii, Delaware, Rhode Island and New Jersey allow civil union. California, Oregon and Nevada allow broad domestic partnership. Two other states--Colorado and Wisconsin--have a limited form of domestic partnership. New Jersey's governor vetoed a marriage law earlier this year, but work is underway to override the veto.
On the national scene, President Obama refused to support the federal Defense of Marriage Act in challenge of the law now before the Supreme Court. Republicans in the House of Representatives stepped in to take on the case, but there remains a question of whether they lack the standing to sue on the law's behalf.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide the California ban and DOMA by June 30, 2013.
Nine states (New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Iowa, Maine, Washington State and Maryland) and the District of Columbia give same-sex couples the right to marry.
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| Jamous Lizzotte, left, and Steven Jones became the first gay couple to wed when Maine's marriage equality law took effect Friday |
"This is a real sea change moment," Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson told The Huffington Post. "This is a real national moment. It shows America is ready for the mainstreaming of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people."
Before November's victories, opponents of marriage equality had a 32-state winning streak to block same-sex unions or to write marriage prohibitions into state constitutions. One of their triumphs, California's Proposition 8, is now before the U.S. Supreme Court (for details, see the December 9, 2012, post).
Nine other states offer broad protections short of marriage. Illinois, Hawaii, Delaware, Rhode Island and New Jersey allow civil union. California, Oregon and Nevada allow broad domestic partnership. Two other states--Colorado and Wisconsin--have a limited form of domestic partnership. New Jersey's governor vetoed a marriage law earlier this year, but work is underway to override the veto.
On the national scene, President Obama refused to support the federal Defense of Marriage Act in challenge of the law now before the Supreme Court. Republicans in the House of Representatives stepped in to take on the case, but there remains a question of whether they lack the standing to sue on the law's behalf.
The Supreme Court is expected to decide the California ban and DOMA by June 30, 2013.
More of us qualify for marriage rights
With the advances achieved at the ballot box this year, a record number of Americans live in states that recognize relationships between same-sex couples, according to Freedom to Marry.
Nearly 17% of the U.S. population lives in a state that either has the freedom to marry or honors out-of-state marriages of same-sex couples.
Nearly 39% of the U.S. population lives in a state with either marriage or broad legal status such as civil union or domestic partnership.
Over 42% of the U.S. population lives in a state that provides some form of protections for gay couples, such as adoption rights or hospital visitation.
2012: DADT is truly d-e-a-d
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| Homecoming: USMC Sgt. Brandon Morton and boyfriend Dalan Wells |
Senator John McCain and other Republicans insisted the sky would fall if gay men and lesbians were allowed to serve in the military (notwithstanding that many were already serving proudly). It's been one year since the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" took effect, and there is an increasing body of evidence--anecdotal and scientific--that demonstrates that there worries are misplaced.
A 2012 UCLA study, which included military professors from all U.S. service academies, found that ending the policy "has had no negative impact on overall military readiness or its component parts: unit cohesion, recruitment, retention, assaults, harassment or morale."
The study sought anti-gay advocacy groups to learn of any harm that has occurred, and wrote to more than 500 retired generals who signed a 2009 letter predicting that the repeal "would eventually break the All-Volunteer Force." But the interviews, and those of gay and straight service members, found no substantial concerns, even among those who remained opposed to openly gay service.
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| Homecoming: Petty Officer 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta and Petty Officer 3rd Class Citlalic Snell |
"Removing 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' in short, has enhanced bonding, trust, discipline, and the rule of law inside the military, by eliminating conditions that had bred suspicion and mistreatment," the study's co-author, Nathaniel Frank, told Slate. A full copy of his article is available here.
Of course, the study has not settled the matter, at least as Republicans in Congress are concerned. In the National Defense Authorization Act, which is awaiting final passage, Rep. Todd ("Legitimate Rape") Akin of Missouri succeeded in inserting an anti-gay "conscience clause" into the bill. It later was watered down, reaffirming the right of troops and chaplains to hold anti-gay views as long as they are not discriminating against LGB service members. Although Akin will no longer be around, others in the House are eager to take his place. One congressman, Buck McKeon of California, has vowed to continue the fight.
2012: Reality and madness
The shooting two weeks ago of 26 students and teachers at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, has rekindled efforts to introduce some sanity in the nation's gun laws. But not everyone likes sanity:
And of course, there is the National Rifle Association and its CEO, executive vice president and spokesman, "Crazy Wayne" LaPierre.
Says LaPierre: “If it’s crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy. I think the American people think it’s crazy not to do it. It’s the one thing that would keep people safe.”
And of course, there is the National Rifle Association and its CEO, executive vice president and spokesman, "Crazy Wayne" LaPierre.
Says LaPierre: “If it’s crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy. I think the American people think it’s crazy not to do it. It’s the one thing that would keep people safe.”
2012: Sandy Hook communities hit hard
We have no news to report lately on the damage that Hurricane Sandy caused to Sandy Hook and our beloved Gunnison Beach, but it's worth noting that communities in the vicinity of the peninsula are having their troubles two months after the storm has passed.
Sea Bright, the town on the barrier island just south of Sandy Hook, was ravaged during Hurricane Sandy, breaching protective dunes. Now, two days after Christmas, a nor'easter has battered the town again.
Sea Bright Mayor Dina Long told the Star-Ledger of Newark that nearly the whole town was flooded "from top to bottom. … It was worse than I expected."
Sea Bright, the town on the barrier island just south of Sandy Hook, was ravaged during Hurricane Sandy, breaching protective dunes. Now, two days after Christmas, a nor'easter has battered the town again.
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| Sea Bright after Hurricane Sandy came through |
The borough didn’t even need to evacuate because there were few people remaining in the wake of Sandy, Long told the newspaper. Only about 100 residents have returned because their utilities had been restored and their homes deemed safe to inhabit.
October's hurricane also ripped through Highlands, the last community on Route 36 before motorists reach Sandy Hook from the north. The marina was ruined, and boats were shoved ashore. In one instance, a boat crashed through a house. Recovery is slow. Along the streets, earth-moving equipment has been scooping up debris that used to be furniture and other personal belongings. The waste is then taken to landfills for disposal.
There is one bright note: The U.S. Senate has approved a $60.4 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Sandy and for states and federal agencies to rebuild public infrastructure such as roads. Senate Democrats beat back Republican efforts for a smaller aid package of $24 billion; the Republican said most of the items in the Democrats' plan weren't necessary or could wait until later.
The bill now faces an uncertain future in the House of Representatives.
Below are some of the scenes of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy along the upper New Jersey coast.
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Slate magazine In Highlands, a house was damaged when a boat smashed ashore. |
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ABC Channel 5 News A bucket loader picks up storm-ruined furniture and other debris in Highlands |
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Photographer unknown The iconic view of Seaside Heights' roller coaster, destroyed by Hurricane Sandy |
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NBC News An aerial view of Seaside Heights' collapsed boardwalk and amusement area |
Friday, December 28, 2012
Take a 'polar bear' plunge
At this time of year, usually from mid-December to early January, people dive into lakes, rivers or oceans. Freezing water. Icy water. They do this deliberately. Why? Mostly for fun. Sometimes for charity. Sometimes for physical health and vigor (that's especially true among Europeans). And a few do this naked.
The first club in the United States was founded in 1903. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club continues to this day (its main event is planned for New Year's Day). Other plunges occurred last January in places as disparate as Seattle; Boulder, Colorado; Jacksonport, Wisconsin; Indianapolis; Pittsburgh; and Brigantine, New Jersey. Even in Orlando and Sanibel in Florida. Whoa! What's that again? Florida is an ice-free zone. But everyone wants to get into the act. Orlando had its event in an indoor ice arena. Sanibel's plunge was December 12 in the "icy" Gulf of Mexico.
It is widely believed that cold-water swimming contributes to a better well-being: less stress, greater vigor, better mood and better memory. One study discounts the common notion that winter swimmers catch colds more; the researchers actually found that frigid water produces oxidative stress, which improves antioxidant protection against disease.
But Polar Bear Plunges aren't for everyone (and I'm not counting those such as me who think going into icy water is crazy). Anyone thinking of trying ice swimming should be certain that they have no underlying cardiac issues or blood pressure problems. Also, watch for hypothermia from exposure. Keep outer clothing on until it's time to take the plunge. And, no alcohol. Alcohol accelerates hypothermia. Have a towel to dry yourself off immediately.
No doubt these gentlemen have taken sufficient precautions and are ready, willing and able to take the plunge. Let's watch and enjoy.
The first club in the United States was founded in 1903. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club continues to this day (its main event is planned for New Year's Day). Other plunges occurred last January in places as disparate as Seattle; Boulder, Colorado; Jacksonport, Wisconsin; Indianapolis; Pittsburgh; and Brigantine, New Jersey. Even in Orlando and Sanibel in Florida. Whoa! What's that again? Florida is an ice-free zone. But everyone wants to get into the act. Orlando had its event in an indoor ice arena. Sanibel's plunge was December 12 in the "icy" Gulf of Mexico.
It is widely believed that cold-water swimming contributes to a better well-being: less stress, greater vigor, better mood and better memory. One study discounts the common notion that winter swimmers catch colds more; the researchers actually found that frigid water produces oxidative stress, which improves antioxidant protection against disease.
But Polar Bear Plunges aren't for everyone (and I'm not counting those such as me who think going into icy water is crazy). Anyone thinking of trying ice swimming should be certain that they have no underlying cardiac issues or blood pressure problems. Also, watch for hypothermia from exposure. Keep outer clothing on until it's time to take the plunge. And, no alcohol. Alcohol accelerates hypothermia. Have a towel to dry yourself off immediately.
No doubt these gentlemen have taken sufficient precautions and are ready, willing and able to take the plunge. Let's watch and enjoy.
Baby, it's cold outside!
While millions of Americans are taking to the ski slopes this weekend, and a few intrepid souls are plunging into icy water to celebrate the start of the new year, there are tens of millions more staying indoors. And many of those indoors are naked, and they all are happy about that.
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| 'The Frost' by Philip Gladstone |
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| Justin Centa; photo by ClearEye LLC |
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| 'Just Elliot,' self-portrait |
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| Jonathan Guijarro; photo by Marcos Domingo |
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| Photo by Eduardo Tachado |
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| Ian; photo by Greg Reybolds |
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Aiden; photo by Marlen Boro |
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| self-portrait by Toine |