Hypocritic Conventions
A new survey says a lot of people don’t think it makes a bit of difference who occupies the White House. Now that may be part of the apathetic chic that provides cover for people who don’t want to be bothered by politics, but it probably also includes some thinking people who actually stay abreast of events and have come to that conclusion from what they’ve read.
In a sense, it’s hard to argue with them. For instance, as far as the economy is concerned, it wouldn’t have mattered who was president these last eight years. Clinton had as much to do with it roaring along as did Tammy Fay Bakker. And listening to the all-inclusive Republicans in Philadelphia, you woulda thunk they were all Democrats. Of course you would have had to have been listening selectively.
But then along comes the ostensibly-inclusive donkey party, and their veil slips. Loretta Sanchez is a Congressperson from Orange County. A Latina, is what they call ‘em these days, and a heroic one because back in ‘96, Loretta dumped B-1 Bob Dornan from the House. Dornan was a loud, semi-articulate reactionary who carried around pictures of aborted fetuses. Loretta won easy re-election last time, and so was an obvious poster girl for the Democrats. They even made her convention co-chairwoman.
Loretta decided to throw a bash, a fundraiser to benefit Hispanic politicians for all who wanted to invest tons of money in them. Great idea. And hold it at the Playboy mansion. Bad idea. At least according to party officials. They didn’t want to be associated with the Playboy image. Uh-huh, like it was enough that Bill Clinton was going to be at the convention. They told Sanchez to move her party.
Sanchez said no. After all, the Playboy mansion had been the site of events for groups like the National Women’s Political Caucus, and pols like Jerry Brown and Tom Bradley. We’re talking LA-LA, here, which relationship to reality is, at best, transient. It might have been held at Disneyland or Forest Lawns; it’s all make believe. But the Dems were adamant. Move the party, or lose your right to speak at the convention. Sanchez caved and found another venue. It was a dumb idea in the beginning, it should have been dealt with months ago, and they should all be ashamed of themselves for the shameful debauchery this mindless spectacle has become.
But at least the Democrats still have the wherewithal, sometimes, to manage pretense. Not the folks across town, whom we shall indelicately refer to as the Perotstaltic Reform Party. The crypto-transcendental Natural Law and the Septic Nazi wings discovered that each had a different notion of what is reform. A credentials dispute turned into swearing and shoving. Commented Bay Buchanan, "This is what politics is all about." It is to her and to her brother, down and dirty, ugly is beautiful.
In the long run it does matter to goes to the White House, if for no other reason than if Bush is elected, he will likely make Attila Scalia Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Ironic, isn’t it, that so many women then will vote for Bush? I wonder how many wouldn’t sell their first born to go to a party at the Playboy mansion.
And that’s SetonnoteS...I’m Tony Seton.