Sunshine State Priorities

Ah, the headlines today. The bazillions of dollars we've spent on our War on Iraq has crippled the dollar and pushed us into a spiraling recession. Iraq's oil fields were supposed to fund the invasion, but it hasn't quite worked out that way, and skyrocketing oil prices have pushed the price of transporting food to the point that Americans are having trouble putting dinner on the table.

While the nation is finally awakening to the consequences of nearly 8 years of Republican scheming and nepotism and incompetence, we in Florida are realizing that we may very well take the hardest punch.

Our real estate market has collapsed. Trust me. I work in real estate. I work with people every day who are losing their entire life savings - and few of the people I work with were speculators or investors. Many of them just got behind because of the incredible increases in property taxes and insurance, and the 30% drop in market value of their property has left them without the option of selling and getting out from under.

Recent reports show that South Florida has the highest rate of inflation in the nation. While the national average is currently at 4%, those of us in the Miami - Ft. Lauderdale metro area are seeing 5.3 - 5.8% average increases in prices.

For the first time ever, the big moving van lines have reported more people leaving the state than moving in.

Our educational system ranks among the worst in the nation, and we're becoming well known for the attention we give our children, some of whom have absolutely no conscience.

And, rising sea levels from global warming will likely overtake most of the state in the next 50 years.

Faced with this most sobering and serious set of challenges, our elected state leadership has decided that the discussion that most needs to be had and debated is how can Florida's activist Christians supplement their bumper stickers and stick-on Christian fish, so as to be able to practice Christian humility, and announce to the world in a more profound way their Christian-ness.

The solution to this urgent dilemma has been presented by Rep. Edward Bullard - a license plate that humble Christians will be able to pay extra for, so that I can be certain that the driver of the car in front of me "believes," while I sit in un-fucking-believable traffic on I-95.

The planet is dying. Genocide has become a way of life in many parts of the world. Over 4,000 young American men and women have died in a pointless war. Rice is being rationed at Costco. Looks like we're headed into the Second Great Depression.

And, the leaders of the Sunshine State have set their priorities.

From My Cold Dead Hands

A couple of years ago, when my forward-thinking state of Florida passed the "Shoot First" law the NRA folks cheered and, no doubt, guzzled more than a few beers in celebration. This new law allows us Floridians to shoot each other, and of course YOU should you come to visit, if we feel that our property might be endangered. If someone in Florida tries to steal my car, I have the right to kill him or her on the spot.

And today, thanks to pressure from the uber-powerful NRA, the Florida Senate passed a new bill that allows us Floridians to take our guns to work. Sure, we have to keep them locked in our cars, but we can no longer be told by business owners that we can't have guns on THEIR private property.

I'm just wondering...when an employee comes back from lunch with the gun from the glove compartment and shoots and kills all of middle-management...will the business owner be liable because the gun was stored and used on her property?

Way to go Flor-ee-duh.

Screwed By The Sunshine State...Again

Ah, Flor-ee-duh. Looks like we may have done it again. Florida is just crawling with self-absorbed, undereducated, attention seekers. Trust me. I live here. And, in a ridiculously stupid move, our state Democratic leaders attempted to grab more attention for Florida, by holding the primary sooner, on January 29th, thereby totally disregarding the National Democratic Party rules (the DNC rules stipulate that, without a special waiver, states must hold their primaries after the 5th of February).

So, what did we gain from moving our primary to January 29th? I'm thinking that we just gained another fucking Republican administration.

The DNC punished Florida by stripping the state of its delegates, for deliberately ignoring the process and rules regarding holding a primary election. And, as it turns out Hillary apparently would have received the Florida delegates, had they they been allowed. She did not, even though she had a very decisive victory in Florida tonight. Delegates, or not, Hillary did recieve a real psychological victory in Florida, that will have a big impact on the results of Super Tuesday.

So, why would I say that Florida's fuck-up just cost America another four years of Republican rule? Well, the Obama campaign has really been gaining momentum as of late. A lot of momentum. His name is beginning to seem familiar and warm to a lot of middle Americans, and his message of hope is being heard all over the board. Even Republicans are listening. After twenty years of Bush-Clinton, a lot of people are realizing that we need to start over - we do need a change.

Hillary Clinton, along with Bill, has been polarizing as ever. Now, before I go any further...I don't hate Hillary. But, I do think that there's no better example than her, and Bill, of what's wrong with the Democratic Party. The Clintons know how to play politics better than just about anyone - except Karl Rove. They know what to say, how to say it, and who to leak it to. They know how to work poll numbers and they excel at "opposition research" to a degree that impresses the even the slimiest of campaign managers.

As I said, I don't hate Hillary. I don't like her as a politician, but I don't hate her. But, there are a lot of folks across this great nation who live and breath their hatred of the Clintons. Most Republicans actively despise her, and even a lot of Democrats dislike her. Sure, she has a great plan for health-care. But, it'd never go anywhere, even if she were to become the next President, because there would be rabid, snarling opposition to anything that she would put forth. Her experience in Washington is her undoing.

Hillary just won the early-bird Florida primary. She didn't get any delegates - although in typical dirty politics fashion she is vowing, now that she's won Florida, to petition to have those would-be delegates counted. Her win in Florida gives her a lot of confidence going in to Super Tuesday...the same confidence that Obama would've taken to Super Tuesday had Florida not fucked it up. Had Florida followed the rules, the results of the Sunshine State primary would have no influence on the many other states that will be heading to the polls next Tuesday. Because of Florida's insatiable need for attention, Hillary just got a boost that may translate into a much stronger showing when it matters - and she very well may become the Democratic nominee.

Now, on the other side of the aisle, John McCain has been cleaning up. Giuliani is out. Thompson's out. Huckabee may as well be out. And Romney's looking more and more desperate every day.

And who hates John McCain? I disagree with just about everything that comes out of his war-lovin' mouth. But I don't hate him. He seems like a regular kinda old guy. And, like Obama, everybody at least kinda likes him.

So, put Obama against McCain and the Democrats have a fighting chance. They're both likable guys with a lot of appeal to Independent voters. Obama vs. McCain would most likely boil down to actual issues and ideas...and God knows Obama would debate McCain into the ground.

But, Clinton against McCain? McCain will trounce her. The Republican base and middle-of-the-road Independents will swarm the polls to stop her by any means necessary. Sure, deflated Obama Democrats will vote for her - but without an ounce of passion.

I hope I am wrong. I hope that a critical mass is reached - a critical mass of Democrats that understand that the time really has come to let go of the Bushes and the Clintons and try something new. I hope.