Sunday, September 01, 2024

Gimme Sugar

 

A month or so ago I was sunk. A disabling mood of impending doom had stalked me all year. I took a 6-week camping tour of the West in April/May, giving me a valid excuse for posting little here and thinking not at all about the Democrat Party's odds, more to the point, odds on a successful return to absolute power of an unmoored parade float making it back to the White House. My growing apprehension that Joe Biden had indeed become too old to win -- by July, it was a disabling condition, not just for shut-in, on-line political hobbyists but for Democratic operatives on the ground, the mainly young ones organizing others for door-knocking, voter registration, and phone-banking. By July, everybody was down. Political organizing seemed more like a death-march. Few of the experienced expected a miracle.

Then don't you know a freaking miracle took place. July 21st, precisely 7 weeks ago, Joe stepped aside on a Sunday. I watch little TV but had NPR playing. The news had not yet reached national radio when I got the call from a friend saying "Biden is dropping out right now." And my personal miracle at that moment matched the same miracles felt by many others -- the 2,000-lb. elephant got off my chest. 

Then came in rapid succession Biden's endorsement of Kamala, the naming of Tim Walz, the successful Nat'l Convention -- a political high ever since. Those massive rallies. The flood of new volunteers. The cash money raised to fight like hell and not go back. 

"Sugar high!" That's how true cynics dismiss this moment, scoff at any sine-wave of enthusiasm that starts peaking. "It won't last." Michelle Goldberg did a test herownself at the Harris-Walz rally in Atlanta, and came away convinced that this Blue fever has staying power. So, when mythical people wag their index finger at me and warn "Sugar high!"my answer is "Yeah, you bet! And give me more of it." What a stupid thing to worry about.

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4 comments:

  1. Anonymous7:29 PM

    My elderly mother -in-law (1970s) believed that if she ate some rich high calorie foods she could counteract the weight gain by eating an equal amount of low calorie diet food. "Have a big slice of coconut cake with ice cream, but wash it down with two cans of SEGO." Neither of these Oligarch captured parties will end Genocide, cut the military budget or focus on domestic quality of life. And come November 6 we'll probably see violence. You can't slim down Trump with a bag of Kamalamarshmallows. Fundamental change or collapse is the real choice, though I'm forced to vote for Democrats.

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  2. Red Hornet6:43 AM

    Best comment on here in awhile, and kind of non-partisan (or fatalistic).
    It will be such a relief to have this nightmare election over. But it is scary that neither Party is prepared to deal with our urgent emergencies. We can't just keep sending all the money upstairs when the house is on fire.

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  3. Anonymous11:45 AM

    What fundamental change is recommended?

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  4. Red Hornet5:04 PM

    The main thing would have been to get money as free speech out of politics, because not only is Congress bribed and regulatory agencies captured, but it is Oligarch funding that keeps the two major parties way out of whack. A secondary fix would be to sober up and uncensor news and information, probably by breaking up concentrated ownership. But our cataclysm is so close it is doubtful any of these fixes could happen. I think the crash landing will commence November 6th with insurrection, fake news and financial implosion.
    I dread it and have fought it all the way.

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