Scarier than President Romney

You think The Shining is scary? How about dressing as Hillary Clinton for Halloween? Thirty-seven percent voted her the scariest candidate. Giuliani was a distant second at 14%, with nobody else higher than 6%.

Here’s the kicker:

Clinton was the choice of four in 10 men and one-third of women. While a
predictable two-thirds of Republicans picked her, she also was the choice of 18
percent of Democrats. Among members of her own party, that made her second only to Giuliani as the scariest costume. About one-third of independents, nearly
half of whites and just over half of conservatives and white evangelicals
selected her.

Eighteen percent of Democrats and 33% of women and independents picked Hillary?! Only 10% of evangelicals picked Giuliani as frightening. Sheesh.

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again. Nobody will unite the disorganized, disaffected and demoralized right-wingers faster than Hillary Clinton. She will even accomplish the impossible: Get Southern Baptists to vote for a Mormon. Not even the most hardened right-wing radical is this polarizing. If the Democrats nominate someone this unfavorable they will once again snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Hey Joe

In all the writings and musings about Joe Torre’s dismissal from the Yankees, the one word that keeps coming up is class. Few have mentioned Torre’s four World Series victories (and two additional trips there) or his inevitable and well-deserved trip to Cooperstown. Most people today are talking about Torre’s character and people skills, which speak volumes about the respect he has earned as a manager. It also leaves quite a bit unsaid about the class and character of the Yankee front office that made him an offer he could, and should have, refused.

Even here in Boston, the heart of blind and knee-jerk Yankee hating, people are actually upset for Torre and wish him well. That speaks volumes to the kind of competitor he is. While he didn’t quite leave on his own terms, it always looks good when you’re able to leave a job with your dignity intact and character uncompromised. What he said in his press conference today says it best: “It’s not the money that’s going to be the determining factor,” Mr. Torre said. “It’s the commitment and trust. You can’t have one without the other.”

A year from now, after invaluable longtime Yankees like Jorge Posada are gone and the Yankees still have that overpaid and over-the-hill payroll they seem to always end up with, whichever Steinbrenner is running the team will then realize – too late – how valuable Torre was. They will see how he always managed to get a high-ego team focused and productive. They’ll understand how he was able to coax wins out of teams that were not as good as their record, either by forcing high pitch counts from opponents or loading up on runs because he knew the Yankees could only win by scores like 9-7. Can you see Don Mattingly, Joe Girardi or Larry Bowa simultaneously juggle the Yankee roster, front office, media pressure and rabid fan base and deliver 12 straight playoff appearances?

It’s been said people don’t appreciate the best things in life until they’re taken away. The Steinbrenner family is about to discover that the hard way. The Bronx will soon be burning again.

Base of Extremists

There are Democratic and Republican partisans who will always vote the party line but will admit it when their party or party’s candidates screw up. But there are also people who partisans also loathe – party extremists, who often comprise the “base” or core of the party’s faithful. Extremists on both sides often represent the very top of a party leadership or the very grassroots – but both believe they represent the views of the entire party, and woe to the Republican or Democrat who dares to have a different opinion.

Because these extremists are very loud and crass, the mass media gives them way more attention than they deserve. Because they claim to represent the party, people who don’t follow politics get a warped view of how the whole process works. And because the extremists can’t open their mouths without sticking their entire feet inside, ordinary people with normal views get disgusted and turned off by politics. And the media keeps giving us more and more, whether we want it or not.

There’s been a few extremists making fools of themselves and discrediting both the parties they claim to represent today. I am going to give the first, Ann Coulter, as little time as possible because she really is the most virulent sort of extremist around. It also shows the media keep falling for what I scientifically call, “The Hot Famous White Chick Syndrome.” This means that if anybody else did what a hot famous white chick does (think Britney, Anna Nicole, Ann C., plus others) we would have banished that person from our subconscious and the airwaves long ago. Her anti-Semitic diatribe can be read here. My favorite line isn’t even the “Jews need to be perfected” but “You have to obey.” So far the extremists – many who fall under the guise of fundamentalists – have alienated African Americans, homosexuals, Hispanics and now Jews from the GOP.

It wasn’t just right-wing radicals today. Barney Frank, the only openly gay member of Congress and head of the House Finance Committee, is also receiving scorn from left-wing extremists because he has removed “gender identity” language from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The bill would protect homosexuals from discrimination in the workplace, but extremists and some gay rights advocates say the bill is unacceptable because it does not cover transsexuals and transgender individuals. They now regard Frank as a Benedict Arnold.

What extremists do not understand is that compromise is the way things get done, not just in Washington but in life. I’ve met some of these extremists on both sides and they tend to have pretty poor people skills and just don’t understand that sometimes 80%, or even 51% of what you want is the best you’re going to get. Extremists have no ability to grasp this – anything else is a sell-out.

Most politicians are smart and reasonable people who understand this. But they need to continually balance keeping their so-called “base” happy with actually getting things done for all Americans. The real danger is when some of these “base” people become politicians and then become leaders of the party. George McGovern was one of them, but was so extreme even Nixon trounced him. But some of them – like Tom DeLay or Dick Cheney – have attained power, and it is only then that we see how far away from the mainstream they really are.

All's Fair in Baseball?

Don’t look now but parity might be returning to Major League Baseball. Seven of the eight teams that qualified for the postseason this year didn’t make the playoffs in 2006, and I even see signs of life in perennial cellar dwellers like Milwaukee (with baseball’s best infield) and Seattle.

Looking at payroll, it’s unbelievable to see the rank of underachievers at the top and the surprising surge of good teams closer to the bottom. It’s also interesting to see something else in the payroll stats – a middle class. Are owners finally ponying up for good free agents or is the luxury tax finally evening the spread across the board? Or is good scouting and the new trend of small-market teams not trading emerging stars when they can’t afford them finally paying off? Perhaps the answer is all of the above.

The end result is a better, fairer game for all involved. I’m genuinely excited to watch Arizona and Colorado, two teams I know nothing about, fight hard to get to the World Series. It’s almost like politics. The folks with more money usually win, but money alone does not guarantee victory. Sometime money can reach a saturation point, and that’s where the intangibles tend to kick in. It’s the intangibles that make other sports like football more exciting, and baseball might finally be learning its lesson.

More Presidential Musings

Things are not looking good for the GOP right now. With Alan Greenspan jumping on the anti-Bush bandwagon, 60% of Republicans now opposing free trade, social conservatives threatening to leave if Giuliani is the nominee, and the leading candidates pledging to continue with an unpopular war, you could certainly handicap the race against the Republican Party right now. What could possibly stop the Democrats from winning next year?

Two words: Hillary Clinton. Clinton continues to have tremendously high negative and unfavorable ratings, with over 40% of all respondents claiming they would never vote for her. With Clinton appearing to be the likely nominee at this point, you can just see the Rove-tutored GOP strategists tapping kegs in glee. They probably can’t believe their good luck. Already Clinton is providing GOP fundraisers with fodder for cash. Despite any upcoming schism in the Republican ranks, nothing will bring them all together faster than another Clinton presidency. Especially a Clinton who has little of the talent or charisma of her husband.

Here’s a completely unscientific but true story that speaks volumes to me. I know several young, liberal die-hard Democrats who are currently doing grassroots work for Obama in New Hampshire. I asked how their work was going and why they decided to help Obama instead of Clinton. Their answer was unanimous – they know making Clinton the nominee will be throwing red meat to the lions. They consider her unelectable, but will reluctantly support her if she wins. If a candidate can’t inspire the people in her own party, how on earth will she win the support of the undecided voters in Florida and Ohio that decide the election?

Mission for Burma

The mainstream media has, of course, moved on from the democracy crackdown in Burma to more important news like Britney Spears’ custody battle. But the Internet is still humming with plenty of sites and bloggers despite the military dictatorship’s attempts to black out the country. The sites urging everyone to do more in Burma are on the political left and the right, and I’ve listed some of the best-known blog sites below. Please check them out and drop them a line to let them know they are not forgotten.

You can really see how much technology has changed our lives since the last Burmese uprising against its ruling military junta 20 years ago. With the advent of everything from blogs to cell phone cameras, news about these types of revolutions and abuse can be seen by all. While small citizen uprisings might go unnoticed, it is now impossible to keep a mass revolt or upheaval suppressed by the state any longer. Imagine how much faster the Iron Curtain could have fallen with today’s technology.

It’s also startling to see just how brutal the military dictators are in Burma, and how much they have set their country back. A generation ago, Burma was pretty much on par with its neighbors. Now the countries surrounding Burma – China, India and Thailand, plus neighboring countries like Singapore and Vietnam – are booming, with thriving economies and a much higher standard of living for their citizens. Burma remains as it was – possibly the second least advanced and poorest country in Asia after North Korea.

Here's some smuggled video of protesters being beaten. Here's to one Burmese blog that includes links to some others, including photos that are quite gruesome. Here's the blog of Ko Htike, who is very good and also writes in English. In line with how technology is aiding Burmese monks and dissidents, here's a story about how satellite technology (similar to Google Earth) is going around the military's blackout.

Finally, here's an online petition you can sign to protest what is happening. I don't know if it will actually accomplish anything, but it's better than doing nothing and it will send you periodic updates if you wish.