Why Jon Stewart's Rally Matters

I still haven't been blogging on political matters the way I used to. The discourse in this country has gotten so low, the standards of both parties so poor, that I no longer feel as if they are speaking to me or anyone I know. The Democrats can't manage to stand up for one principle, all the while blaming all their problems on the Republicans. The Republicans, of course, are reprehensible beyond all belief, refusing to go along with a single thing the President wants done.

The Democrats buried the Don't Ask Don't Tell repeal in some obscure part of a military spending bill, then tacked on some other controversial stuff (the DREAM Act)and then didn't let the Republicans make every single amendment they wanted to make.

So as usual the Republicans had a hissy fit, got their 60 votes to vote the whole thing down, effectively killing DADT repeal until after the election, at the very least. Naturally the Republicans probably would've voted it down anyway, just for spite, but they were able to come up with some plausible, if silly, reasons to do it at this particular time.

As ever, the GOP bears the greatest responsibility for having once again denied LGBT Americans from openly serving in the armed forces. But I can't help but wonder if the Democrats could've handled it better. Either way, it is just one more sign of the massive divisions in this country, and how no one in government can manage to get anything done.

...Which brings us to Jon Stewart's Rally to Restore Sanity. Last Thursday night, September 16, on The Daily Show, Jon Stewart announced that he is holding a rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. on October 30, 2010, to "Restore Sanity." Using a montage of video clips, he demonstrated the extremist rhetoric on both the left and the right.

He pointed out that 70-80% of the population is not part of the far left or far right, but we never hear from them "because you have sh*t to do."

See below for the full announcement:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
http://www.thedailyshow.com/
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

His announcement, done in tandem with Stephen Colbert, was followed by Stephen Colbert's own announcement for a rally on the same day: His satirical "March to Keep Fear Alive.".

Both rallies will happen simultaneously on the Mall and no doubt will attract the same type of audience members, as I'm sure they planned.

Something about these rallies, particularly the idea of restoring sanity, has resonated with many Americans. Not only have over 100,000 people said they are attending on Facebook, but satellite rallies are being formed all over the country.

Now, I am not a person who goes to rallies; in fact, I really don't like crowds at all. The only march I ever went on was in 1972 when I was a freshman in college, and on the first Earth Day, everyone marched on Boston Common protesting the war (Vietnam of course) and marching for the environment. Then they stopped having marches. The apathy of the 70s began and that was the end of it all, at least for me. Maybe the beer was part of the reason, I'm not sure.

Anyway, when I heard about the Rally to Restore Sanity, my first reaction was, "Let's go! We should DO this!" My husband grunted and ignored me. It was 11:15 p.m., he was tired, he figured I'd forget about it by the next day. But I didn't. I started talking about it again. He said I was nuts, he said "This is no 1963 march on Washington - they're COMEDIANS! They're trying to make money!" But I persisted. It also helped that a very good friend of mine, who is always up for doing something spontaneous, also thought it was a great idea. So guess what? We're all going! Me, DH, my friend, her husband and probably even their daughter.

Not only are we going, but many of my blogger and Facebook friends are going. People I haven't seen since college are going. This could be big.

"So what," you may say. "Your husband's right. Jon Stewart is just a comedian. Why are people taking this seriously, as if it matters?"

The answer is, he has struck a nerve with the American people. I think everyone is sick to death of hearing the wrangling going on in Congress. Nothing gets done. The Republicans in government are perfectly happy with that, but most Independents and moderate Republicans in the Real World are not. Those of us on the left are sorely disappointed that so many of the changes Candidate Obama promised are not taking place under President Obama, or if they are, they are being watered down until they are but a shadow of what was promised, just to get them past the Congress.

Those of us who have worked in the business world know that nothing gets done unless people are willing to see the other side of things, and to work with those with whom they may not see eye-to-eye. But in Congress, it seems as if the participants never learned this. To them, it's "My side has to win at all costs." They don't care whether their "win" is a win for the American people or not.

Politics doesn't just make strange bedfellows. Politics also makes people power-hungry, greedy and angry. I'd be willing to bet that testosterone levels go up in members of either gender once they get involved in politics.

One reason is, there is something wrong with a system that has House Representatives up for re-election every two years. For all intents and purposes, these people are campaigning 24/7 for 24 months. There is never a real opportunity or incentive to settle down and work with each other, especially since the whole House turns over at once, every election cycle. Those elected to the Senate, at least, have six-year terms, which allow them some opportunity to actually do some work, which is why the Senate appears marginally more sane than the House. However, there is still always someone up for re-election each cycle, so it's not as if politics doesn't play a part at all times there as well.

And what about the poor President? He has a four-year term, but after the first two years, he too is starting to run for re-election. Heck, the other side starts thinking of who they're going to put up against him next time during the month after his election!

At one time, when the Founding Fathers first came up with the idea of the Congress, they had no idea there would be people who made a career out of being in politics. They never envisioned six-term or seven-term Congressmen, or Senators who served 40 years in office. They thought people wouldn't want to be away from their farms that long; that one term, or maybe two, would be quite enough. It is time for a change in how Congress does business. We need longer terms, and fewer of them, for the House, and term limits for the Senate.

But I digress. "What about Jon Stewart's Rally?" you say. "I thought that's what we were talking about."

It is. But one reason for the partisan politics getting worse and worse is the constant election cycles, as well as, of course, Cable News shows - "News" being a term I use loosely, since none of these shows are news shows anymore, they are all partisan on one side or another.

The media truly is the message. That's why all we see on these shows are the Tea Partiers. It doesn't matter that these people are a small part of the total population, they're making all the noise, and they're getting all the publicity. Glenn Beck's rally in Washington had all kinds of coverage on every station, and the pictures of the rally showed a sea of faces at the Mall, giving the impression that his followers are a huge Movement.

Now, finally, the rest of us have a chance to have OUR say. Jon Stewart's "Rally to Restore Sanity" will give the moderates (and liberals - since most of Stewart and Colbert's fans lean left) - a chance to show their numbers. Even among liberals, many of us decry the nasty discourse on both sides of the aisle, and the inability of either side to work meaningfully together.

According to CNN contributor, John Avalon,
"This isn't a concealed campaign rally for either party. It's a counterprotest against the rising tide of conformity that causes hyperpartisans to demonize people with whom they disagree. It's the anti-demagogue Saturday on the mall; people taking to the streets and yelling, 'Be reasonable!'"

That said, I do hope that the excitement generated by this gathering will help propel the moderates and independents to the polls, and energize them to vote for the more reasonable candidate of their choice. Otherwise we might end up with a Congress full of Tea Party representatives.

Jon Stewart likes to point out that he specializes in "fake news" and is a comedian. But when you're voted the most trusted man in news, that means you have a responsibility to uphold. I think he is up to it and that this rally will be an amazing event. I look forward to seeing many fellow bloggers and Facebook friends there, as well as friends from my own town. And if you're not going to Washington, I encourage you to go to a satellite rally in your area if they are having one!

A Cat's Eye View: Baxter's Back

Baxter here. Hoo boy, it's been a long month since my Human last posted here. A lot of Water has gone under the Bridge, as the saying goes. Or maybe I should say, a lot of OIL has gone under the Bridge.

I Apologize for My long Absence here. My Female Human has been Too Preoccupied with her Mother to pay much attention to Me or her Blog. Funny, though, she always has time for that Facebook thing. I myself have a Catbook page but I really never got into it Much.

To be Honest, the main Reason I have time to be on the Computer is because my Human has a Day to Herself and can help Me. It's not for a Good Reason, but it is still a Day to Herself. Her Mother had to go to the Emergency Room of the local Hospital yesterday due to Dehydration. She has been admitted to the Hospital and is doing Well. However, my Human is not sure what to do when her Mother gets Out, as it seems as if, more and more, she really may belong in a Nursing Home due to her Frail Condition. Plus her 89-year-old Aunt has been helping with her Mother's care at home, and my Human is afraid it is starting to Stress Her Out too.

As a Cat, I can't really Comment, but I did spend some Time in the Cat equivalent of a Nursing Home, I suppose you could say. I was at a cat rescue called HAAL (short for Humane Animal Adoption League) before my Humans brought me home. The HAAL Humans were very nice to Us and let us out of our Cages to Play and took Very Good Care of Us. While of course I Prefer being in a whole House, it was Pleasant there. (If You are feeling Generous, please do click on the Link and learn more, and if you can Donate to them, I'm sure they would Appreciate it Deeply.)

My Human also wants me to tell You how much she Appreciates everyone's comments and Good Wishes for her and her Mother. She feels Very Blessed to have so many Friends here in the Interwebs.

As for Me, I have a lot of Catching Up to do on Current Events. As mentioned above, the Biggest Story to me in the past Month is the Horrendous Oil Explosion in the Gulf that is Still Going On.

How those Idiots at BP let this Happen I don't know. But as a Cat, I feel Fellowship with all of the Life in the Gulf that is being Devastated by this continuing Debacle, and it makes me Very Sad. If an Oil Company doesn't know what they would do if their Stupid Oil Well blew up and caused all the Oil to spout out into the Ocean, then they Darn Well shouldn't be Drilling down there in the First Place. Period. And the Government shouldn't be letting Them!

I won't get into all the Stupid things I've heard about - batteries missing and Whatnot, How to Stop It, and Who is to blame. But I'll let Jon Stewart explain it All for you:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
There Will Be Blame
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

In Other News, there was That Day when the Dow Jones Average tanked almost a Thousand Points and still No One really Knows Why. That was Scary. Luckily for my Humans' 401ks, it did Rebound Somewhat by the end of the Day. My Female Human happened to be watching CNN at the time it happened, and she saw her Retirement pass before her Eyes for a few minutes there.

Also during this past Month, President Obama nominated Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court, receiving both Pats on the Head and whacks with the Rolled-Up Newspaper from Both Sides. Liberals are Worried she isn't Liberal Enough, and of Course, the Right would never think ANYONE the President nominated would be Conservative enough. We Cats tend to be Very Liberal, so in My View she probably isn't Liberal Enough. It seems as if the Republicans never have any Compunction about nominating people that are to the Right of Genghis Kahn, while Democrats are afraid to go anywhere but Slightly Left of Center at the Most when they nominate a Justice, resulting in a Court that shifts increasingly Rightward.

However, Elena Kagan hasn't really left enough of a Paper Trail to keep her from being Nominated or even give the Liberals any real reason to Worry. I say, give her the Benefit of the Doubt and hope she is more Liberal than she lets on. That happens sometimes even when a Justice is appointed by the Republicans. Let's hope it works for the Dems too.

I shall End with one of my Cheery and Uplifting stories so as to leave You on a Positive Note. My Human told me about this so I thought I'd pass it on to You. She was walking That Dog the other Morning, and as they started to pass a Garbage Can on the Street, she noticed that the white plastic garbage bag in the can was Wiggling, as if Something was Stuck Inside and trying to get Out! Holes at the bottom of the bag showed where the Creature had gotten in, but it wasn't smart enough to go Back the Way it Came.

A Man walking his dog approached, and my Human called his Attention to the bag. "I think there's a squirrel or something stuck inside that bag!" she said.

He looked while That Dog and his dog started sniffing hello. My Human said she was worried because the Garbage Truck would be along shortly. The Man looked around and got a long Stick and came back and started Poking the bag with it. He said, "I think it's a bird!" Suddenly the bag tore, and flying out of it came a large, disgruntled Starling! He took off indignantly, as if it were Their fault that he was stuck inside.

"We did our good deed for the day!" said the Man, and continued on with his dog, as did my Female Human. One less thing to Worry About.

Personally, I think they should have brought the Bag Home to Me so I could deal with that Starling!

In the Meantime, I'm going to add Beer to the Catnip I regularly Consume just to get through the latest News Events. Sometimes you need more Sedation than Others. Hang in there, and maybe Things will Improve.

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A Cat's Eye View

Baxter here. My Female Human has been all tied up this Week trying to finish Packing up her Office as her Group is Moving to Another Part of the Building. And on top of that, she and my Male Human are trying to buy Property in that Place they call the Adirondacks. They are still Waiting to hear back on an Offer they have made. Apparently buying Property involves much Waiting and Anticipation. So, in the Meantime, she suggested that I fill in here and Post some Updates.

Now, you have to understand, it is the Middle of Summer. The biggest News around here lately was people getting hit by Lightning at the Jersey Shore and on Long Island. One Human man died. Very Sad. However, at least there were no Shark Attacks, which usually also make it into the News in the Summer.

Since it is Summer, we Cats have also gotten some Attention. There's the cat whose Fur looks like Jesus. Personally, I can't see it. But some People claim they do see His Face in the Fur. (What is it with Humans always trying to find the Image of this God-Human they call Jesus in all kinds of Incongruous Materials? It's either Him or His Mother. Once they saw Her in a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. And then the Owner of the Sandwich sold it on E-Bay for $28,000. I'm not Religious, myself, but don't you think it's a little Sacrilegious to be seeing Jesus and Mary in Cat Fur or Grilled Cheese Sandwiches? And then making money on the Sandwich? Sheesh.)

In other Cat News, a 44-pound Cat was found in Voorhees, New Jersey. They are calling her Princess Chunk and will try to Adopt Her Out if Her Owners do not come forth to claim Her. Not only is this Cat getting all kinds of Press, she now is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America and Regis and Kelley. Here is Her Picture. She makes Me look positively Petite. Do you realize she only weighs 8 pounds less than Diva, That Dog that I am Forced to Live With? And she's twice MY Weight.

On to Other Subjects. Since it is the Depths of Summer, it has been Hard to Concentrate on Politics that much, but I have Followed the Obama Human's World Tour with interest. He really knows how to Wow them Over There. 200,000 or so turned out to hear him Speak in Berlin. He was looking all Presidential and Important and people were Enthusiastic.

In the Meantime, the other Human running for President, John McCain, was trying to make an Impression on the Folks Back Home by being interviewed in a Supermarket near the Dairy Case. It didn't really Go Over very Well, what with falling Applesauce and various other Mishaps.

But despite these Contrasts, the Polls remain extremely Close. There could be Many Reasons for this: Fear of the Unknown (McCain may not be Perfect but he is Well Known). Possible Racism. A Myriad of other Possibilities.

But on The Daily Show last night, another Theory was advanced: The Pity Vote.


John Oliver's Theory is that McCain is so Inept and Incompetent that people will Feel Sorry For Him and he will Win. Oliver also compares Obama to Lassie - almost Too Perfect - and McCain to an appealingly Scruffy Dog called Mr. Sniffles.


This Pity Theory may Very Well be Accurate. After all, we got George W. Bush because people "felt like they could have a Beer with him." If People don't feel as if they could have a Beer with Obama, he is at Risk of Losing. The American Humans have proven Time and Again that they don't have the Sense they were Born With and will vote for Anyone they feel is Ordinary enough that they could Relate to them. None of those "Elite" people will Do.

It's Time for the Obama Human to come home and eat some American Hot Dogs and hang out with the Ordinary People talking about the Price of Milk. (And of course, the Price of Milk is Very Important to us Cats as Well.)

Until Next Time, this is Baxter, Signing Off. Have some Catnip and we can All try to make it through the Dog Days of Summer. (Why are they Dog Days, anyway? Cat Days would make more Sense and be more Suitable. Cats like to relax on Hot Days! Dogs run around like Idiots and lie in the Midday Sun.)

Jon Stewart on the Obama "Gaffe"

The opening segment of last night's "Daily Show" was a brilliantly hilarious summary of the furor created by Barack Obama's comments about the "bitter" Pennsylvanians who turn to guns and religion in their angst.

Stewart covers the media's response to Obama's comments, and Hillary's sudden love of firearms, as well as showing some cute clips of her drinking at a bar somewhere in the depths of Pennsylvania. (She actually seemed to be having a genuinely good time with the bar's patrons, I must admit).

Whether or not you thought Obama's words were "ill-chosen" or condescending, Jon Stewart did a great job of showing the media deluge of commentary about Obama seeming "elitist" by saying what he said.

I particularly liked Stewart's comments toward the end of this clip:

"Doesn't elite mean 'good'? Is that not something we're looking for in a President anymore?"

and, to the candidates:

"If you don't actually think you're better than us, then what the f**ck are you doing???"

"Not only do I want an elite President, I want one who is embarassingly superior to me!"

He has an excellent point. Since when is it a good thing for our presidents to be "someone I'd want to have a beer with"? Why is it a good thing for the President of the United States, the most powerful country on earth, with the ability to wipe out the rest of humanity, to be someone who is no better than the average Joe on the street?

Shouldn't we at least have some kind of job requirements for President? A certain IQ level, perhaps, or a test they should be able to pass? Maybe at least some good references?

Heck, people who adopt pets have to pass more requirements than the President of the United States!

I'm sure you will agree that there has to be a better way to elect a President than the way it's being done today. I just don't know what it is.

Hope you enjoy the "Daily Show" video!