The Bishop and the Butterfly: Murder, Politics, and the End of the Jazz Age

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The Olympics and Me

By Elusive Trope on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 3:57am |

While responding to a comment on another thread, I was reminded of a moment during the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.  I wasn't quite 4 years old when it happened.  I know I was watching with my parents and my older brother, but I have no memory of it.  Yet I also don't remember not knowing about it.  Somehow it has been seared into my consciousness.  In terms of longevity over the years, there is probably no other incident that has caused more intense debate than this one.

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The Purple and Ambivalent Voter

By Elusive Trope on Thu, 08/18/2011 - 1:07am |

This started out as a response to a blog about how Democrats should campaign in a purple district or state.  As one might expect, the general consensus is Dems need to focus on jobs (and its companion the economy). 

A significant key for the discussion which I don’t think is adequately addressed is that we are dealing with a purple region of the country, whether district or state.  We can get into whole debate about what makes such a region purple, but I will use the 30-40-30* explanation.  By this I mean that 30% of the population will vote Republican pretty much no matter what and 30% will vote Democrat come hell or high water for the most part.  This leaves us the middle 40.

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All Politics is Local

By Elusive Trope on Fri, 08/12/2011 - 9:09pm |

I have to say that I have always understood Tip O'Neill's pithy little saying a little different than the generally understanding of what he meant. From Wikipedia:

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On Any American Saturday with Jeremiah Johnson, Chief Joseph, Roger DeCoster and the Tea Party

By Elusive Trope on Sat, 07/23/2011 - 5:31pm |

Jeremiah Johnson made his way into the mountains
Bettin' on forgettin' all the troubles that he knew
The trail was wide and narrow
And the eagle or the sparrow
Showed the path he was to follow as they flew.

A little while I go, in response to the claim that Unforgiven is best American film ever made – I claimed that the truth actually was Jeremiah Johnson.

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Now is the Time

By Elusive Trope on Tue, 07/19/2011 - 10:57am |

As we continue to watch the unfolding debate regarding the budget, debt ceiling, and the deficit, it seems to me that it is pretty clear what is at stake in 2012.  Regardless of one's opinions about how liberal Obama is, or just how much difference there is between the Dems and the Repubs, one has to say now that the "tea party" faction has taken most of the control, a Republican-controlled Congress starting in 2013 would be disastrous, even with Obama still in the Oval Office.

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Lions, Tigers and Shared Sacrifice - Oh No!

By Elusive Trope on Sat, 07/16/2011 - 12:05pm |

There seems to be surprisingly little here in the past day on the continuing battle on the Potomac, so I thought I would throw this out there.

From Obama's press conference:

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To A Billion And Beyond!

By Elusive Trope on Wed, 07/13/2011 - 7:32pm |

What to make of this:

President Barack Obama has shattered first quarter fundraising records for a White House incumbent by raising $86 million – a total that dwarfs the 2012 GOP field’s total take for the same period and that was substantially higher than his own target of $60 million.

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