Everything’s Coming Up Mushrooms
February 11, 2020
Came upon these a few days ago…
What’s really coming up all over town are blossoms and bulbs and sour grass. There is no rain in the 10-day forecast.. just lots of blue sky and 70 degree weather. And WOW, but it feels like spring out there.
In other news, Bernie Sanders won New Hampshire tonight. I’m thrilled, AND quaking in my boots.
Like everyone, I want a candidate who will resoundingly beat the Freak Show of a president we’re suffering through now, and send his whole clown car packing in November. I’ve never thought the best candidate would be somebody with my progressive policy preferences (thank you Sweden for showing me the way), but, man, here we are with Bernie winning the popular vote in the Iowa Caucuses and outright winning New Hampshire. What. Does. That. Mean???
I know it’s early.
Though I lean way left, I’ve always been willing for our president to be more middle-ish in order to satisfy and represent the greatest number of people. Seems only fair, in a country as divided as we are, that a president govern from the middle. But if we WERE ever to get to a better, more equitable society — the democratic socialist country that I dream of — we ought to at least get there in careful steps.
I really think Elizabeth Warren is the thoughtful, smart, process-oriented steady hand we need here. She’s got the policies nailed, but I think she’d govern within the lines and propose a more reasonable, nuanced path to get there. (Not that any of these things would ever happen with a republican Senate, at least not wholesale, and certainly not anytime soon).
I’m not counting her out, yet, but she’s not doing well right now. And ZOUNDS!, Bernie’s killing it … and I just don’t know how that’s going to go over in the middle part of the country that we have to win in order to secure the electoral college.
(I wonder if, subconsciously, this is why I posted a picture of mushrooms coming up out of the ground. If Elizabeth had won tonight, maybe I’d have been moved to post a picture of bright flowers. Maybe I don’t want an old white guy, even if I love his policies and energy.)
Life of Wry 
February 12, 2020 at 9:30 am
My thoughts and sentiments almost entirely mirror yours Kari. But I wish the New York Times, CNN, etc. would focus stories on why did Bernie win (or tie for first) in Iowa and New Hampshire, rather than frame coverage that questions how someone with his positions and identification as a Democratic Socialist can win the presidency. What is it about his positions or even his delivery that are drawing so many of the primary and caucus voters? Stories that conjecture that Iowa and NH will not likely portend what more diverse states will vote are important too, but I think much of the coverage is from the point of view of (many of us) who worry that only a moderate can capture the election. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe that reflects the biases of the reporters and media outlets and we need to go beyond to understand what voters are actually responding to.
February 12, 2020 at 11:10 pm
I have never been so muddled on who to vote for. I hear you about the media coverage of Bernie. I am ready to ditch all of my main sources (NYT, NPR, Post) b/c I feel the slant away from Bernie and feel manipulated. Of course, I will not ditch my main sources b/c I rely on them.. I try to read critically… still …
What happened to Elizabeth????