I Have a Request

Would all the American people who supported the bailout please raise your hands?

That's it, don't be shy, get those hands up. Stand up and be counted if you thought that bailing out Wall Street was something that needed to be done with your money. Let the world see where you stand.

I don't see that many hands.

Here's the thing, after watching the cable news and reading newspapers the past few days, I was convinced that most of you all supported the bailout and were pissed that the House of Representatives failed to get it passed. However, that seemed at odds with all the reports I saw before the actual vote when thousands of you actually called your representatives to tell them that if they voted for the measure, they could count on never going back to Washington on the taxpayers' dime.

See the problem I'm having?

Every thing I've seen suggests that the vast majority of people thought the bailout was bullshit. Yet, the vast majority of news reports are accusing politicians of abdicating their responsibilities. That just doesn't make sense.

Politicians are elected to office to represent the interests of their constituents. Throughout history that means they vote according to public opinion. In the case of the bailout, that meant they needed to vote against the bill or face the wrath of angry Main Streeters. And so the politicians did the same thing they've done since the beginning of time; they voted with their constituents.

So why are they catching hell?

My theory is that the media has decided that the bailout is what's needed for the country and the mainstream media could give a damn what regular folks think. Look, I'm not saying that some action isn't needed, and maybe the bailout is the best plan, but the simple fact is that nothing I've seen has given me the impression that most Americans believe in the bailout. So, where exactly is all of this media outrage coming from.

It's coming from the media.

Never forget that most media sources are publicly traded companies whose stock prices, and therefore worth, are affected by what happens on Wall Street. A bailout that stablizes Wall Street also stabilizes them. It also stabilizes the companies that purchase advertising from media companies and advertising dictates profit margins. Basically, the media has a vested interest in seeing Wall Street recover that is much more direct than the average Americans. Furthermore, it's the media's business to maintain the status quo despite their stated purpose of shaking things up. Remember, a small amount of instability can mean more profits, but a large amount of instability ultimately is bad for business.

This reaction to the bailout failure is a perfect example of the media's role as information gatekeeper and agenda setter. They've decided that the bailout's failure is a result of politics as usual, and they are running with that theme. They've completed ignored the idea that the bailout failed because American politics operated the way most people expect it to operate.

Most Americans do not want politicians who make decisions that run counter to the public's wishes. They don't like paternalistic politicians who think they know best. If the public says get us out of Iraq, we want politicians to get us out of Iraq. We don't want to here about how instability in Iraq will affect the United States' security around the world. As information has become more available to the public, more and more citizens have decided they are just as qualified as any politician to run the world.

I'm not going to argue about whether that's a good mindset or a bad one. The simple fact is that it is reality. And it's the media's job to report reality, not to scream and pout because politicians didn't pass a bailout. I am disgusted by the way the media has shifted blame in this bailout mess. The real culprits are the American people, and the media. The American people told their politicians not to touch that bailout and the media gleefully reported on it.

It's a shame that the media has decided to take this tact on the issue. Sure, it would be nice if politicians had the moral strength to make unpopular decisions, but it's pretty hypocritical for a media that regularly avoids taking controversial positions to make that complaint. When was the last time a media company made a decision that wasn't based on focus groups or polls and was instead based on an idea of what is the right thing to do?

Yeah, I can't remember either.

America has the politicians and leaders it wants. The media has the government it has helped to create. If blame needs to be assigned, we all need to look no further than ourselves.


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Kicking Back

"Chilling out maxing, relaxing all cool and all, shooting some b-ball outside of the school..."


I'm going on vacay in little while. Just me and the wife enjoying some quality time in a tropical location without our little bundle of joy. I'm hoping to relax, re-connect with my woman and just enjoy myself.

I'm looking to chill out.

Most of y'all probably aren't going on vacay any time soon, but I would suggest that those of y'all focusing on this election daily take some time to chill out. It's been a long journey, but it's almost over, and I for one plan to savor these next 30 days instead of acting like a Hicken. (That's a chicken with it's head cut off for y'all slow folks.)

Truthfully, it's been pretty hard to relax in recent weeks. The Old Man and Bimbo seemed to be gaining some momentum initially that made for some scary moments in my household. The idea of Sarah Palin having access to nuclear weapons should scare every human being on the face of this rock we call Earth. That is one unprepared woman. The possibility that she might be in charge of American politics if the Old Man kicked the bucket was so troubling to my wife that she's damn near been having panic attacks.

But, after the recent debate, I've decided it's time to let the professionals worry about politics while I concentrate on preparing myself and my family for next Great Depression.

Just the other night, my wife turned to me while we were watching cable news and say "Big Man, just how bad is it going to get?" I told her we probably weren't going to have to worry about falling prey to cannibals, but we might want to keep the baby locked indoors because he's more tender.

Seriously though, in the midst of all the drama that has become the backdrop of life in America, I've found some curious calm. I've concentrated on praying, and looking at the direction of my life. In addition, I've taken my brother's advice and started using the Serenity Prayer as more of a guide. Y'all know that prayer, right?

Lord, grant the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I cannot change and the wisdom to know the difference.

I must admit that watching Barack Obama deal with this election has really increased my appreciation for a calm demeanor and the ability to prioritize. Whenever I watch Big Homie handle himself I'm impressed with his apparent inner calm and ability to let things roll off his back. It's not that he's disengaged from the world, it's more like he has an inner purpose that allows him to ignore most distractions as he inexorably moves toward his goal.

I really like that.

In the past, I thought that I was a pretty calm cat, but as I've taken on more responsibilities in life I've learned that it's easy to be calm when you don't have any problems. Now, I'm learning that real peace, the kind that God provides for me, can only be gained through struggle. You have to have pain to truly feel joy. I'm working on my ability to narrow my focus, and also completely apply myself to tasks.

Anyway, there isn't much more to this post, I just wanted to share with y'all where my head was at after watching the debate and thinking about my life.

Everybody needs to get them some calm too.

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Check it out on the Right

I added a new widget to allow y'all to share the blog on your Facebook pages. I'm not on the networking site but I've been told that it's all the rage. I also plan on having the "share" widget at the end of every post, so anybody who is interested can share particular posts.

Finally, I have added some sort of gadget that allows those of y'all who "follow" my blog to get your pictures shown.

Keep supporting a Lunatic.


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What I Saw

It was probably a draw.

Senators Barack Obama and John McCain both did well staying on message and getting their points across. McCain surprisingly kept most of his temper in check.

Yet, what I really saw was an old man who thinks this young man doesn't belong here. An old man who wonders what all the hoopla is about and why everybody is so convinced this wet-behind-the-ears whippersnapper is wonderful.

You could feel his contempt in the way the told Obama, "you don't understand..." Maybe is it was simply a strategy, but it seemed real to me. John McCain really doesn't believe Obama has put in the time to deserve to challenge him for this position and it showed Friday night.

Funny, it was almost like a replay of the Democratic primary.

I remember Hillary Clinton giving off the same aura. She seemed surprised, annoyed and, most importantly, angry that Obama dared to challenge her for what she deemed her right to be president. John McCain become Hillary Clinton last night in many ways. He couldn't stop harping on certain small victories and interrupting and belitting his opponent at every turn.

It makes me confident.

We've seen this movie before. Sure, Obama only had to win over Democrats last time. But, let us make no mistake, many, MANY Democrats were just as skeptical of a black man as Republicans. Obama didn't win the Democratic Primary by luck, he won because he had a superior strategy and a superior message that resonated with the American people. He won because he had foresight.

That's the thing about Obama. The brother has vision. He's not perfect, he's not the Messiah, but he is an intelligent and uncommonly composed black man. He is able to absorb and deflect insults. He is able to parlay most attacks. Big Homie ain't no fool.

So, I'm cool.

I can't wait to see what Palin does next week. When was the last time presidential debates were must see television?