One last thing

Now that the elections are over and the dust is beginning to settle, I want to share one last bit from the email exchange I had with my old friend during the elections.  I encouraged him to keep up the difficult task of thinking deeply about these political issues.  It was also an encouragement to myself, one that I needed to hear since I so easily demonize people who hold opposing views.

It is easier to just fall in line with a party or a culture or a family, but who wants a bunch of automatons spouting the talking points of others? The two difficulties in thinking through these issues (there are more difficulties, I'm sure, but these two stand out): 1) It is hard, takes energy, and is often viewed as weird among family and friends; and 2) Since we don't demonize those who think differently than we, we have to do the hard work of learning to live and love the other. This last point is not something ideologues are willing to do. It is much easier to write off those crazy liberals or those close-minded conservatives. Being a good citizen, or a good person, or in some cases a good Christian is hard work.

Political Reflections

We are in KC for a while with family from both sides.  These gatherings almost always include at least one conversation about politics.  We tried to avoid it this time, but the temptation was just too great with the elections just around the corner.  I have also somehow been pulled into a discussion with an old college friend and others in the comment thread of a blog.  And, with a childhood friend, I've exchanged a few emails about politics.  In one of those emails I sort of spelled out some of my broader political stances.  This is in no way comprehensive, but I think it represents what I would want to say in many of these political conversations (arguments?).  Here's what I wrote to my friend:

For the most part I tend to lean toward progressive politics. On the national level that means I sway Democratic more than Republican. I was, however, excited to see McCain get the Republican nomination. I kind of liked his going against what I see as disastrous movements in the Republican party. But then he upset me when he started pandering to the core base of the Republican party. I tend to believe the overly conservative base in the GOP is a vocal and powerful force, but numerically not as big as it seems. Anyway, whatever chance McCain had to pull my vote was lost when he started sounding more like his party wanted him to sound and less like the McCain I had learned about. Needless to say, I am very impressed by Obama. As I said, I tend to lean progressive anyway, so his policies and platform are for the most part what I like. But, he as a person has impressed me greatly. I think after eight years of Bush, I'm ready for a president who is articulate, thoughtful, and seemingly under control. I'm sure he would do things that I don't like if he became president, but on the whole neither he nor his politics rub me the wrong way.

I'm not a wholesale Democrat, however. Oregon uses mail ballots for all of their elections, so I was able to vote this past weekend when I got the ballot in the mail on Friday. I voted for a good many Democrats for national positions (pres., senators, etc.), I voted for Democrats, Republicans, and even some Green Party candidates in statewide and local elections. I skipped a few votes because I did not feel like I was informed enough to make a decision. For mayor of Eugene the two candidates are not affiliated with a party, but their politics easily show their dispositions. I voted for the guy with more Republican traits. All of this to say that I try to take into consideration as much as I can before making decisions. But again, I begin the exploration with progressive tendencies.

How I got to a more progressive place is a long story and I'm not sure exactly how I got here. I think it has something to do with meeting more and various people, reading different ideas, and reflecting more on how Christian values can influence politics (to what ever degree they can or should). Oddly enough much of my progressive ideas come from reflecting on my upbringing, not so much reacting against it but noticing how the things that reflected Christ-likeness to me were things that on larger scales people say are progressive ideas. For example, I recall at Hickory Grove that the people of the church would pool their resources together to help out a family in need, or how they would accept with open arms a stinky old man without scolding him for not "getting his life together." These little things made an impression on me as a kid, and now that I am able to put these impressions together with other things that I've seen, heard, experienced, read, etc., I come out with the belief that a true and good life in the way of Christ transcends politics, but if it is to influence politics at all it will do so in ways that reflect the merciful, loving, giving spirit of Christ himself.

Fear: A Political Strategy?

Deep-seated political differences aren't simply moral and intellectual: They're also biological.

Apparently conservatives are scaredy-cats.

[Update 10/14/08: This post, as all posts here at Ekballo, was automatically placed on my facebook wall. It has elicited a few comments there.]

Thank God for PBS

MSNBC vs. FOX on Michelle Obama's DNC speech.

Keep Hope Alive!

This should do it

I think my endorsement of Obama should tilt the primaries in his favor.

You can thank me later, Barack.

Message to Bill

Hear, hear!

Gushee's Plea to Evangelicals

God, please help my evangelical brothers and sisters hear this. Because this kind of talk is scary!

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Listening to: The Beatles - Helter Skelter
via FoxyTunes

How To Watch a Political Debate

Consider these helpful tips:
Debate Watching 101

Voting

Apparently, based on how I feel today, I should vote for Dennis Kucinich. Who should you vote for? Find out.

Save Public and Web Radio!

Rather than sending out a mass email, I'm posting these two notes here.

How much is $1.53 worth to you? With a federal investment of just $1.53 per American per year, public broadcasting creates and distributes programming such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Sesame Street, Frontline, American Experience and The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. This small amount also allows public broadcasting to provide local community services like educational partnerships with schools, job training services, and the opportunity to explore locally important topics in-depth. Yet some in Congress want to eliminate funding for public broadcasting. Take action now to help preserve future funding for public broadcasting. Through the Tell Them Public Matters.com site, I was able to send FREE messages to my elected officials to enlist their support for public broadcasting. Visit TellThemPublicMatters.org today to take action.
...

Public radio music webcasting is in immediate danger. The recent ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) exposes public radio stations that stream their musical content to huge increases in royalty payments and threatens to drastically curtail the programming diversity found on public broadcasting websites. This decision treats public broadcasters the same as commercial entities and saddles public radio stations with inappropriate and unachievable requirements.
Additionally, because the CRB’s decision requires public radio stations to pay royalties on a per song/per listener basis, it directly contradicts public radio’s public service obligations and mission. In a very direct way, the CRB decision penalizes public radio stations for their service to the public. The more of the American population we reach, the larger the royalty payments.

Artists, listeners, and public radio webcasters have joined together to help preserve our public service. We strongly believe in compensating artists, but public radio music webcasting as we know it cannot survive under the new rules. As it stands now, royalty rates for webcasters will increase drastically come July 15th and will be retroactive to Jan 1, 2006!

We need your help! Please take a moment to contact your Members of Congress to let your representatives know how much Internet radio means to you. Ask them to co-sponsor the Internet Radio Equality Act to save public radio webcasting. Act now!

Lost Days

Well, I made it through one month of regular blog posting. But, as you can see I have slacked off this past week. Lots of reasons; the primary one being that I am sort of lazy.

I thought I would make up for some lost days and comment on several things at once.

1. I'm glad to hear Obama is running, but I worry about the new politics of style.
2. Picked up the new Of Montreal, Six Parts Seven, and Patty Griffin, as well as a few extra singles from Camera Obscura and El Perro Del Mar. I love eMusic!
3. Took a quick trip to KC recently. We had fun in the snow and we got to see our new nephew.
4. Check out these two ways to listen to and even download songs from a host of music blogs: one is on the web, the other you can download (Mac only).

Letter of the Day is 'R'

The more Right-wing Radio personalities like Rush Rant about Obama and Race the more Racist they appear and the more Real, Rational, Right-minded (as opposed to Right-winged) people will see that these Ripostes are Really, Really wRong!

Scrubs on Iraq

According to the schedule I established for myself at the beginning of the year, yesterday should have featured a post on politics. But, last night as I was watching Scrubs and considering what political thing I might mention in the blog, I realized I should just point to the episode of Scrubs I was watching (iTunes Music Store url). I had to wait until today to be able to link to the episode.

Part of description from NBC website (emphasis mine):

But when [Dr. Kelso] befriends patient, Private Brian Dancer (Michael Weston), the war stories he brings back from Iraq remind Kelso what it means to be a good leader. Meanwhile, Dancer's presence in the hospital causes a heated political debate amongst the staffers dividing them down party lines, while everyone is fighting the patient's well-being is being neglected.

Also, I decided Thursdays should be broadened to include more than politics. From here on out Thursdays will consider things political and cultural. What better way to make the transition than to note a television show dealing with politics?

SOTU

When I have time I'd love to read all of this.

Tag clouds of Bush's speech and Webb's response look especially fun.

I'm so excited

And I just can't hide it. So, political Thursday has overtaken my normal Tunesday post. We will return to Tunesday later this week. I bought a couple of new albums that I am itching to talk about.

The possibility of Barack Obama running for president excites me. I realize he is a politician, and politicians by definition are suspect; but, there is something about his style and candor that makes me think that maybe, just maybe, he could move the country in a healthier direction.

Me too

According to an AP/Ipsos Poll (PDF), an overwhelming majority of Americans (about 70%!) oppose escalation in Iraq.

The way things are going I don't think it will be too long before an overwhelming majority will oppose being in Iraq at all. Something is wrong about all of this. I don't want to start slinging too much mud, but it hasn't felt right from the beginning.

Political Thursdays

I set for myself the goal of writing on certain things on certain days. Today is meant for politics. I am most behind on this front. A quick scan of recent political events produces too much fodder. I will need to catch up before I will have anything coherent to say. Here are some things catching my attention at the moment:

1. Saddam's execution (1, 2, 3)
2. The new Congress (1, 2, 3)
3. Immigration issue and some people's reaction to it. (1, 2, 3)

I'll try to get some links in this post later today if time allows.