The Fate of the Democratic Party

The battle lines for the mind and soul of the Democratic Party going forward just got a lot clearer today. Rep. Keith Ellison just announced his candidacy for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. Together with Howard Dean, these two candidates present unambiguous choices in terms of the future direction of the party. Dean, a staunch supporter of HRC and a former chairperson of the DNC has been a consistent voice for the mainstream, centrist policies which have characterized the Democratic Party for the past four decades. Ellison, a Sanders supporter and the first Muslim in congress, has been a vocal and eloquent spokesman for progressive ideas and policies for the past 10 years and was recently named by Sanders to consult with the DNC in order to help shape the Democratic platform in this year's election by providing alternatives to the party's past penchant for maintaining the status quo.
The choice could not have been made more clear: more of the same as represented by Dean or the beginnings of a new move forward as will be championed by Ellison. The millions of supporters of the real change promised by the Sanders' candidacy were largely disenfranchised by the DNC's stubborn insistence on clinging to a 'safe' course by nominating HRC. It now has been presented with the opportunity to correct this massive error of judgement and embrace a new wave of progressive activism and, in so doing, reshape the Democratic Party into an institution which more accurately reflects the will of an emerging, positive, forward thinking, and hopeful electorate.

A Final Statement and Plea Before a Election Day 2017

The fact that this election is a close contest is at once a sad testimony to the Democratic establishment's decision to steadfastly hold onto the status quo by nominating the only candidate sufficiently unpopular (if not downright hated) to actually lose to a person as vile and loathsome as Donald Trump while simultaneously an indictment of a political system in desperately dire need of a paradigm shifting change of direction. It is my fervent hope that we will survive this state of turmoil, division, and collective confusion only to reemerge at a time in the not too distant future to reclaim, reassert, and rediscover our shared and common humanity.

Game 7, Joe Maddon and the Reinvention of Baseball

Let us all celebrate the great game of baseball as represented last night in the concluding game of the 2016 World Series. It was truly a game for the ages with so many of the outstanding aspects baseball on full display. But as we do so, let us not mistake the Cubs victory for a vindication of its 'genius' manager. Be clear that this historic victory was accomplished in spite of Joe Maddon; not because of him. The overuse of Chapman throughout the Series became evident in this final game as the closer was thoroughly extended to his physical limits while showing heroic courage to get through the 9th inning thereby allowing his team to eventually prevail. Earlier in that same inning, his manager once again asserted himself unnecessarily when he called for a safety squeeze bunt by the power hitting Baez on a 3-2 count, 1 out, and a runner on third. Predictably, the slugger missed the attempt, struck out, and retreated to the dugout shaking his head as the scoring chance was squandered. I'm wondering if Baez had been called upon to bunt at all during the course of the year, let alone in this most crucial juncture of the biggest game in the recent history of the franchise.....a classic example of a manager overreaching to the detriment of his ball club. Baez was much more likely to put the ball in play with a hard ground ball or a sacrifice fly than with a one-time-only chance at a successful bunt. Maddon seems to fashion himself as a self-styled genius of a game that often requires only that the manager step aside and let the game flow unimpeded. In brief, Joe Maddon needs to learn that the great game of baseball does not need reinvention.

The Liberal Legacy, Devolution, and A Look to the Future

I have been recently reminded that the liberal policies of the past have enacted such measures as the Social Security Administration, the desegregation of public schools, the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, the creation of Medicare, the Clear Air and Water Acts. True enough but the latter day 'liberals' have also given us NAFTA, the deregulation of the financial sector, the dismantling of aid to dependent families with children and other welfare 'reforms' which have resulted in millions of children being cast into poverty, the proliferation of mass incarceration of people for non-violent offenses and the emergence of a kind of prison industrial complex, the continuation of mass surveillance of otherwise innocent citizens, the expansion of a neo-conservative interventionist foreign policy, the invocation of the Espionage Act at an unprecedented rate to crack down on whistleblowers while discouraging dissent by procecuting investigative journalists for exposing governmental excesses, and finally (although by no means, exhaustively) the often clandestine use of drone warfare upon the innocent population in countries with whom we are not at war. The term 'liberal' has seriously devolved in recent decades baring only a scant resemblance to its once proud predecessors. FDR just took a look at the current flag bearer of the 'liberal' cause and he is not happy!
Sadly, in this election year, the alternative is a kind of maniacal neo-fascist and therefore must be repudiated but please do not mistake the default candidate as equivalent to a Henry Wallace, a Adlai Stevenson, a J or RFK, a Frank Church, a George McGovern, a Molly Ivins, a Gore Vidal, or, God help us, a MLK!! Such inspiration is to be found, not in the liberal ranks as defined by contemporary standards but rather in a new political expression brought to us by an ardent 74 year old from Vermont and certain to be sustained and expanded by an emerging vibrant young voice, singing a new song of liberation to this tired and world weary political landscape. Stay tuned...the best is yet to come.

Making Sense of the Inexplicable

In response to a friend's request to try to understand Trump' abiding appeal I'm afraid that applying logical constructs to the Trump campaign and the motivations of his dwindling ranks of supporters can only result in futility. His appeal, in large part, is to a base that has felt disenfranchised both culturally due to the changing demographics of the country over the past two decades and economically as a result of the decline of the manufacturing sector and its accompanying lack of well paying jobs. Trump has capitalized on this through a crude appeal to fear of the other as reflected in his extremist and rather far fetched (I mean, really...a wall?!) immigration 'policy', pronouncement that a massive tax break to the 1% will somehow magically trickle down (where have we heard that before?) to the working class, and the notion that through his (and his alone) leadership, we will return to some mythical time of past greatness...presumably, a time when women were obedient to patriarchy, people of color knew their place, and we were free to utter xenophobic and racist epithets with impunity. One can almost here the chorus of Trump supporters crying out for those bygone days of yesteryear when they were unburdened by the ugly restraints of 'political correctness' and therefore released to exercise their 'God-given' privilege in order to spread hate and vitriol wherever they damn well pleased.  Trump has fostered, nurtured, and exploited this mythology at the exclusion of real policy considerations and, in so doing, has  rendered his base with a visceral and distinctly anti-intellectual attraction to nothing other than his own inflated and rather grotesque public persona. Of course, we've seen all this before...the angst of a powerless segment of society used by a charismatic (although Trump's claim to this label is seriously losing credibility) leader to further his own personal ends reminds one of Mussolini's rise to power in Fascist Italy in the 1930's.
All of the above and an abiding, virulent, and irrational hatred of his opponent in this election seemingly has conspired to make an impartial judgement regarding Trump's fitness for office a matter of complete, utter, and total indifference to his most ardent supporters. I hope this helps to better understand the possible motivations of those who are casting their lot with someone who they might otherwise find wholly unacceptable and who we both suspect will wreck havoc on our already challenged country and troubled world. It gives me no pleasure to report that Trump's support like so many other considerations in this political cycle defies logic.

A Weekend In Paradise

                   

Got to share with you our experience last weekend in the Bay Area...Sandwiched between two stellar concerts at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park on Friday and Sunday were two Walnut Creek U11 victories in the Cal Cup qualifying round #2 (they won their first round match) where grandson Taiyo amassed 6 assists while controlling the games from his central midfield position. WC now advances to the regional finals on their way to their dream of a state championship.
The Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival is a San Francisco treasure...a three day extravaganza attracting some of the finest musician from around the country and, as the name suggests, is not limited to the bluegrass genre (although down home bluegrass can be enjoyed in abundance throughout the weekend). It offers an eclectic mix of many and varied musical styles and (get this) is entirely underwritten by the Warren Hellman Family Fund (btw: a former client of mine) for the enjoyment of an estimated 800,000 people who attend the event. Eight stages are employed simultaneously in the grassland meadows of the Park near my beloved Polo Fields.
On Friday, Debby and I got there early to get a up close spot in front of the Swan Stage where we were treated to a happy range of music beginning with the Detroit urban sound of Jessica Hernandez & The Deltas. They were followed and contrasted by the Dry Branch Fire Squad from Kentucky who played pure bluegrass from a quartet featuring incomparable guitar, mandolin, bass, and banjo virtuosity and divinely inspired harmonies. Next came an hour long tribute to the great Texas songwriter/singer, Guy Clark (who passed on earlier in the year) performed to perfection by the combined efforts of Joe Ely, Terry and Jo Harvey, Jack Ingram, and the brilliant Steve Earle. This performance took me back to the late 70's made survivable, in large part, due to the music of Guy Clark! The day/evening concluded with Dave Alvin's tribute to the late great Merle Haggard and various California songwriters. A high point came as Dave covered Brian Wilson's 'Surfer Girl' with a distinctly Bakersfield treatment! Debby and I were up and dancing for much of the final performance (some music just lifts you off your ass!).
Sunday's venue was the Rooster Stage farther up JFK Drive to the east where we positioned ourselves close up in time to catch the final songs delivered by the Texas gospel group, The Jones Family Singers, soon followed by bluegrass veterans Kane, Welch and Kaplin who survived a brief rainfall to bring us home to Appalachia in fine form. Blues legend John Hammond was next up offering a trip to the early roots of the blues from the 20's, 30's and 40's. He was followed by one of the most unusual performers I have seen in a while...Jonathan Richmond (and his drummer Tommy Larkins) who combined, variously, Flamenco guitar with stream-of-consciousness lyric to take us into the interior of his mind and to the outer reaches of what is musically possible! Suffice to say that Jonathan is way out there with, thankfully, very little chance of ever coming back! Our next performer provided a brilliant counterpoint as Rosanne Cash sang with soulful reverence the songs that at once paid tribute to her early days in Memphis and melodies that brought her commercial success later in her career. The final performance was by the irrepressible T Bone Burnett who combines driving rock and roll with uncompromising lyric which results in a transportive experience into regions otherwise not explored without his irresistible invitation. Needless to say, Debby and I were, once again, up on our feet dancing with an ungodly degree of abandon! Just a sampling of T Bone...'everyone wants peace, but nobody is willing to surrender; everyone wants forgiveness, but nobody is willing to confess'. Check him out on the sound track of last season's True Detective.
Thank you for staying with me as we toured yet another weekend in this beautiful and rather sacred patch of the planet. Hardly Strictly happens every year in the first weekend of October and you all have my personal invitation to come, as our guests, from far and near to experience it's miraculous gifts again next year.

Presidential Intelligence

Nobody has been more critical of HRC (see past postings) in terms of policy (past and present) than me but, seriously folks, please consider the alternative and the potential damage a Trump presidency could unleash upon the world. Even if one holds that Clinton somehow (by virtue of a unique calculus) is equally problematic, then simply compare each candidate's ability to grasp fundamental ideas, hold multiple thoughts simultaneously, articulate a reasoned argument, and actually listen to and retain multi-layered concepts on a wide range of issues that will require serious attention in the coming days. Elizabeth Warren relates a very telling story of the time when HRC sought out Warren's advice and expertise on a particular thorny issue. Her take away from the session was that, in spite of their many differences, HRC was by far the best student Warren had ever encountered in terms of her ability to deeply listen, retain information and then restate the various details of the concepts implicit in the instruction. This illustrates a level of intelligence hopefully most of us can agree is a necessary prerequisite for the job currently in question. If for no other reason, please compare the intellectual competency of the two applicants and soberly consider this factor when forming your final decision in November.