A Thankless Job

The campaigning has already started to replace former Mayor Don Williamson, and it's a crowded field.

Your own personal blue-collar Jesus

I've been fairly obsessed with politics ever since I can remember, but even I'm getting a little burned out at this point in the campaign. I've already voted absentee, so all I can do now is poll watch and try not to get too stressed out.

And yet, here I am, trolling the Internet the day after Halloween for any insight into the presidential election that I haven't seen before. That can lead you to some strange, unexpected places, like the Blue Collar Jesus blog. Yes, that's what it's called. (Please note that I am not an evangelical Christian. My religious "devotion" is primarily confined to attending the occasional lecture at the San Francisco Zen Center, rooting for Notre Dame on Saturdays, and wishing the Sisters of St. Joseph were still running a school on Franklin Avenue.)

Anyway, I thought the site, and this particular post, offered a few interesting ideas about some Flint voters and the confluence of race and religion in this election. After all, if anyone is going to believe in a pro-labor, blue-collar Jesus, it would be a Flintoid.

"Popular evangelicals do not have a coherent ideology. They are often be conservative on social issues and very liberal on economic issues. They possess orthodox theological beliefs but progressive politics, but there are no forums or role models for expressing this. However, recent successes among socially conservative Democrats may be creating political space for these folks.

"When it comes to racism there are two strategies. The professional evangelicals fuel racism on the issue of immigration. Or they divert attention from the shared economic self-interests of working class whites and African Americans by substituting a vision of racial cooperation based on social issues, such as gay marriage.

"Working class evangelicals cannot see Obama as a blue collar son because of what they hear the professional evangelicals saying about him: Elitist, militant, liberal, socialist, Muslim. Scratch the surface and these words reveal a deeper racist message: Obama is the Anti-Christ with an afro.

"The great untapped truth is that white, working class evangelicals share a common economic and spiritual connection with the black church. Both benefit from progressive economic policies. And they sing the same hymns. The long history of American evangelicalism bears this out."

Again, I'm not endorsing a religion or a candidate with this post. Just thought it was a thought-provoking take on this momentous election.

Predicting the Past

Graphic via www.newyorkmag.com

Adam Sternbergh has a fascinating profile of Nate Silver, the so-called "Spreadsheet Psychic," in this week's New York Magazine. In addition to forecasting baseball games with great accuracy, Silver also calls elections. As of October 8, he had the electoral vote count tilting heavily toward Obama — 354.4 to 192.6.

Of special interest to Michiganders is his breakdown of who would have won the state's Democratic primary if Barack Obama had been on the ballot along with Hillary Clinton.

Obama by four percent, according to Silver.

Flint mayor a step closer to recall vote

Organizers of an effort to recall Flint Mayor Don Williamson have submitted more than 17,000 signatures. They need 8,004 valid signatures to force a recall vote on February 24.

The presidential race in Michigan is over

Having just watched the vice presidential debate, I feel compelled to come up with something political to post. (By the way, is it just me or was Biden-Palin far more interesting than McCain-Obama, regardless of your political affiliation?)

Well, here's the best I can come up with, courtesy of Michael Cooper at The New York Times:

"Senator John McCain is giving up on his efforts to win the state of Michigan, his campaign said Thursday, in the latest sign that the faltering economy has reshaped the presidential race and cost Mr. McCain support in crucial states.

"Ceding Michigan is a major blow to the McCain campaign, which had spent heavily on television commercials there and where Mr. McCain had campaigned repeatedly in the hopes that he could appeal to enough blue-collar voters, so-called Reagan Democrats and independent voters, to bring the state back into the Republican column in November."

If you support Obama, be happy. If you liked McCain, at least you'll be subjected to fewer political ads between now and November as both candidates slash their spending in the Great Lake State. (I guess this is bad economic news for the state's media outlets.)

"The McCain campaign has spent nearly $8 million on ads in Michigan, according to the Campaign Media Analysis Group, a company that monitors political advertising, and now it has no more plans to advertise there, campaign officials said. And Mr. McCain canceled a visit he had planned to make to Michigan next week."

Please note that I'm trying to be non-partisan here. I chose this because it's about politics and Michigan, not because it's bad news for McCain. So please, no ranting and raving from either party. Or, even better, please rant and rave if you like, but let's hear from both sides, please.

A vote for inner peace

Journalists are taught to get the specifics, but never forget to keep the big picture in mind as they write. In other words, don't ever lose sight of the larger fundamental issue. Of course, sometimes this approach can go a little too far.

Here's the beginning of the post-election coverage in today's Flint Journal:

"Voters are dumping elected officials in droves these days. Nine of 10 incumbent township supervisors who faced challenges were defeated in Tuesday's primary. And just three months ago, a host of school board incumbents were booted from office.

"Are voters fed up with local politicians, or are they expressing a more general discontent with their lives?"

Is your vote for township supervisor really a mirror to your inner psyche? When a Flushing voter rejects Andy Trotogot for supervisor, is it actually a reflection of deep existential angst?

Dear God, I voted for Ross Perot twice. I threw my support to Ralph Nader in the contested 2000 election. I thought it was a principled attempt to crush two-party dominance, but now I'm not so sure. There may be something really, really wrong with me.