But should the cash-starved, underperforming Richardson campaign come to a halt, it will be the farthest any New Mexican has traveled on the presidential trail.--Bruce Daniels, Albuquerque Journal, 1.10.08And, to admittedly belabor the point, how exactly in this "farthest any New Mexican" factoid important? I'm from Texas. George W. Bush is supposedly from Texas. He made it all the way to the Presidency. How's that working out for ya?
As a former Texas am I supposed to be all proud and stuff about George Freakin' W. "Shrub" Bush? Just because he's supposedly from Texas? If Shrub was from just over the border in Ardmore, Oklahoma, should I be significantly less proud? What if he was from Texarkana, but lived on the Arkansas side of the street that divides the states? Is he any more of a schlub in that scenario that has been for the last 7+ mind-bendingly awful years?
Not to get all mountain-mole hill about this, but hasn't this Richardson/New Mexico connection fascination been a pretty good example of tribalistic "us/them" crap that has bogged down us Planet Earth Humanoids since Day One?
I'm not saying that we should all necessarily join the United Nations, get in a world-wide circle holding hands and pretend there aren't differences between us. Although that might be a good idea. But this vote for somebody simply because they are like us in some way (gender, race, geographic location) tribalism has eventually just gotta stop. It's just gotta.
And that goes for white men voting for white guys because they are white guys. Or white women in New Hampshire voting for Clinton because she's a woman. Or white Republicans in Michigan voting for Mitt Romney because he was born there and his dad was governor. And so on, and so on, and so on.
And it certainly goes for New Mexicans going gaga over Bill Richardson just because he moved to New Mexico after growing up in Mexico City, went to Massachusetts for school and then deliberately plotted a move to New Mexico for political reasons.
Bill Richardson. Whatever.
Conversely, I'm very much looking forward to this Sunday's Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Parade March (2:00 starting at MLK Blvd. and University). It's a great cause, a nice walk downtown that appeals to my "destroy all cars and make all roads pedestrian concourses" mentality, and this year should be the site of some hard-core political signage and activism.
The first couple of years I walked along in the march it bothered me to see so many candidate signs, candidacy petitions and the like, but I've gotten over it. Reverend King was all about the political versus the violent, so I look at the political party convention atmosphere as okay, especially in these presidential election years.
I'm very much looking forward to seeing how the remaining Democratic presidential campaigns operate during the march, how in force the federal race candidates are (e.g., Martin Heinrich... you better be there), and what wacky unknown candidates will bother us to sign their petitions to get on the ballot.
Oh, and I hope it's a relatively warm day and that you all show up, too. Even if it conflicts with that most popular symbolic expression of war-like tribalism: NFL football. Forget the "playoffs" and take a walk.
5 comments:
See you Sunday. - Martin
Can I still DVR the football?
And I'll try to be there, it will force me to go to church again (my church is right of Martin Luther King and the freeway).
Do report back. And photos? Does 'Burque Babble do photos?
The Richardson point hits the bullseye. But, I don't look forward to the MLK march being exploited by political groups or candidates. I think it is rediculous that the sponsors go to such lengths to put it together, only to be co-opted by every fringe group out there. Why can't they organize their own march?-- Because no one would come. And I especially disdain the idea of people who are running for office taking advantage of a group of people who want to honor the work and ideas of Dr. King. In the name of non-violence, I will not accept the tracts they hand out and basically plan to ignore them as much as possible.
Maggie: Thanks for the photo idea. I'm grabbing my dig cam and will have some to show Monday or so. I usually don't throw my photos on here because I have zero photo-journalism skills or aptitude. Zero.
As for the negative thoughts on the campaign madness at the MLK celebration walk, yeah I can see both sides...but I'm come to some sort of peace about it. Especially if they aren't bothersome.
Any signs that say "MLK would have voted for (Candidate)" will be immediately destroyed by me, however.
And Mr. Heinrich, I look forward to seeing you on Sunday. I'll be the very shy person who will most probably just witness you from the other side of things.
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