Everything the Bushites do is political. They made the choice early on to promote what Sterling Newberry among others calls the "sprawlconomy" as the centerpiece of economic prosperity. By encouraging further devolopment away from the center cities, traditional Republican constituancies like real estate devolopers and the oil companies benefit economically. It also locks the new homeowners into geographic areas that are most easily drawn as Republican leaning districts. Remember, unlike the center cities as the hub of the metro area which often have a port or major river as a reason for being in the first place, far flung exurbs have a permanent dependency on governmental policies that favor them. Hence, these areas almost "have" to vote Republican to continue to enjoy the unnatural devolopment pattern that they benefit from.
The result of all of this can be seen in the gas pump prices. America is more dependant on an economic model which made sense in 1945 when center city land was expensive but gas was cheap as was rural farmland land that was near the center cities with fairly short commutes for workers who had center city jobs and lived in these 'inner ring" suburbs that now hold the balance of power between the two parties.
The Democrats should be able to stress, as Bill Clinton did in the 1990's that these inner suburbs have a lot more in common in terms of both problems to solve and opportunities with the center city next to them than they do with sprawlland exurbs an hours drive away. In the 90's many suburban areas went Democratic because this truth was stressed and so called red states like Arizona, Colorado and Florida among others turned blue for at least one presidential election for the first time in decades.
America needs more progressive policies if it is to get out of the hole it is in and stressing the need for promoting the common good in these "political battleground" area is an omportant step in getting there.
For whatever it's worth, I can report the we live in the suburbs and everywhere we go, the anti-Bush rhetoric is sharp and unrelenting.
Even the cashier ladies (mostly 60-ish, working part-time for benefits) can quite eloquently lash out at Bush and the GOP. They're a delight.
But none of this matters a lick if we Dems can't get our fucking voice unified on Iraq. The DINO crowd are effectively handing the Republicans the gun to shoot us with in 2008.
Are you paying attention, Hillary???
Posted by Christopher at June 16, 2006 05:03 AMThe local paper was busy broadcasting the name of the next Boogie Man - Zarqawi's replacment - this morning. See, its paramount for Bush to have a Boogie Man to keep the fear factor and "terrorist in Iraq" lie alive here in the states. If we rounded up every Iraqi in Iraq and killed them tomorrow, by the next day BushCo would have shipped hundreds of Sunni/Shia in from somewhere else to call "insurgents/terrists" so he could continue to justify the money hole War of His and keep the Fear of Terrorism alive and well, and making KBR money.
Posted by T2 at June 16, 2006 05:44 AMHeadline on my local McPaper's website:
"New techers will have to pass test"
Sigh.
Posted by idiosynchronic at June 16, 2006 06:21 AMThere's never "Victory" in the War on Terra, T2, only a multitude of "little" victories....permanent war, permanent occupation, permanent "wartime" presidential powers, permanent bloated defense spending, permanent deficits, etc., etc. Hence, permanent national decline.
Very interesting analysis, herbal t. Of course, Clinton did little to oppose suburban sprawl, not that the Republican Congress would have been receptive.
Outer suburbs voters clearly understand that any sensible energy policy is going to be a huge problem for their absurd life "choices" and absurd "communities". Hence the party of oil guzzling and whiteness is simply the only one for them! If they take the entire country down with them, so much the better!
For Republicans, the common good is the absolute lowest priority. Indeed, as a result of their "American dream", they're essentially hostile to it.
Posted by euzoius at June 16, 2006 06:29 AMWhy do Democrats do well in the cities?
Easy. There were studies years ago, wherein they took rats and placed them in an enviornment where they were packed into small areas.
They took another set of rats and did the same except they gave them room to move about and have some personal space.
The Democ RATS who live in the cities are often angry, disrespectful, ill mannered, lacked discipline, and constantly bitched about everything.
The Repubican Rats were easy going, enjoying life and were proud of their upbringing. Proud of their country, proud of their lifestyles and of the rearing of their chidren.
So, it is no wonder that where people have the chance to grow, to produce, to build their own lives without having neighbors pound on your ceiling/floor every day. Where drug addicts don't walk the street and pee on the sidewalks. Where mothers and fathers can safely walk the sidewalks after dark with no fear of crime, then you get an entirely different perspective of who you are going to vote for.
Either vote for the party that worships the VICTIMS of life, or the party that encourages the INDIVIDUAL and praises Personal Responsibilty and success.
Posted by carpdiem at June 16, 2006 07:06 AMYes, the GOP loves personal responsibility and success......at the expense of everyone else. The 'You're On Your Own' Party. I prefer the 'We're In This Together' philosophy. This Republican Congress has done its best to show that you can be a good Republican or a good citizen, but not both.
Posted by Via at June 16, 2006 07:18 AMGood spin Carpe, good spin. It's a good "see no black people, here Jose, do my lawn" lifestyle the GOP has created for itself out in the boonies. They can surround themselves with people like them, crush diversity, push individuality at the expense of community and shared sacrifice, and pursue the dollar as the only means of worth and fulfillment.
But you have no God-given right to cheap gas to power your "away-from-me" lifestyle choice, especially when it is someone else's Hispanic or black son or daughter who is dying to get you that cheap gas. And as the study shows, eventually people grow older, seek common bonds and community, move out your way, and wake up to the "me first" charade of Republicanism and the fact that they were duped all these years into going along to please the corporate bottom line of folks who don't give a damn about you except your money.
But as I said, that was a good spin job you did.
Posted by Steve Soto at June 16, 2006 07:21 AMThen you have your shit-covered sewer rats like crappy, here, who gnaws on the scraps from the gop table and convinces himself he's eating lobster.
Posted by iamcoyote at June 16, 2006 07:23 AMEither vote for the party that worships the VICTIMS of life, or the party that encourages the INDIVIDUAL and praises Personal Responsibilty and success.
INDIVIDUAL citizens like Tom DeLay, Jack Abramoff, Ken Lay, Karl Rove, David Safavian, Scooter Libby, Eliot Abrams. Oh, and let's not forget the "Ultimate Merchants of Hate", Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter!! I know I left a bunch off the list but...
I would rather be a drug addict who pees on the sidewalk than be a republi-CON!!
So, it is no wonder that where people have the chance to grow, to produce, to build their own lives without having neighbors pound on your ceiling/floor every day. Where drug addicts don't walk the street and pee on the sidewalks. Where mothers and fathers can safely walk the sidewalks after dark with no fear of crime, then you get an entirely different perspective of who you are going to vote for.
Ah, the mythology of no crime in the suburbs. True, drug addicts don't walk the streets in the burbs, they drive a Lexus to their office instead, and their drug of choice is oxycontin rather than heroin. But heck, it's not illegal.
And sure, maybe moms and dads can walk after dark without fear of crime, but they won't let their kids play outside alone because they're afraid of predators. And moms can go home to fear their abusive husbands.
And neighbors living on top and underneath us? Heaven forbid anyone have to actually come into contact with another human being outside of their own family!
Clearly you've never lived in a real city. Otherwise you would know that they aren't like the mythical hell you've portrayed them to be.
Posted by ann at June 16, 2006 07:35 AMThat wench is still trying to pimp her new book. I guess (D)ann Coulter has to pay her lawyer fees for her voting gaffe!
Posted by at June 16, 2006 07:52 AM"praises Personal Responsibilty"
Now thats funny!!!! the GOP and personal Responsibility HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Posted by goose1 at June 16, 2006 08:09 AMLOL Guys! You have to remember that crappy is a Sonny Perduist! And a Ralph Reedie! All these people know how to do is spin. When 2/3 of the country can't stand conservatives, these conservaties spin themselves into a big deep hole!
Posted by Ga6thDem at June 16, 2006 08:57 AMThe Democ RATS who live in the cities
And then there is the study that shows Repbli-cons are locked into rules based behavior, even when the rules don't make sense, and less intelligent than liberals by several IQ points. And then there is that study that shows how failure to nuture leads to Republi-con behavior. And then there is that study about inability to take anothers position and being locked in concrete rather than formal operational thought that leads to Republi-con behavior. And then there is that study on morality that shows Republi-cons are less moral than liberals.
So, explain to us how giving amnesty to insurgents in Iraq is good. Your new reality is interesting.
Posted by phidipides at June 16, 2006 09:25 AMlook, we need iraqis to come together like you pinkos say. the thing that brings them together is that ba'athist and sadrist alike don't mind killing americans if it helps their political agenda. let's give them that. and never leave iraq so they'll always have targets to provide them unity. that's bush's plan and i'm sticking to it, ok?
Posted by crappy per diem at June 16, 2006 10:00 AMI have an eye disease Mr. President, but you obviously have serious brain damage. All I have to do is wear shades, whereas you need one of those tee-shirts saying "I'm with Stupid", with the arrow pointing at your head.
In an attempt to continue to attract environmentalists and retain evangelists, President Bush has signed an executive order declaring the Nevada Nuclear Test Site a national park, and the Crystal Palace Cathedral a national monument. "Both are very unique, in a unique kind of way.", he stated on signing. The test site is expected to attract upwards of twenty visitors a decade.
The photo-op was slightly marred when it was discovered he had actually signed the White House guest book, rather than the executive order.
Posted by tempus at June 16, 2006 10:41 AMSecretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld gave a short update on progress on Iraq this morning, stating "We are in Iraq, and will finish the job." He was forced to shorten his press conference when an aid noticed he had toilet paper hanging out from the back of his pants. "We will not cut and run", he declared, as he left the podium, apparently for the men's room.
Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice once again confused the Pentagon by issuing a statement addressed to General Casey, commander of forces in Iraq. In the statement, Ms. Rice strongly suggested a target for an air strike. A puzzled General Casey responded that the suggested target was in fact his command center. Ms. Rice did not comment further, although Mr. Rumsfeld did state, off the record, “she does not understand war.”
There is some speculation that this may be a continuation of a disagreement between the State Department and the Pentagon on the direction of the war, although this has not been officially confirmed. The State Department feels the war should end, and the Pentagon violently disagrees.
President Bush had no comment, as he was being treated for a biking accident. This will be his second Purple Heart.
Posted by tempus at June 16, 2006 10:43 AMVery interesting analysis, herbal t. Of course, Clinton did little to oppose suburban sprawl, not that the Republican Congress would have been receptive.
Thanks for the feedback. With all of the campaign contributions that devolopers make to politicans, it's going to take a true oil crises and real hardship by a sizable number of voters before a re-structuring of the policies that direct the growth of urban areas can take place. Of course, with the kind of "leadership" we have in DC currently, this crises and others that might have been avoided or lessened will come and sooner rather than later.
I find a form of dark humor in the writings of those like carpe. In addition to the demographic trends mentioned in the link, the oncoming of peak oil will alter the presumed order of the political world. It may already be happening for if Arapahoe County in suburban Denver,once the "Orange County" so to speak of Colorado is really up for grabs politically, carpe and his ilk are going to get a rude awakening perhaps as early as November, 2008.
And as far as the illegal drug use outside of center cities goes, anyone whose ever heard of crystal meth knows that real life outside of big cities is far from bucolic.
I'm here in Loudoun County, Virginia, and everybody voted for Webb, a former Republican as a Democrat. Everybody here has money, and babies galore. One of the tenets of fascism is to get rid of babies. So why are so many rich suburbies having babies?
Why didn't Barb abort W?
Posted by Mal Feasance at June 16, 2006 07:26 PMMal: the moon was in the wrong cycle, and the Stone's "Mother's Little Helper" was on the radio. Damn shame, and not for the song.
Posted by tempus at June 17, 2006 12:26 AMWhy didn't Barb abort W?
She thought he would be like his father rather than the guy who raised him.
Posted by phidpides at June 17, 2006 11:06 AMPeel back the surface of Crap's Norman Rockwell and George Lincoln is staring back at you.
Posted by jondee at June 17, 2006 05:37 PM