A few tidbits from the election

When I was young, we had steaks every Saturday night. Dad would trim his T-bone off the end and would cut that up into bite-sized pieces which he also threw on the grill. These were done long before the steaks, of course, and Dad would call me out to the patio for "Tidbits!" We'd salt them and eat them right off the grill while we waited for the rest of the steaks to cook. They were pretty well done, being so small, but I still always thought they were the best part of Saturday night.

Well, the Democrats are having political steak this week, and while their metaphorical t-bones and strips are well known, let's have some salty, hot tidbits while we're waiting to see what they do with it.

First, Howard Dean is, as Joe Conason put it on Salon, vindicated. He had this crazy idea that instead of running things like they were always done before, he would try a "50-state solution". And it turns out, despite hoots of derision, that he was right. He's not just Rohm Emmanuel's geeky litte brother with Tourette's, he's actually on to something.

Personally, I really, really like the idea of a 50-state solution, because I live in Texas. Now, I love Texas with all my heart like a good cowgirl should, but I usually feel like my vote is a joke. It's not that I don't meet Democrats and other anti-Republicans on a daily basis-- I do, and from all walks of life and age groups-- but let's face facts. My senators are Kay Bailey Even-My-Hair-Is-Afraid-Of-Me Hutchinson and John Shoot-Judges-Until-You-Make-Me-One-Then-Stop Cornyn. They aren't going anywhere by themselves, and neither of them are stupid enough to get caught doing something awful. (Although, a girl can dream...) So, I can vote until I'm blue in the touchscreen finger but it never does any good. I still turn on CNN and there are the Texan Twins of Doom. I do have Lloyd Doggett, a Dem I really like, for House Rep., so the Dems aren't totally comatose in Tejas, but it's close. Sleeping peacefully, shall we say. We could use some help from our coastal-elite brethren.

So bring on your 50-state solution, Dr. Dean! There are Dems wandering the vast wilderness of the fly-over states! We count too!

Interestingly, before I got a chance to post this, I saw a bit on War Room that some, including strategist James Carville, are having a beef with Dean over this, saying that by spreading the love around, he shorted some people in key races. "Some people" in this case is James Ford, Carville's protege of sorts. Yes, yes, Ford was on the cover of Newsweek under the title, "Not your Daddy's Democrats," but I ask you, JC, would you have rather had one cover-boy or the House and Senate? And Ford, while very nice and well-spoken and handsome and black (in Tennessee, mind you), is also against gay marriage and is pro-life, two things that when things settle back down to normal governance put him opposite my views and what I really think the Democratic party should be. I would have liked to see him win, too, but let's not get too greedy.

And that brings me to my next tidbit: what I think the Dems should be. I think that above all, the Democratic party has to stand for one idea: We have to make room for all of us. It's as simple as that. So, you think that if I'm gay, I'm going to hell, and if I get married in the meantime, then the US will go to hell with me? Well, we're here to remind you that not everyone thinks that, and we all have to live here too. We don't all have to be religious, and if we are, we don't have to be Christians, and if we are, we don't have to be evangelical Christians, and if we are, we don't have to be right-wing, and if we are, then there is room for us too, because there is room for everybody. That's what I want. Think a Giant Spaghetti Monster created the world? Excellent, we have room for you too. Think we didn't really go to the moon? Right this way, there's a whole group for you too, have fun! Think you can co-parent with one friend while living with another friend platonically while creating a sort of post-modern nuclear family? The house next door is up for sale, c'mon down, we could be pals. But more importantly, even though our parents think we're nuts and religious zealots would condemn us, there is room for us in the Good Ol' U. S. of A. and we need to defend ourselves against marginalization. Keeping the tent open for all of us and defending the honorable ideals of America including tolerance and freedom I think should be the primary missions of the Democratic party.

Oh, yeah, and while we're on the subject of differing views, let's at least agree that Hard Science, while incomplete and evolving itself, is the empirical study of the facts of nature, and that we must put some faith in it and reveal it, rather than squash reports and studies that conflict with the administration's religious views. Scientific departments of the government were created to establish a groundwork of "known knowns" (oh, I miss him already) for the government, but this administration has used mafioso techniques to squash reports that disagree with the religious views of the base of their party. OK, you're still sure in your heart that the literal interpretation of Genesis is correct? Well, there is a big tent revival down the way, have fun, remember to keep hydrated, but please keep your ideas away from my science, thanks.

My goodness, look at the time. And I haven't even talked about the youth vote turnout or what the agenda of the Dems should be! Tune in for the next installment of Woo-hoo! What Now? , or, as you have lovingly come to know it, Little Miss Patriot. Be good, say your prayers, or don't, and then keep that to yourself.