Politics
Entries related to things political.
The ABC's of Deval Patrick
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Thu, 04/14/2005 - 17:02It was thirty years ago. It seems like it was a different time, a different life, a different world. Nixon had resigned. The country was licking its wounds after Vietnam. I was a high school student getting my first taste of politics. I went to Mount Greylock Regional High School; a school that I had been told was one of the best public high schools in the country. I was proud of my high school and the education I was receiving there.
We were not a well to do family in Williamstown. I had friends who came from very well off families. I also had friends who came from less fortunate circumstances than myself. There was a program at our school called, "A Better Chance". Highly qualified students from poor communities around the country would come to great schools like Mt. Greylock to get a good education and, a better chance.
The Scream and The Kiss and Decency
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Mon, 04/04/2005 - 08:01(Originally published in Greater Democracy)
A little over two years ago, as our country was marching towards war, my wife and I found ourselves getting involved in politics supporting a candidate that stood up for opinions contrary to the prevailing opinions of the time. He was a man who stood for decency and spoke his mind. Over the following year he went from being an asterisk to being the superstar front-runner.
It is an oversimplification to speak of Gov. Dean’s campaign as being an anti-war campaign and it is an oversimplification to speak of The Scream as the one media event that took him down. However, it is important to look closely at The Scream and think about what really happened there.
Primaries
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 04/02/2005 - 14:58A few weeks ago, I was at an informal gathering of highly involved grassroots activists from around the country in Washington, D.C. There was some discussion about how Democratic Leaders were supporting Bob Casey, a pro-life moderate Democrat over Barbara Hafer, a defector from the Republican party, and whether this was a good thing or not. We don’t want ideological purity issues to prevent us from choosing a candidate that can defeat the incumbent, especially when the incumbent is someone like Rick Santorum. However, Chuck Pennachio was not mentioned in the discussion.
ORMAN QUESTIONS LIEBERMAN’S PRIORITIES
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Tue, 03/29/2005 - 13:49Today, I received the following press release from John Orman, who has set up an exploratory committee to consider challenging Joe Lieberman in a Democratic Primary.
I am rushing off to other events, so I am posting this as is. Comments are, of course, welcome.
Easter 2005
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sun, 03/27/2005 - 22:12I caught up on my emails, spent some time with my family, worked on a few work proposals, but haven’t had a good opportunity to sit down and write. There is so much to write about; primaries, new books, how my children are doing in school, my own concerns about next steps in my career. Yet, it is Easter, and that sets the tone.
This morning, I sat on the hard wood of the church pew and looked at the colored light streaming in through the stained glass hitting the rock wall. The altar was covered with Easter Lilies and I closed my eyes. It was a moment out of Proust. The smell of the flowers struck me like the taste of a madeleine cake. It was the fragrance of resurrection.
