Holy cats. I didn’t even realize WDOT has a Youtube account.
Author: Emmett O'Connell (Page 123 of 176)
Headlines like this one make you wish Almost Live was still around. We still need people to make fun of this stuff.
I’ve been meaning to write a blog post like this for a few weeks, but a post at Washblog put it over the edge for me. This is a cross between a mental exercise and simply writing down what I’ve been thinking over the past few weeks.
1. Register as a minor political party here. Actually try to stay classified as a minor party as long as possible, as far I as I can tell, the benefits of being considered “major” are far outweighed by the regulatory burdens.
2. Avoid running candidates for any statewide elected office. First, if you get over 5 percent, you’re automatically a major party, and as I said above, that is to be avoided. Second, you waste a lot of energy on getting one person elected to a highly unlikely seat.
3. Find low interest local seats and districts, where one party is dominating, that is where your opportunity is. These are places where if there is a minority party, its obviously pretty ineffective. Like my own 22nd LD, the Republicans are pretty far gone, their status as the small minority has made them not more reasonable, but rather more ineffective and extremely extreme.
4. Be the party of more engagement. Both major parties (mine included, sigh) have been working the past couple of years to get people less interested in civics, their government, and actually getting involved. From both parties messing with the primary to just the Republicans actually trying to prevent people from voting, their is a real opportunity of a “civic” party.
5. Take a page from Unity08 or rather these guys. Be a web party. From organizing local chapters on a meetup.com type system to writing a party platform via wiki, there is tons out there
At the same time, avoid being like Unity08, those sad-sack insiders.
6. Also, be like Blue Tigers, make your new party about more than just getting people elected, its about making your community a better place.
I’m of two minds regarding the first quarter announcements that are bouncing around. I’m glad people are engaging by writing checks to the favorite candidates, but I also understand that check writing is one of the least sorts of civic engagement.
I’m also not one of those folks who bemoan the early start of the primaries. I started way way back (and my guy didn’t do so bad, considering), and the more we think about politics the better. Even if it is one race, its an important one, and we’re less likely to make a stupid decision if we give it more thought.
But, just on the amount of money raised, I have a Blue Tiger Democrat type of question.
Well more than $50 million was raised by Democratic candidates in the first quarter. How much of that will be spent on commercials and tearing down other candidates? A lot I’d bet.
How much will be spent (by local Democratic organizations) to serve individuals in our communities and to build our base? Not a lot, I bet.
Being world class can be an argument for anything.
Building a new arena for the Sonics.
In that last one, the question is which city you’re referring to. It could be Seattle (or the greater Seattle area), to which I assume Kevin Calabro was referring to in a radio commercial I heard on the way home today. I wish I had the audio, but the gist was: build the new arena, we’re a world class city, this is what world class cities do.
Of course, I never assumed anyone could be referring to Renton, which is where the new arena would be built. But, the mayor of Renton sure was:
It was not too long ago when Renton was a running laugh line on “Almost Live.” Now our city is featured on the front pages of local and national media including the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Renton is serious about business.
…
A month ago we found out that Renton was selected as the preferred site by the Sonics and Storm ownership for a multi-purpose events center. What a great moment for Renton!
When I asked Clay Bennett, the owner of the Sonics and Storm, Why Renton?
He said that without doubt Renton was his first choice since he was excited at the expanding economy and the bright future that he foresees in Renton.
…
But irrespective of the outcome this has been a win for Renton. This has shown the world what we knew all along: We are a ‘can-do’, world-class city, willing to roll up our sleeves and look at possibilities.
Oh, Fred Moody, where are you when Renton so dearly needs you?
I’m going to hand everybody in America a shovel and we’re going to start digging our way out.
What I will do is ask millions of Americans, including you, to join me in taking action and taking responsibility, not waiting around for someone else to do it, but actually doing it ourselves, from the ground up.
Michael Tomasky himself on Barack Obama:
He is in many respects a civic republican—a believer in civic virtue, and in the possibility of good outcomes negotiated in good faith. These concepts are consonant with liberalism in many respects, but since the rise in the 1960s of a more aggressive rights-based liberalism, which sometimes places particular claims for social justice ahead of a larger universal good, the two versions have existed in some tension.
The rhetoric of civic republicanism seems to be there, but I’m wondering what kind of policies will be different. The words are the easiest things, but actually handing shovels out, actually getting people to take responsibility is the hard thing.
Edwards’ and Obama’s issue page doesn’t have any special focus on bringing citizens into the process or empowering them to make a change, or even service. Clinton doesn’t have any issue section that I could find.
So, what would be a civic republican issue for 2008?
Jorge Campillo will start the season, hopefully, in Tacoma. Which is somewhat a good thing, its better than him being released, and it will mean that I might be able to go see him pitch. Easier getting to Tacoma than Seattle.
All this thinking about a Mexican junkballer got me thinking about Mexican baseball in general. Did you know that since the 1950s, the Mexican summer league (there in another, actually higher profile winter league) has been affiliated with MLB as a minor league? I think I knew this, but it puzzles me that a country that hosts a full third of our high level minor teams doesn’t have a major league team. Canada at one point at two.
Just to keep you up to date. This two minute post on John McKay and Dino Rossi caused some waves. Was I the only one thinking this?
And, I solved the Sonics problem. We only need to buy a piece of the team.
Well, this Mets Blogger’s All Mexico Team:
Starting Rotation
Oliver Pérez (N.Y. Mets)
Luis Ayala (Washington)
Esteban Loaiza (Oakland)
Rodrigo López (Colorado)
Jorge de la Rosa (Kansas City)
Bullpen
Dennys Reyes (Minnesota)
Ricardo Rincón (St. Louis)
Elmer Dessens (L.A. Dodgers)
Oscar Villareal (Atlanta)
Edgar González (Arizona)
Jorge Campillo (Seattle)
David Cortés (San Francisco)
Ismael Valdéz (last played w/ Florida in ’05)
Infield
Miguel Ojeda, C (Texas)
Erubiel Durazo, 1B (Oakland)
Jorge Cantu, 2B (Tampa Bay)
Juan Castro, SS (Cincinnati)
Oscar Robles, 3B (San Diego spring training invitee)
Outfield
Benji Gil, LF (last played for Anaheim in ’03; 1 career game in CF)
Alfredo Amézaga, CF (Florida) (75 career G at CF, 14 in LF, 2 in RF)
Karim Garcia, RF (Philadelphia spring training invitee)
Bench
Vinny Castilla, 3B (Colorado; just retired)
Gabe Alvarez, IF/OF (San Diego; last played in ’00)
Humberto Cota, C (Pittsburgh)
Geronimo Gil, C (Baltimore; last played in ’05) (PLAYER/MANAGER)
I for one did not realize Benji Gil was from Mexico, by the way. Here’s a list of Mexican born players (sorted by debut) And, in case you’re wondering, the first Mexican born player in the majors was Mel Almada, a left handed outfielder who played from 1933 to 1939 and finished with a .285 career average.
Also, for your reference, here is the roster of the 2006 Mexican team from last year’s WBC.
Our Man from Tijuana, Jorge Campillo, will get the start against the As. Televised on KSTW, the entire Puget Sound will see what he’s made of.
Emmett O'Connell
@emmettoconnell@olympiatime.com
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