Partying Like It's 1994
Yesterday was my brother’s 55th birthday. He was born in 1955. Imagine the possibilities since that song came out, “Party Like It’s 1999.” At age 15, in 1930, my father could have partied like it was 1915. I’m not quite sure how they partied in 1915, of course. I think they were doing some dance called “The Cakewalk” back then. In 1948, my mother could have partied like it was 1924. She and her friends could have dressed like flappers. They could’ve done the Charleston.
A friend who was born in 1936 could have partied like it was 1936 in 1968. Of course, 1968 was a very different time than 1936. They did a lot of partying in 1968 – big time. I don’t think anyone was partying much in 1936, though.
1955 would have been a great year for partying, though. Rock Around the Clock, poodle skirts, ducktails, great cars. My former editor’s year is coming up soon – I think it’s 1956 or 1957. Now there’s a great year for partying like the year.
As time goes by, the partiers are going to get older and older. The youngest member of our department was born in 1981. He’s going to have to wait a long time to party – 2062. By that time, he probably won’t have the energy to disco like it’s 1981.
The Republicans are partying like it’s 1994. Sixteen years ago, they took over the House. Their party was short-lived though; they couldn’t get anything past the Democrat Senate and President, a problem today’s Republicans share.
But this year, we took the House in numbers not seen in 70 years and took an admirable portion of the Senate as well, not to mention governships and state legislatures. Even New Jersey managed to flip a Blue district Red. But we’re determined not to party and celebrate too hard, the way we did in 1994.
We’ve learned a thing or two since then, particularly about Moderates and Independents. They tend to vacillate. We also have to start preparing for the party sooner. You just can’t throw something together at the last minute, after all. We need to prepare our candidates for the tough road sooner, build up their political resumes, get them used to swimming with the sharks.
Writing is about the only way I can help The Conservative Cause. I'm no salesperson and therefore no politician. When I was a Brownie Scout selling Girl Scout cookies, people used to slam the door in my face! I'm really brave at the keyboard but an awful coward on the phone, and not pretty enough for face to face encounters, though I'm no one's doormat, either.
Roland Straten, a civilian in the world of politics, was a good candidate in a brutal district. He’s had enough of partying. No one can blame him for wanting to retire from this nasty business and so we have to keep an eye on our local races to see who's fit to run. We have to make a stronger effort to get behind and get the vote out on local races. People tend to ignore them, thinking they're unimportant. But that's how Sarah Palin got her start - pulling her two young toddlers behind her as she went door to door, campaigning for a seat on the town council. The local races are the political nursery. We can guide them along and urge them not to do stupid things, like smoke dope, pose nude, wreck their marriages, join covens, or accept bribes.
Somewhere out there, there's a young candidate running for a local office who has the potential to go far. I'd like to see someone run who's not a lawyer. An engineer like Straten, or entrepreneur (again, like Straten). Or a doctor. Or an insurance agent (most of them don't like this Obamacare thing). Someone with real-life experience. We have to get over this idea that the ideal candidate is a lawyer or career politician. Well - having some political experience prior to a very high office like the Senate or the White House would be helpful.
New Jersey’s Jay Webber, who ran Gov. Christie's campaign, is a good example. But still. Sarah Palin, in her younger days, was fishing in Prince William Sound - or one of those Alaskan bays. She's not a stupid woman. She went to a less elite school because that's all she could afford.
The political machine tends to get behind its own. The voters go along with it, thinking well, they're politicians so they must know what they're doing. Trouble is, we don't. Or we didn't until the Tea Parties came along.
Now’s the time to demand more of our representatives than pork and earmarks and an occasional photo op. The Tea Parties need to stay out in the open. Their indoor meetings are fine. But other people need to see them, if not to join, to at least keep up the hope that we can manage our representatives. We have to think of the future now, before we’re robbed of it.
We need to Tea Party like it’s 2088.
A friend who was born in 1936 could have partied like it was 1936 in 1968. Of course, 1968 was a very different time than 1936. They did a lot of partying in 1968 – big time. I don’t think anyone was partying much in 1936, though.
1955 would have been a great year for partying, though. Rock Around the Clock, poodle skirts, ducktails, great cars. My former editor’s year is coming up soon – I think it’s 1956 or 1957. Now there’s a great year for partying like the year.
As time goes by, the partiers are going to get older and older. The youngest member of our department was born in 1981. He’s going to have to wait a long time to party – 2062. By that time, he probably won’t have the energy to disco like it’s 1981.
The Republicans are partying like it’s 1994. Sixteen years ago, they took over the House. Their party was short-lived though; they couldn’t get anything past the Democrat Senate and President, a problem today’s Republicans share.
But this year, we took the House in numbers not seen in 70 years and took an admirable portion of the Senate as well, not to mention governships and state legislatures. Even New Jersey managed to flip a Blue district Red. But we’re determined not to party and celebrate too hard, the way we did in 1994.
We’ve learned a thing or two since then, particularly about Moderates and Independents. They tend to vacillate. We also have to start preparing for the party sooner. You just can’t throw something together at the last minute, after all. We need to prepare our candidates for the tough road sooner, build up their political resumes, get them used to swimming with the sharks.
Writing is about the only way I can help The Conservative Cause. I'm no salesperson and therefore no politician. When I was a Brownie Scout selling Girl Scout cookies, people used to slam the door in my face! I'm really brave at the keyboard but an awful coward on the phone, and not pretty enough for face to face encounters, though I'm no one's doormat, either.
Roland Straten, a civilian in the world of politics, was a good candidate in a brutal district. He’s had enough of partying. No one can blame him for wanting to retire from this nasty business and so we have to keep an eye on our local races to see who's fit to run. We have to make a stronger effort to get behind and get the vote out on local races. People tend to ignore them, thinking they're unimportant. But that's how Sarah Palin got her start - pulling her two young toddlers behind her as she went door to door, campaigning for a seat on the town council. The local races are the political nursery. We can guide them along and urge them not to do stupid things, like smoke dope, pose nude, wreck their marriages, join covens, or accept bribes.
Somewhere out there, there's a young candidate running for a local office who has the potential to go far. I'd like to see someone run who's not a lawyer. An engineer like Straten, or entrepreneur (again, like Straten). Or a doctor. Or an insurance agent (most of them don't like this Obamacare thing). Someone with real-life experience. We have to get over this idea that the ideal candidate is a lawyer or career politician. Well - having some political experience prior to a very high office like the Senate or the White House would be helpful.
New Jersey’s Jay Webber, who ran Gov. Christie's campaign, is a good example. But still. Sarah Palin, in her younger days, was fishing in Prince William Sound - or one of those Alaskan bays. She's not a stupid woman. She went to a less elite school because that's all she could afford.
The political machine tends to get behind its own. The voters go along with it, thinking well, they're politicians so they must know what they're doing. Trouble is, we don't. Or we didn't until the Tea Parties came along.
Now’s the time to demand more of our representatives than pork and earmarks and an occasional photo op. The Tea Parties need to stay out in the open. Their indoor meetings are fine. But other people need to see them, if not to join, to at least keep up the hope that we can manage our representatives. We have to think of the future now, before we’re robbed of it.
We need to Tea Party like it’s 2088.
posted by Belle | 9:35 PM
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