As southerners, my friends and I seem to spend “plenty time” watching for signs regarding this or that. The signs could actually be our better judgment kicking in or guardian angels (dead relatives) whispering in our ears. The continued bickering in American politics disenchants me—it is not supposed to be this way. President Obama was right to reference the MLK adage “you can disagree without being disagreeable.” What he doesn’t know is that fussing and creating mess is what some folks do on the left and right.
The Rolling Stones’ classic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” has been in my head all week when thinking about those in the political/policy arena. Senator Scott Brown’s win in Massachusetts was a wake-up call for both political sides. The Left should learn to take it easy on the center because not all of America is like New York City and L.A. The Right should learn that I was correct for years: if they produce less bicker candidates in certain situations, they could get more of what they want done. “You find sometimes…you get what you need.”
(Here’s the creepy sign part) So, I go over to you tube to hear the Stones tune and remember that it was on the soundtrack of the 1983 film The Big Chill—what a movie. A useless fact is that Kevin Costner was the dead friend Alex in that movie but his flashback scenes were cut. Can we flashback to the 90s when people could have a civil discussion on issues before voting no. In route to the cemetery, a friend says that her last talk with Alex was about him wasting his life—kind of like blogging.
I have a friend who could be deep in Georgia politics but is busy with a real professional and family life; I say help fix the nation for your children’s future. For the years, we debated politics and policy in the cafeterias in the Congress and since then over the phone. She is the reason I know that some people on the Right are actually well-intended but she could do more to improve their methods and techniques. (No reference here to “As Nasty As They Want To Be” by the Too Live Crew.)
In the Big Chill, JoBeth Williams’ character steps up to play the Stones tune on the organ at their friend’s funeral and her character’s name was Karen Bowens. Oh my goodness, that name is a few letters off from my congressional friend Karen Bogans who should be back in the arena in some capacity. It’s a sign I tell you.
I created this seldom-read blog to share the Blue side of our debates and hope that she will share her views from the Right in summary or something. This blog has a southern bridge on the front page to symbolize the bridge from our southern past to a brighter future. On the Big Chill part with the Stones song, the funeral procession goes over a bridge near Beaufort, South Carolina—thirty-nine miles from the Savannah, Georgia home of my old congressional staffing friend. That’s deep.
During the presidential election, I voted for change but fully realized that President Obama would need some people on the Right who would offer constructive criticism in the same manner they did during Clinton presidency and the way the Blue Dogs talked with both Presidents Bush. During Clinton years, that opposition also helped chill the fiery elements on the far Left. While I trend toward centrists, our community could use a little political diversity in the form of reasonable people like our Georgia Senators or we might wake up one day and find that the really radical elements of the Right are running things.
The Big Chill was all about old friends remembering what they planned and getting on the productive path. Let’s bury some of this ugliness like they buried Kevin Costner and move forward.
Big Chill Soundtrack–music clips
Project Logic Ga 
Rand Paul, Rand Paul, Rand Paul. On election night, I was thinking this guy is about to tear things up and finish what his daddy started. It’s healthy to hear different points of view and approaches in the political arena.
Rachael Maddow got him on her show (he announced his bid for Senate on her show last year) and picked him dry on his views of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Paul, like his father, is not one to back down from his core beliefs and none other than Malcolm X taught us to respect an honest person—progress starts with frank discussions.
But, those who want to see Paul shake up the Senate and DC need one thing to happen first. He must win the election. Win first—finesse the situation—if necessary, dance a little.
We know that President Obama appreciated the time Reverend Wright spent developing Obama’s political career. Wright said this week that Obama tossed him under the bus. You think? Wright’s past statements could not stand in the way of an historic election. Sorry…you understand.
In my community, we constantly say that the hardhead never learn. I wrote this blog post about my homegirl running for congress in Savannah and if not for professional and family concerns she would have been the first GOP sista in congressional history without compromising her background in the Black church, Spelman College or the conservative movement. Newsflash: successful Blacks are the most conservative Georgians but the hardheaded can’t see it.
We had been planning her run for congress since 1993 and the one thing I always told her is that finesse would be need—not compromise or capitulation but finesse.
Rand Paul should put the Rolling Stone classic featured on this post in his Ipod and get leave Tea Party person in the Bluegrass state to do the same. “You can’t always get what you want…but you find sometimes you get what you need.”
In congressional races statewide or in swing House districts, the candidate who finesses his supporters into allowing his courting of the center might win that thing. How do you think the Blue Dogs won enough seats to make Pelosi speaker.
President Obama “wants” a strong Democrat Congress but those cats will fight for a liberal agenda that will hurt his presidency and the economic recovery of the nation. He “needs” a congress that will design policy with fiscal and practical consideration.