The Bradley Effect – Unconscious Racism In The United States

 November – 2008

First a little bit about myself so that you can see where I am coming from.

I come from what I like to refer to as a “Bipartisan” household whereas my mother has always voted Democratic and my Father, until this latest election season has always voted Republican. I also come from a Bi-racial household whereas my Mother is Caucasian and my Father is African American. (I know, strange huh?) I am 36 years old and I grew up in Northern Virginia, about twenty miles outside of DC. When I reached the age of eighteen, I moved to Florida then to Fargo and then back to Florida (S.W. Florida) where I currently reside. I just recently lost my job of over eight years as a Computer Network Engineer and I am struggling to find a new job so that I can continue to provide for my family.

Let me be extremely clear, I am a registered Democrat and I am for Obama but the reasons probably are not for what you think. 

In the past, I have always felt that the Presidential elections have always come down to choosing between the lesser of two evils and I know it’s no excuse but because of that, I have never voted in an election that would determine the next president of the United States. 

I have never had the impression that a candidate honestly wanted to do what was not only best for me but also best for my children and their Children after them. I believe that we as a nation have gotten too far away from providing for future generations and too close to the here and now. Everyone now seems to be only worried about what’s going to affect them while they’re living and after they’re dead and gone, what does it matter anymore cause they’re dead. 

We use to live in a society that always tried to better itself for the next generation. We as a society always tried to make things better after we were gone so that our children wouldn’t have to struggle with a dying economy. So that are Children would always have access to good education and healthcare. So that our children would always be able to find good jobs so that they could afford to live and provide for their families. (Remember, these are your families as well — even after you’re dead and gone.) The United States use to be like that and I often wonder what happened to that American Dream. What happened to make us as a people not care about future up and coming generations? I just can’t comprehend it.

Barack Obama has been the only candidate who when I hear him speak, I honestly believe that he is trying to bring that back and there is an undeniable sense of authenticity that I have not seen with any other Presidential candidate in my lifetime. I get the impression that he believes that this is one of the most important things that he can do and that he’s not just saying that to better his career. He honestly believes that this is what he HAS to do, not for him but for us and his young daughters and their children after them and our children after us. That, to me is an incredibly noble cause and calling because it betters this society that God willing, will be here when we are dead and gone. 

We have to get back as a people, that believe that life does go on and it is up to us to make sure that the people who are here after us have the best chances.  

Things should be better for them than they were for us. That should be one of our goals as human beings and we should struggle now so that our children and children’s children don’t have to. 

Getting directly to the topic of this article, It is obvious to me that this election will come down to what I refer to as “Unconscious Racism” which goes hand and hand with “The Bradley Effect”. Some of my closest and most dearest and loved friends suffer from this affliction.  

The unconscious Racist will tell you that they are not racist because they “Have Black Friends”. They may go out of their way to help a black neighbor that is in need. They may root for Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods. In every other case, they may try to be as fair to black people as they are to white people however in the back of their minds, they “still don’t want a black running this country”. This is exactly what some people will be thinking about when they are all alone in the booth with no one to judge them. This will happen, regardless of how much better they may think the black candidate is over the white candidate.  

Some people think that the reverse may also be possible and because of that some, including Obama himself have called this issue a wash. I however do not believe that it is a wash. I believe that there are more white people in this country that would not vote for a black person than there are Black people who wouldn’t vote white and it basically comes down to the tradition of this country. 

There are some traditional white people of this country who will feel (regardless of how many true black friends that they have) that this country will be forever changed too much should a black person be elected to the highest office of the land, regardless of whether or not that they feel that the change would be good or not. They would rather have their tradition.

I feel as though some white people may think that the presidency is the one thing that they have that blacks have not been able to take away from them through the Civil Rights Movement. Even though Black people of today in this country have just as many rights as whites, a black person elected as President is somehow threatening to their traditional way of life even though it was the black slaves that helped the whites settle this great country. It’s not like Black people one day decided to invade this country. It’s not like white people woke up one day and said to themselves, “My God, where did all these black people come from”? Or maybe some did, I duno but the truth is that Black people have been here with the white people since the beginning, even though it probably wasn’t their first choice when the white people showed up with their slave ships. Black people have helped to build this country and it is my opinion that black people should finally be given a chance to help lead it as well. 

Some white people do not even realize that they have prejudice tendencies. What people have to do is pretend that both of the candidates are white or better yet, they should pretend that John McCain is black forcing those voters the make a choice between the better of the two black candidates.  

What if the VP running mate on both tickets were instead at the top of their party’s ticket? Would you vote for Palin over Biden? Not to be blatantly obvious but if the answer is No, than you should not vote for John McCain because God forbid, if anything were to happen to him, Palin would be running this great country. 

There was a guy at a town hall meeting the other day that stood up and expressed anger and frustration towards John McCain. If I was a McCain supporter, I would be angry as well, not because McCain isn’t “hitting Obama hard enough” but because of his irresponsible decision to pick a running mate who is so obviously unqualified to be President. I believe that this did negatively affect a part of his Republican base and his supporters realize that this is indeed one of the reasons that he is falling behind in addition to this countries failing economy, thus the anger. 

In my opinion, his supporters have a right to be upset, not because a black man may be elected as President but because McCain chose Palin not because of her qualifications but because he felt that he could get the support of some of the people who were for Clinton which has not really worked for McCain except in a few instances. 

The voters who have switched their party affiliation from Democratic to Republican after voting for Hillary in the primaries obviously were only voting for Hillary because she is a woman disregarding anything to do with the differences in issues between Republicans and Democrats. Have those women who are now for McCain suddenly changed their views on a womans right to choose or on gun control or Gay Marriage? This just doesn’t make any sense to me and I believe that race definitely plays a part.  

Anyone who supported Clinton because of the issues logically would be for Obama because of those same issues. Most would not change their affiliation just because a woman was placed as VP on the other ticket. Most women that I have spoken to were actually offended by McCains choice. The reason for this is because they felt that he was basically saying that the women who supported Clinton are stupid enough to change their party affiliation just because McCain chose a woman as his running mate regardless of the issues.  

I hear a lot of people at the McCain events expressing discontent and genuine fear. Phrases like “How could we let this happen” and “I’m scared”. This is much more than simply being scared that a democrat will get into the White House. Some of these people are truly scared that a black man is going to be responsible for making all of the important day to day decisions in running this great country and for some, that alone is just too much to bare. For some, it is just unimaginable, unthinkable, inconceivable and beyond belief that this country would allow something like that to happen and that is one of the reasons that we hear so much hate coming from some of McCain’s events. They just don’t know what else to do or say. Like the woman who told McCain that she could not trust Obama because he is “Arab”. C’mon – - Really???? 

Is it possible that there are so many people out there who are that uneducated when it comes to what Obama really believes and what he stands for? Is that really likely with all of this unprecedented news coverage? Really??? Are we to believe that these people don’t have access to TV’s or Computers? I really don’t see how all of that is possible. I believe that it is more likely that people say things like that because they have nothing else to say that would make sense to the majority of this great countries people who do notharbor racist feelings towards blacks. These few individuals can’t come up with any other valid reasons so they say things like that basically to justify it to themselves; So that when it comes down to it, they can say that the reason that they could not vote for Obama wasn’t because he was black but because they believed that he was Muslim which would still be wrong in my book – Even if he were Muslim, which he is not. Somehow, not voting for Obama because he is “Arab” or “Muslim” is better than not voting for him because he is “black”. Wow.!?

When people vote, they should vote for who they think will make things better regardless of the candidate’s skin color or religion. This one important vote will affect generations to come. People need to vote for the betterment of our country and society. This will be the society that your Children have to grow up in and I would ask those people who have those racist tendencies to put race aside so that their children, my Nicholas and my little Olivia may have a chance at a better, safer and richer life and future. 

Some people just won’t say that the reason that they can’t vote for Obama is simply because he is black. That would just be too simple and non-politically correct so they say things like “He’s Arab” or “He’s a Muslim”. People say things like that just to say them because they can’t honestly believe it. Would a man who is Muslim stay at a Christian church for over twenty years? Would a man who is Muslim be married at a Christian church and have his children baptized there? I think not. That’s just plain stupid.   

I am not going to vote for Obama because he is black. I will vote for Obama because of his outlook on life and his beliefs and his courage and his ideas to change this country back to the way that it was when we were respected by the rest of the world. Speaking on “Courage”, it does take a lot of courage for a black man to run for President. If he wins, I often worry and wonder if the racist people of this country will let him live. I wonder how many times each day that Obama thinks about that and how he tries to explain it to his two young daughters. I’m sure that Obama thinks about this a lot but he keeps going because he realizes that what he wants to do for this country is bigger than himself. 

White people look at people of color in this country and say that they are the minority which is true (In this country) but when you look at the world as a whole, people of color are actually the majority. Even though I’m not voting for Obama because of his skin color, I often think about how our worldly relations may improve dramatically should a person of color be elected as President. Now obviously that alone would not be a good reason to elect someone as President but when you factor everything else in, it definitely (in my opinion) adds to the appeal. 

Some people have the mentality that it doesn’t matter what other countries think of us because we are the USA and if another country doesn’t like us than too bad for them. We have become a bullying country which in my opinion is not good. We need to have strong diplomacy and be willing to hear other countries concerns over certain issues. I believe that when we don’t use diplomacy, we offend other countries because they feel that we feel that we are “better than them”. To me, that is no way for any country to lead and we, as the “United States of America”, should lead by example. We do need to show our strength at times but we also need to show respect as well and by doing so, our worldly relations would most definitely improve making our children’s and grandchildren’s future much more safe and secure. How did we become a country with such obvious and blatant disrespect for the other countries in this world? 

I often hear McCain and his supporters take issue when Obama says that he wants to sit down with other foreign leaders. You hear a lot of them say, “It’s irresponsible”. Why? Do they some how think that our Worldly relations would worsen? Maybe those people are scared because this type of diplomacy hasn’t been tried in recent years and it differs from the “Norm”. They’re right, it is different but I believe that “different” is good. This is why Obamas slogan has always been “CHANGE”. That really is the whole idea.   

Obviously, the things that we have been doing for the last eight years have not worked and our foreign relations have worsened so, isn’t it time that we tried something new in those regards? For all anyone knows, this type of diplomacy could be the greatest thing that we have ever done or could ever do in regards to improving our reputation and world relations. Part of that is because of Obama himself and the way that he interacts with people. I believe that this is one of his greatest talents and strengths and this needs to be taken into account. This is one of the reasons that quite frankly, I want him sitting down and talking to the foreign leaders around this world. This is our chance to finally get things turned around and make our children’s lives safer. 

People criticize Obama because they say he lacks some Washington experience, which surprisingly is one of the reasons that I like him. Someone who lacks that kind of experience is almost forced to think “out of the box”. I want Obama to keep coming to the table with those new ideas that no one else wants to try or think about because they’ve never been tried or thought about. How do we know what works if we don’t try? That is the kind of change that we need. That is the kind of change that will ultimately turn this country and world around. 

I often wonder if after a black man is elected as President, will that make it easier for future people of color to be elected to the presidency of the United States? Maybe it will because the taboo will finally be gone. Of Course, people of Arab decent and the Muslim religion obviously will still have — no chance. 

E.D.P. 

Lehigh Acres, Florida

Image via Wikipedia

   From the looks of things, I may be the only one who is amazed that we are still talking about Sarah Palin.

     Many of the news reports that I have seen on CNN, MSNBC and other news outlets, seem to think that Palin is a mainstay in American politics and a force to be reckoned with.

     I beg to differ.

     Although Palin’s popularity among the Republican base seems to stay reasonably high, the same cannot be said for her popularity among independent voters.

     Palin’s favorability rating among all voters has gone down dramatically since her initial introduction to the American public as John McCain’s vice presidential running mate in the 2008 presidential campaign.

     With all this being said, one has to wonder what is the fascination with Sarah Palin all about?

     Charisma and showmanship.

     Very simply Ms. Palin puts on a good song and dance routine that deflects away from her wanton lack of in-depth knowledge or awareness of national and international affairs.

     In short, she puts on a good show.

     Ms. Palin’s ability to DISTRACT is the basis for her ability to ATTRACT.

     While she is delivering flowery speeches using clever catch phrases no one is noticing the fact that her words are shallow and her conversation is filled with generalities with no solid basis in facts or knowledge.

     Recently in an interview with Barbara Walters of ABC, Palin stated that she thought that she could defeat President Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

     If she truly believes that she is delusional.

     Although she may have the political savvy to get to that level of the political realm, her blatant lack of understanding and knowledge of complex situations facing America and the world would be grossly exposed for all to see.

     And she knows that.

     So why the infatuation with Sarah Palin?

     She is for all intents and purposes, an interesting person.

     She hunts. She fishes. She shoots guns. And generally speaking lives a somewhat intriguing life.

     Palin is a rough and tumble woman who still maintains her femininity. And that for a lot of people makes her a person of interest.

     But does that qualify her for national political office? Not hardly.

     John McCain picked Palin in 2008 in an effort to try to dash in on disappointed Hillary Clinton supporters (mostly women) who were downhearted that their candidate did not win the Democratic nomination for president.

     In her first speech, Palin appealed to those Clinton supporters by referring to the “glass ceiling” that Clinton had mentioned had been cracked during her campaign.

     It was obvious that McCain had chosen Palin for her potential appeal to those Clinton women voters who felt “left out of the process.”

     Why else would he choose this obscure female candidate, who also happened to be attractive, to be his running mate when there were more qualified females in the Republican Party?

     It is commonly known and quoted in today’s world that “sex sells.” And that is true even in politics.

     John McCain tried to pull a fast one on the American people and got resoundingly trounced.

     Sarah Palin was a sexy “Barbie doll” choice by McCain to woo female and male voters to cast their ballots for him in the 2008 presidential election.

     It’s that simple.

     McCain thought that America would be so taken with this fresh, new, vibrant, all-American woman who hunts, fishes and shoots guns, that they would not notice the blatantly obvious gaps in information that she possessed.

     He was wrong.

     The problem is, Palin is still with us operating under the illusion that she is a qualified national candidate. Or at least giving the impression that she thinks of herself that way.

     At any rate, the phenomenon of Sarah Palin rests in the fact that she is an interesting enigma of a woman and nothing more.      

This election is unimportant to me because it won’t matter.

It won’t matter who’s elected to anyone or anything other than the minor footnotes of history, which will take note of the fact that we will have either elected our oldest president or our first half-black president. Or half-African American if that’s what gets you your jollies.

Big deal.

The thing that everyone seems to be forgetting about this election, the same thing they forget every time, is that this is not a war of opposing ideologies. This is not about “Hope” ® by Barack Hussein Obama and Associates. This is not about “Victory” © The GOP. This is about two men who want Power. It is the heart of our political system. Everybody wants it, Everybody needs it, and they will do most anything to get it. The only difference between the two candidates is how they plan to acquire it.

One appeals to the very best inside each and every one of us. He hopes that we will join together as one people. He hopes that we will help our fellow man. He hopes that we can love.

The other appeals to the monster in all of us. He orders us to rally against a common foe. He orders us to destroy our opponents. He orders us to hate.

These words mean nothing. They are tools of the powerful to become more so.

I’ve been asked “How can you be so cynical?” and the answer is simple. The best way to help people is to not become president. Obama helped people in his role as a community organizer before he was ever a politician. McCain helped people as a congressman.

Think back on history. The greatest humanitarians of our time were not presidents. They were poor, motivated individuals that did everything they could to alleviate human suffering in the world around them. They were powerful in that they changed lives for the better through their actions. They were powerful because people freely came to them for wisdom. They were powerful because they allowed themselves to be changed by the lives they touched.

They were not however powerful in ways that allowed them to impose their will on others. Presidential candidates are representatives of fifty one percent of the population who wants enforce their will on the other forty nine. What the entire thing comes down to is the distribution of power and control.

In a two-party system (take for example, our own) it is impossible to condense the wide array of opinions, ideas, and feelings of over 300 million people into two viewpoints. We sacrifice so much of who we are every time we pull the lever for someone who will eventually sell out one of our closest held beliefs in order to gain a larger voting bloc.

I refuse to make that choice. I refuse to contribute to a system that will inevitably fail us all. I refuse to pretend that I agree with everything someone says just because they have a chance in hell of appealing to 1.5 million and one other people.

I refuse to vote.

And I ask you to join me.

41 years ago, America was in the midst of a great struggle that many people believed might never end. But out of that struggle has come significant changes, from which many have achieved.

These folks needed a hand up years ago, and many reached for and got it. So there were doctors, teachers, lawyers, professors, union bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers and folks of every occupation who wouldn’t have had a chance if the foundation for civil rights for everyone had not been laid by people like those in the class of 1967. That class was in many towns throughout the South, and for many it was still a time when people were just breaking free from the bonds of segregation. These people had few to show the way, so they became the beacons for their children who were to come more than a generation later.

Now the children of that 1967 high school graduating class are part of a sweeping change across America, a change that says, “yes we can” to moving ahead and being truly that example in the world that America once was and yearns to be again. With our young people today, we will begin a whole new chapter in our history, a chapter that will unfold like the pages in ancient scriptures with wisdom, generosity, and love.

One of the speakers at the gathering of that class of 1967 told those assembled that they should be grateful for being here, that at one time many were “walking dead men” because of the death threats that were made on their lives every day. Young people only hear this as stories from their families, not as a reality in which they have lived. But black folk in America were like the Jews wandering in the desert only to be brought to the Promised Land, which is looking like its just over the horizon as the young people embrace a whole different freedom. That freedom will be the fulfillment of Martin Luther King’s message that one day every child would be able to go to school, work, live and enjoy life to its fullest on equal ground. The nomination of Barack Obama, whether he wins or loses the Presidency, or is victorious in any other achievement, has been itself the hallmark of a new beginning that can give us hope that America can indeed make it out of its darkness, its war, and its spiritual pain after all.

All of this movement towards the light of true political and social freedom didn’t begin with the candidacy of Barack Obama. It began more than 150 years ago, continued for the class of 1967 and is bearing fruit today.

There were six young people who courageously decided to be the first to integrate Natchitoches High School, now Natchitoches Central, in 1967, from that special class. They were Pedro Guy, Charles Cornwell, Juanita Gordon, Velma Morris, Ellen Marie Payne, and Joyce Elaine Walters. That period of time was difficult for all of them because they were isolated by their black friends and threatened by white students. Some teachers didn’t like integration, and there were those who literally laughed at the struggles of the African American students. Nevertheless, there were numbers of white students and teachers who took personal risks to secretly help these new students. Although some townspeople voiced long and loud complaints about integration, there were also many who aided the transition. Numbers of those who didn’t help, or who were antagonistic to integration at the time, are remembered by their black classmates with some degree of fondness and respect since apologies have been made over the years to try to bring new understanding for everyone.

It’s now 2008 and counting, 41 years and more since the Class of 1967 left the adolescent safety of high school, the security of friends, and settled, some in Natchitoches and others in Texas, California, Virginia, the Carolinas and other points around the country, from which numbers of them went to their reunion in a small Southern town. All of them, however, are leaders in a world where those who can’t change will be left behind, because the Class of 1967 was out in front to lead the way.

I know. I know. You’re thinking this is just going to be another article about the upcoming election. About the candidates. About the voting systems. About the dirt on one of the candidates. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Wrong. I’m not going to bore you with all that. Maybe in another article. But this article is written with you in mind. It’s written so you and I can get through this election cycle and emerge ahead of the game, ready to take action, ready to make positive change. So, below you’ll find five simple tips for getting through this election cycle and coming out on November 5th with a plan, a plan to change your life regardless of who the next U.S. president is.

1. Ignore All Political Campaigns.

   That’s right. Simply turn off the TV. Turn off the radio. Stop going to the campaign websites. Stop googling for campaign news. Stop talking to people about the campaigns. Once you’ve managed to successfully stop focusing your attention on this issue, you’ll be free to move on to something else BEFORE the mainstream media tells you it’s ok to move on.

2. Become the Media.

   Start thinking about the issues that are most meaningful to you and start writing them down. Get yourself an account at Triond.com and begin writing commentary on the issues that are most meaningful to you. Share your Triond.com link with as many people as you can. Start increasing your connections in order to demonstrate that you are capable of being proactive.

3. Eat, Drink, Sleep, Breathe, and Exercise Well.

   Use the extra free time you have because you’re not watching and reading about the debates to focus on your health. Give your breathing attention as often as possible. Eat slower and healthier food. Sleep for as long as you can. And continue to do those healthy exercises to keep your body in great physical shape. Drink as much clean water as you can so that your body has the chance to flush out as many toxins as it can. Do all of this and on November 5th, you’ll be ready for anything.

4. Read Fiction.

   Reading fiction books or magazines tends to be better than watching TV. Rather than allowing your body and mind to zone out to programmed messages, read and critically think about a good fiction story. Let your mind get lost in the story. Imagine yourself in the main character’s shoes. Imagine what life would be like in that fictional world. This is helpful for strengthening your creativity.

5. Learn About Other Nations.

   This one applies mostly to those living in the U.S., but others as well. Paying close attention to the details of other nation’s political systems can shed some really strange light on one’s own political system. Try to find websites where you can learn directly from people living within the particular system you’re learning about. Imagine how it might feel to live within that system. Imagine how your political system might look to someone living in that other political system. Keeping an open mind about other nations and learning about them in order to figure out what works and what doesn’t will help you understand the kinds of changes that need to take place in your own political system.

Following the five tips above will help you get through this election in a critically educated, healthy manner. And then, on November 5, 2008, instead of being disappointed or falsely secure, you’ll be ready to help make the necessary changes to our world.

Key points Mr. McClaughry made during his presentation included the differences in how the nominee for each party was elected 40 years ago versus today-For example, he made the claim that there were more primary elections on “Super Tuesday,” (02/05/08) than there were during the whole year of 1968. In addition to that, Mr. McClaughry pointed out the fact that many of the presidential campaigns start out much early now than they did in 1968.

Additional points he added were the fact that there were no campaign contribution limitations in 1968, while there are fairly strict campaign contribution limitations today. Following his synopsis of the way things were in 1968 versus the way things are now, he went on to state who he thought which candidates had the best chance of winning nominations and their potential vice presidential candidates.

For the Republican Party, Mr. McClaughry seems assured that John McCain will get the nomination despite his apparent dislike for him. Also he was undecided between Hilary Clinton and Barrack Obama for the democrats.

This was a very interesting presentation from someone who seemed to have a great deal of knowledge and experience in the field of political campaigns. Though Mr. McClaughry did seemed very biased towards the right-wing Republican Party, he did treat the other side of the spectrum with respect and I think that made him appeal to me more as a speaker.

Though the presentation was informative, I felt Mr. McClaughry dealt too much with the reminiscence of how it used to be. I understand he was trying to draw comparisons to the times, however, I think he failed to convey how different the Country actually is today-Something that would have made his presentation much more effective. All in all I enjoyed the presentation and learned from someone who was in the middle of things 40 years ago.

It is fair enough to say that Fred’s campaign hasn’t been full of 50-page wonkish policy proposals (although he has outlined a nice plan for social security. What Thompson has done, though, is outline his basic governing philosophy. Think of it as governmental world-view. In fact, in this campaign, it seems to be more important to Thompson than his ultimate world-view.

The first posting on Fred Thompson’s campaign web site was a lengthy article about federalism. The first video up: not a Law & Order clip, but an 8:29 speech about federalism. He talks about the idea at all of his campaign stops and, seemingly, every chance he gets. He’s risked alienating the important social conservative vote, and evidently made a near-enemy of James Dobson, by answering questions about gay marriage with a federalist answer: let the states decide.

Frederalism?

According to the federalism article up at Fred08.com, Fred sees the outgrowth of federalism as “a government of limited powers derived from, and assigned to, first the people, then the states, and finally the national government.” He’s a big fan of states’ rights, too: “The federalist construct of strong states and limited federal government put in place by our Founders was intended to give states the freedom to experiment and innovate. It envisions states as laboratories in competition with each other to develop ideas and programs to benefit their people, to see what works and what does not.”

Fred is fond of saying on the campaign trail that “a government big enough and powerful enough to give you everything is big enough and powerful enough to take anything away from you.”

Who Cares?

There are two main groups that I see Fred really connecting to with his consistently federalist views: ultra-conservatives and evangelicals. That he is connecting with conservatives is hardly disputable; he’s running second in most national polls behind only Rudy Giuliani. That he is connecting with the more conservative members of the Republican Party has also shown up in polling data.

Rasmussen Reports says that Thompson is viewed as the most conservative candidate by 51% of Republican voters-not bad in a ten-man race. And in some state races, his lead among self-identified conservatives is higher than his overall lead. Let’s face it, we conservatives like to be left alone; that’s why we were such big fans of the Contract with America and Adam Smith. Conservatives know that a federalist government would be smaller and more efficient.

While James Dobson has had some snarky things to say about Senator Thompson, I really see his federalist stance as an attraction to evangelical voters. Even though Fred has said he wouldn’t support a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, there are still evangelical leaders supporting him (Gary Bauer and Richard Land, to name a few). Evangelical Christians understand having a life philosophy that affects (in theory) our every decision. We’re not hard to figure out! We worship a gracious, loving God and we do our best to be worshipful, obedient servants who cultivate a personal relationship with Him.

And since we’re acting (or trying to act) in a way that is consistent with biblical principles, we can appreciate somebody whose actions and words are influenced by principle – not political expediency. I think it’s the apparent lack of principle that makes evangelicals have such a hard time with the inconsistency of Rudy Giuliani and, especially, Mitt Romney.

What Does It All Mean?

The short answer is that Fred is appealing to the people who actually vote in Republican primaries. That’s why his polling numbers increase as the likelihood that poll respondents will vote in the primary increases (See pollster.com). So expect Fred’s poll numbers to increase as his message of federalism gets out. And expect conservatives to start getting excited again about things like free markets, states’ rights, and hearing a politician tell us the government is too big!

She,
along with her husband, ex-president, Bill Clinton
and her team Clinton, are executing one of the
almost flawless campaigns, of any political season.
There have been bumps along the way, campaign
contributions taken from people of possible ill repute,
but the foundation of the campaign remains strong,
and has withstood so far the blows against it.

The sun keeps on shinning for this caravan, determined to reach 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in 2009.
Witness this previous Sunday, the lady did a blitz,
appearing on five, count them, five news shows.

She had a commanding presence, looked and sounded
authoritative, fielded questions astutely, answered and
didn’t answer questions in a way that silenced the
questioners. Command and control, it was a very well
carried out performance, political acumen in action.
It does appear to be her time, looking at the broader
picture.

Someone would have to derail Mrs. Clinton in Iowa
next year, for there to be any chance, for any of the other
potential democratic nominees. This is an absolute stronger
than strong, juggernaut, ready to claim the nomination and
move on to the concluding race.

National polls show the Senator leading with 39.7% approval
to be the nominee, victory all the way, seems to be the cry.
She may choose Senator Evan Bayh as the vice-presidential
choice, since Mr. Clinton is prevented by law from taking that
office. Mr. Bayh could handle the red states, Mrs. Clinton
could bring in the blue states, if all goes well.

By observation, with Rudy being a little weird with the telephone
calls, Mr, Romney being too flip, flop and fly, Mr. Thompson being
just a bit uninformed and Newt not yet able to decide, it would
appear that Senator John McCain would be the only one who could
give Mrs. Clinton a strong run for the money. But money is the
problem with the McCain campaign and he may not make out
of the gate.

So barring a McCain-Clinton race in the end, the question again
becomes, can you say Madam President?

Even if you don’t believe in a spiritual power behind your attention, it is a powerful tool at your command.

Attention bankruptcy

By paying attention to something, you are giving your energy to it. Just as sitting upright in a desk chair burns a few calories at a time, you are spending your physical and emotional energy with whatever you choose to watch, read, listen to or care about.

You know the feeling: stress drains you of minor amounts of energy for every moment you give to it.

Some things we choose to give our attention to: if you are chatting with a friend about her new boyfriend, you are listening to her words and watching her body language. You would be leaning toward her, and raising your eyebrows and smiling a bit while you nod in encouragement to reflect her joy back to her. You might be waiting for her to take a breath so you can say something about the spinach between her teeth.

The benefit of this kind of attention is that it is an equal exchange. Your friend will return this attention to you while you are telling her about your new boss.

Some things we choose to worry about: when you’re watching a troubling news segment on television it’s likely your eyebrows are knitted together, you’ve tensed your abdomen or jaw. You may even have to call someone to discuss this latest development. You might lay awake in bed that night thinking about this problem, giving it your sleep and even your weariness the following day.

The truth of the matter is that the government has levied a tax on your mind. Every time you turn your tired thoughts to the news about what our government has or has not done, will or will not do, does or does not stand for – you are giving it your energy. Do you really want to “pay” energy to the War in Iraq? Do you really want to “pay” for the 2008 Election?

Those distant people or events may not “receive” your energy and attention payments, but you certainly expend them. Why do you think the phrase is “pay attention”?

The good news is that you don’t have to pay this tax. The IRS will never audit you. They get their energy paychecks whether you participate in the system or not. You can choose to save your attentive energy for something more worthy: children playing, a sunset, your favorite song, a good book.

You are what you watch

Looking at a heaping salad bar you know what you should choose to eat. You know that high fat, high-carb dressing is no tastier than light vinaigrette. You might make your selections based on comparative nutrients, your cravings at the moment, or perhaps simply out of habit.

The same selection is presented to us each and every day in the smorgasbord of mass-media. We choose what we take into our bodies. The problem is that most of the mass-media buffet is not healthy. There is not equal representation among the mental and emotional food groups. There is no Recommended Daily Allowance for bad news.

It is an accepted fact that mass-media engines have to stick with news that sells. They thrive on headlines. If they can’t find something big and splashy, they will make something mundane seem sensational.

In order to “hook” audience members, the media must evoke an emotion in their readers, listeners or viewers. Emotions like fear or anger will captivate large numbers of people. Especially those who are habituated by years of picking up fear and anger like croutons on the salad bar.

Happy stories make so little money that “good news” is rarely even considered to be real “news” anymore. That’s because happy people aren’t the target audience. (It is generally assumed we have better things to do with our time.)

YOU are the Target Audience

Once you’ve noticed the media you are faced with each day, notice what you do with it. Do you frown or smile? Do you tense up or relax? Do you feel compelled to buy something? Eat or drink something?

Have you ever noticed what “target audience” categories you fall into? Do you see the same previews every time you see a film in the theater? Do you see the same car commercial every time you turn on the television? These previews are expensive – they haven’t been broadcast willy-nilly to precede every film this summer. Those car commercials are targeted to a viewer who will watch a particular program during a specified time frame. You.

Pay attention to the advertising you end up seeing regularly. Notice what it says about who you are – what parts of your life it appeals to.

Advertisers prey on our fears. Ads targeted at the teen / young adult market are about trend setting and fitting in, being pretty enough and cool enough. Those aimed at parents are about child safety and long-term planning. Ads aimed at the elderly are about health, personal safety and life insurance!

Do you fit in with your “target audience group”? Are you properly pigeonholed?

McNews

Are you ready to try a media-free attention diet?

Believe it or not, there are enough information sources surrounding you in daily life that even if you never watch the news or read a single newspaper article, you will still know the gist of what’s going on. What will amaze you is how little the headlines change over time, and what passes for “news” on a daily basis.

Like most diets, the long term benefits will be more effective as a lifestyle change, rather than a temporary purge.

Also similar to nutritional dieting, the first step is awareness. Like the Food Log that a dieter is asked to keep and simply watch mindfully what they are eating every moment of the day for a week, you will need to know where and how you take in your mass media information.

Where do you get your news? Where do you seek entertainment? Do you read the newspaper every morning? What about television? Films? What sites do you read online? Who emails you the latest juicy tidbits of gossip?

Like the omnipresence of McDonald’s restaurants – Big Macs that splatter all over the world – notice the inundation.

Notice how much the world clambers for your attention.

When I get up and get ready to go to work in the morning, I choose not to turn on the television.

The first news I read is the headline on the local paper in the newsstand at the commuter train station. The Watchtower I politely decline each morning. Animated digital news & advertisement tickers on the train platform. On the train itself, there are closed-captioned television screens with taped local news and commercials. Billboards out the windows, on-train advertisement placards for fast-food and cars for sale: “Low-credit, No-Credit, OK!”

There is the music blaring from headsets of other commuters. Not to mention the various covers of books, magazines, and newspaper headlines in the hands of everyone around me. There, are of course, more news tickers, newspapers and ads at the station near my office. Branding on buildings, banners, and the sides of trucks on my short walk. News, trivia and advertisements scroll on a Captivate Network LCD screen in the elevator of the office building.

I unwillingly receive this in one hour, even before I’ve turned on my PC, checked my email, or gone online.

Life outside the box

You will notice a resistance to your media diet from friends and loved ones. Like an alcoholic sometimes has to make new friends to stay on the wagon, you might have to talk to different individuals.

Some people feel very insecure about the idea that you aren’t watching television. I find that my media diet triggered a defensive response in many people. At first, they were confused asking me questions like “What do you do?!” or “Where do you point your furniture?”

When I respond that I write, read, listen to music, practice yoga, surf the net, garden, walk my dog, experiment in the kitchen, clean the house, paint, sew, or get a little extra sleep… They wonder if perhaps they should be joining me on this unconventional quest for peace and quiet. When they decide that they cannot possibly give up their time with the mass-media, my friends started trying to give me television sets. Literally. It became a point to make all of them feel better to know when I finally accepted one.

It is commonly accepted social etiquette to have something interesting to talk about in casual conversation. If you’re reading great books, then you don’t need this. If you’re renting quality films that you really want to see (or borrowing them from the library?) again, you’ve got plenty there. But if you really need current events to be able to chat about, I highly recommend a fun site called Happy News.

The media-free diet

One of the more insidious sources of “information” I’ve encountered has been the informal kind.

The news at the water-cooler is actually the most helpful. I tend to hear most of my breaking news from concerned coworkers who know I don’t watch the news. In fact, we always benefit from our friends giving us their attention.

They don’t bother to ask my opinion about the latest election candidates. Instead, they make sure I’ve heard about the e-coli in my spinach salad, or the recall on cat food. I end up getting the need-to-know data, rather than all that other stuff.

Before you grow too concerned about side-effects of your media diet, you don’t really need to rely on them for the information. I’d have found out the instant I went to the grocery store and couldn’t find a bag of baby spinach leaves to buy. Nor do you need to trust them as a reliable source. Often, after receiving a tip from someone about anything that really concerns me, I will go online and look up more information from a few sources.

Email is the hardest informal news source to weed through. Memos, company announcements, gossip, and chain letters.

The best thing I have ever done for my peace of mind is this: In Outlook, under the Tools menu, select “Options”. Then click on the button for “Email options” then on the button “Advanced Email Options”. In the section entitled “When new items arrive in my inbox” UNCHECK EVERY SINGLE BOX. This means my PC will no longer beep or blink when a new email is received. A dozen new messages can pile up before I have a moment to check them. I’ve never fallen behind in my work. Productivity is enhanced because my stress levels have decreased as my time management abilities have skyrocketed.

As far as personal email is concerned, I have a few preferences.

First, I never buy in to those “send this warning to everyone you know” notes. Even if I’ve had the time to look it up on Snopes and it really is true. If it isn’t true, I reply to the sender with a link to the article debunking it. I like to request that they fact-check these things before sending them out. Repeat offenders usually get a warning that in the future, such discrediting emails will be sent via “Reply All” and would they please remove me from their distribution list.

I usually read the “feel-good” ones and the jokes, but very seldom pass them along. There are two kinds of senders from whom you receive emails from. There are friends who always have an interesting personal note, an invitation to a party, or a fascinating detail that made them think of you. Then there are the people who only send messages to large groups of people at a time, usually with the telltale acronym FW still in the subject line. I prefer to not have my email address be synonymous with SPAM in my friends’ minds.

At the office, we give our energy and attention to our work. If it’s something that challenges, interests or excites you, it’s likely that your energy is recycled right back into your mind – you remain enthusiastic and engaged in your work. If it’s something that is not quite as fascinating, you are likely to feel your energy draining out of you as you give it your attention.

If you are feeding your mind to your work, doesn’t that make it doubly important to love what you do?

After a hard day of paying attention for pay at the office, the one place where we have the most control over what we choose to attend is at home. Do you open all of the mail you receive? Pay bills? Watch television? Listen to the radio? Go online? Flip through a magazine? Is there something on playing just for “background noise” around you?

If you turn all of these things off, what would you hear? Birds singing? Maybe the squeals of neighborhood kids playing tag? Or a dog barking to be let inside? Perhaps it’s the sounds of traffic – cars, trains or airplanes. Can you hear your neighbor’s TV turned up too loudly?

Or is it quiet? Can you hear your breath? What about your heartbeat?

The real question is this – can you leave it all turned off? For one night? Like people who can’t have ice cream in the refrigerator without hurrying to eat it, some people simply can’t have access to all of the media available in daily life and not give it their attention.

I defragged my PC because it’s what I wanted to do with my head.