I watched last night's Democratic Party Presidential Debate after I watched the Chicago Cubs work off the curse of a goat and curses of too many White Sox Fans. Though I am an unashamedly tribal, let's say Parochial south sider, I was delighted to watch the Cubs take down the tough and canny St. Louis Cardinals.
I do not believe in curses. I believe in God's grace and the Cubs were graceful and Cub Fans gracious.
Growing up, in a grammatical manner of speaking, on the south side of Chicago, I learned to embrace my Catholic Faith, the values of blue collar neighborhood Chicago and the once proud and fierce Democratic Party that defended labor, fought secularism, Communism, classism and defended America. Over the last twenty years, I watched labor weaken itself by making bargains with public sector unions and effectively shrink the middle class. The skilled and industrial trades created the American middle class and the greatest standard of living for more people than any movement or conquest in world history. When labor took up the redistribution of wealth mantra from SEIU in the late 1980's things went badly for the skilled and industrial trades.
Likewise, during this period, but beginning a bit before, the Democratic Party went from being the political party of working men and women to a platform for eugenics, global corporatism and a cowardly rapprochement with Marxism. No longer were labor leaders, churchmen and military leaders clarion voices for working people. Street Hustlers, wealthy Ivy League wet-brains, academic charlatans and pollsters carried the policies of racial division, self-doubt and angry classism in their purses and man-clutches, as well as the billions of dollars necessary to turn Anti-Abortion Democrat candidates like U.S. Senator Dick Durbin and those of his ilk into smarmy, dithering and cowardly puppets for some very bad causes and the people funding them.
To me, the candidacy and Presidency of Barack Obama seemed a Billy Goat's Curse upon the Democrats and I could only vote for local candidates who continued to fight for human life from conception to grave, like my own Congressman Dan Lipinski and Alderman Matt O'Shea of the 19th Ward. That's just me.
Last night, former Senator James Webb rekindled my love of the Democratic Party. My only objection to James Webb is his continued support of Roe v. Wade. Webb once said of social issues ( read abortion and gay marriage) " I believe the power of the government ends at my front door unless there is a compelling reason to come inside ..." There is, Mr. Webb. We can't have Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness without Life.
That powerful objection of mine aside, I was impressed to see one genuine Democrat of the true stripe defend and hold his position against the flabby, phony and prefabricated plays to the plants in the audience of Bernie Sanders and the odious Mrs. Clinton.
James Webb is the Annapolis Man, the thickly decorated combat Marine, the independent United States Senator, the fierce defender of American exceptionalism ( yes, CNN, America is exceptional) and interests and dedicated Secretary of the Navy who ensured this country's ability to defend itself. Webb is no author of ghost-written auto-biographies, nor a clip board wielding community activist with billionaire backers. Jim Webb is an honorable patriot and author of what is considered to be the finest novel to come out of the Vietnam War , ten other powerful books, films and an Emmy Award winning documentary on the Scots-Irish contributions to America.
In debate, Webb stood with great honor.
Gloria Vanderbilt's little boy Anderson Cooper tried to collapse Senator Webb from the get-go with this -
James Webb mopped the floor with Cooper.
Webb wrote in 2010 that the White Privilege Myth is a dodge used to divide people. Last night Anderson Cooper proved Webb correct to millions of Americans.
Later, Cooper offered this idiotic question, "the enemy they are most proud of." - James Webb answered the Vietnamese soldier who tried to kill him.
The Vegas Casino packed with Sanders and Clinton plants went silent -on demand.
James Webb was the only Democrat on that Stage a man graced by God.
James Webb can have my vote. A man with this much honor must eventually strangle abortion in this nation and make America great once more.
Go, Cubs, Go!
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