Welcome to the Big Top's Final Performance

Politics is usually a world of serious people, talking about serious issues that are highly relevant, but while this vast majority usually dominates CNN and FoxNews, there is that illusive 5% of the political world that an absolute shit show. Doing this blog had really taught me a lot about all the important things going on in the United States, but sadly sometimes the important stuff isn’t what gets people’s attention. Before you can get someone to buy what you’re selling, you HAVE to get their attention and I hope my blog did get a few people attention. I tired to keep things light and add a touch of Washington’s ridiculousness. To wrap up my blog I’m going to share a few stories my dad dug up via CNN.

The FLOTUS was by far my biggest “umm, what the hell” moment. I had heard Michelle Obama called this before, but I just thought it was some rude name or something- I had no idea that it stood for “first lady of the United States”. The fashion group hit the nail on the head when they discussed how every designer is dying to dress her. One reporter sent this text into his new station, “At 9:48 POTUS and FLOTUS exited the south Portico and boarded Marine One. POTUS wore no coat over his suit, but FLOTUS wore a fashionable tan or light brown coat. POTUS put his hand on FLOTUS' back as they walked and looked over at her, appearing to say something. And with that, the first couple was off for southeast Asia." The piece was entitled “Like a Scene out of ‘Gone With the Wind’. Now serious, this is just ridiculous. No serious new station would run this story- I’m now more interested in what the POTUS and FLOTUS are saying, instead of what they are wearing.

A funny follow up on the Delaware midterm election race ended in an old tradition in which the two rivals finally burry the hatchet… and I mean they actually burry a little axe. This tradition honesty cracks me up and I would give hundreds of dollars to see McCain and Obama burry a hatchet out on the White House lawn.

When I saw this photo of Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton getting welcomed by the New Zealand Parliament I seriously thought I was looking at a post on lamebook.com.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/11/05/t1larg.hillarynewzealandnoses.gi.jpg

    As you can see politics isn’t really just a super serious world- just don’t tell the kids in the law library that. There is some super ridiculous things that go on in good old Washington D.C. Seeing this side of politics really helped me get into to the more serious issues and for that I am very grateful. 

Results- hot off the line with my folks

Ohhh, the election. Who would have thought that in 2008 that the 2010 there would be a Republican majority in the House? And with all the Bill White signs I was a little worried for Rick Perry. America never ceases to amaze me with the way we change.

This new conservative control in the House and Perry keeping his address here in the good ‘ole ATX sat very well with my grandmother and father. Grandmother Hughes cannot stand taxes and said that after the defeat of her beloved Rangers in the World Series, she could not take another hit- especially one as devastating as more Democratic control and higher taxes.

Mom said she was feeling as neutral as ever and stated that the House should start selling tickets for all battle royales they will soon be having. She knows I want to go to law school and threatens to “ground me” if I have any sort of involvement in politics other than voting- she says it’s too big of a risk.

My paternal grandmother was somewhat pleased with Perry maintaining his role as governor but has wished that the House would have played out different. My father quickly called me after I hung up with grandmother Burrow and smugly retorted, “Sara, my mom is crazy.”

Really I think what my dad was politics in general is crazy. This election has really made me look at where I would want to take my law career. I always thought I would enjoy running for an office or working on the public relations team for a presidential candidate, but now I’m not so sure. With politics is just seems like things can change almost as quickly as Texas weather. I guess I just don’t want to be like those girls who wore shorts to class today.

My friend , Josh Simpson, wrapped the election up in a nutshell via his Facebook status. 

Tea and Parties with Grandmother Hughes and Josh Hamilton

Every summer I take my 81-year-old grandmother to Books-A-Million. Armed with her list of about 20 books from Glenn Beck’s recommended reading archive, I spend the next 2 or 3 hours looking for each book. I pace down aisle after aisle, checking off books from her wish list, but only if they are the paperback edition- she refuses to pay the extra, “outrageous” costs of hardback books.

            Many of the books deal a lot with America’s past and our history as a nation. While I’m here in Austin Grandmother calls every time she finishes a book to let me know her big epiphanies and interesting facts she took away. She recently finished A Patriot's History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen. Grandmother climbed right up on her soapbox and let‘er rip! She started with a good introduction to the book and then promptly skipped over Christopher Columbus saying, “You know the 1492, ocean blue rhyme and that’s all that really matters.” She then laid into one of her favorite topics, the American Tea Party movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Dale_Robertson_Racist_Sign.jpg

            The basic principals of these Lipton lovers are; 1) cutting back the size of government, 2) lowering taxes, 3) reducing wasteful spending and the national debt and federal budget deficit, and 4) adherence to the United States Constitution.

            This describes my Grandmother to a tee. It sounds fine and dandy to me, but then I started looking at some of the controversial moments regarding the party and movement. Most striking was Dale Robertson’s infamous sign at a Tea Party event on February 27, 2009.

            There are really two tragedies in this photo- the fact that a movement, which could do great things for America, has lowered itself to using racial slurs and the shirt that man is wearing. Wearing and saying tacky, disrespectful things does nothing for America.

            After Grandmother Hughes stops freaking out over the Texas Rangers and Josh Hamilton, I’m sure we’ll finish our conversation about the Tea Party movement. I will be interested to hear how she feels about that delightful little sign.   

She’s a Witch?? Thank You Hocus Pocus

http://gapolitico.com/?p=14883

This week all eyes are on the election races in the swing states. One of the big races to watch is found in the small state of Delaware.

The shoe needing filling here is Vice President’s vacant Senate seat. The two candidates up for this spot are Republican Christine O’Donnell and Democrat Chris Coons. The pair faced off in a heated debate at the University of Delaware in Newark last Wednesday.

The campus had many political activists roaming its premises on the day of the debate. Some were students, but the vast majority was way past college graduation. Students of the university could be seen not far off from the debate’s location; however, many of them admitted that they had not been following their state’s election race.

This is pretty strange since the uncovering of O’Donnell’s past of “dabbling in witchcraft” has been parody on shows like the Daily Show and Saturday Night Live.

With so many students clearly uninterested in the race, the elusive solution to getting the youth to vote still remains unanswered.

I got me thinking about my own life. I’m going to vote this year for the first time- I finally reached the big-one-eight in time. With so many students remaining idle in their political opinions, the trap here is to either vote for whom your parents would vote for or just not vote at all.

I realize that I can’t just focus on the candidate I feel like I identify with most. I have to look at both opponents thoroughly and then, make my decision. For those who remain idle during this election and DON’T vote, I don’t want to hear any lip about higher taxes, crappier education systems, or government overspending.

http://joshhaley.com/2007/10/25/comment-or-die/

I don’t want the University of Texas at Austin to follow in Delaware’s footsteps. I also hope that no one in class is so disinterested by politics that they are counting ceiling tiles during our presentations either. Try to find the facts and in the words of Puff Daddy, VOTE OR DIE… or just don’t complain if things start falling apart. 

My Mom Loves George Clooney

            My family is absolutely ridiculous and so are the things they say, but I love them. I’m very close to all of them and they call everyday. They don’t talk politics on every call, but at least once a week I will get some “political words of wisdom”.  Like today…

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2560116/George-Clooney-denies-texting-Barack-Obama-advice.html

            My mother called at 5 pm. I could hear the familiar sound of Fox News in the background, which meant Judge Judy had just ended. Mom asked if I had heard the big news of the day…

            “Oh my gawwwd my man George Clooney met with Obama today! Maybe he bring peace to the White House.”

            I finished up talking to my mom and wondered why George Clooney was at the White House, so I did a little investigating. Clooney is a big supporter of the Enough Project, whose goal is to prevent genocide and crimes against humanity especially in African countries like Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, and Zimbabwe.

            Obama wanted to meet with Clooney to discuss his recent trip to the Sudan.

            "I think we're very impressed with how involved, at the highest level, this administration is,” said Clooney. “Now our job is to try and continue to keep it in the press…”

            George Clooney’s quote really shows how diverse PR can be. It ties public relations into politics, human rights, non-profit, and even entertainment and celebrity. 

The Intro Entry: My Family Is Politically Folked-Up

          When it comes to politics, my family is an interesting background. I have a loud-mouth, know-it-all dad who, to put it nicely, "doesn’t care for" Obama. My mother is a self-described “reserved moderate”, meaning she’s shy and just wants everyone in Washington to get along. My Father loving calls her D.C.'s Miss America since all she wants is "world peace". 

         My paternal grandmother is pretty much in love with Obama and every other democratic president the U.S. has ever had. My step-grandfather once said he would rather be “a plucked chicken in the rain than a republican.” 

        My 88-year-old great-grandmother is famous for saying that if only she were a few years younger she would have been the first lady when Bush was in office- she also calls President Obama “that mean 'ole colored man”.  And my maternal grandmother doesn’t own a book that hasn’t been recommended by Glen Beck. 

         This blog is dedicated to their political "words of wisdom" and the stories that they find newsworthy-enough to call and tell me about.