Implosion

History tells us that the majority party splinters under its own weight, while the minority party, by virtue of its underdog status is more nimble and focused. Looking back through past elections, we see the cyclical pattern of the political parties rising and falling along predictable historical time frames. For the past 8 years the Republicans espoused their big tent philosophy, which came crashing down in record levels this past Tuesday. Those identifying themselves as Republicans voted in such low numbers, that one has to go back 28 years to find comparable statistics. Sure the mismanagement of the economy and the ‘war on terror’ had much to do with McCain’s dismal presidential run, as did the magnetism and the desire for change that Obama embodied.

Republicans will endure the necessary ‘wandering through the wilderness’ speeches and editorials, all attempting to illuminate the path back to victory. If you were to do a postmortem on the Republican failures in this election, where would you begin? Let me offer a suggestion:
· Handling of Post 9/11 America. Bush faced a united country where patriotism and nationalism were at all time highs. Instead of trading in this currency of good-will, President Bush quickly called for a war on Iraq. By allowing Cheney, Wolfowitz, and Rice to steer him towards Saddam Hussein, Bush replaced the need for justice, with the desire for revenge. It is in many ways sad now to look back at the furor over Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, their nuclear capability and the fact that the country was a training ground for terrorist groups.

What Evangelicalism Does Right

Professor Scot McKnight released this post today detailing the strengths of Evangelicalism. While there are many calling for the demise of Evangelicalism, McKnight displays the strengths of this American religious movement, while still leaving room for future correction and growth. What do you think?

Overheard while Trick or Treating in Franklin

"It's like 1933 Berlin here in this town." This past Sunday while scaring the neighbors for candy, I ran into two Obama canvassers. Our city of Franklin, Wisconsin appears to be heavily in McCain's camp, and this was their response when I asked them how their work was going. Nazism seems to be all the rage as hyperbole supersedes actual issues and content. Some Republicans in Pa, are using this Nazi label.

A History of Food

Gourmands devour books like Michael Pollan’s, The Omnivore’s Dilemma and Anthony Bourdain’s, Kitchen Confidential. Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat’s, A History of Food, is the definitive guide of all things gastronomic. A History of Food is encyclopedic in nature, effortlessly written, and comprehensive in scope. The chapter on coffee presents an interesting connection between Armenians and Turkish people.

The Myth of Redemptive Violence

Does war bring peace? President Bush stated after 9-11 that America would, 'rid the world of evildoers,' which would bring safety to America. But will it? The Roman Empire had a saying 'Peace through victory.' I wonder if their mantra is now Americas? Can violence bring about peace? Walter Wink's provocative essay challenges the reader to reject the impulse to fight and instead urges a different path towards war and violence. Read it here and give me your thoughts...

Why do we blog?

Excellent article by The Atlantic writer, Andrew Sullivan. Maybe it has something to do with the glasses.

Overheard at an Evangelical mega-church

Displayed on its two jumbo-tron video screens… ‘You are loved.’ Upon seeing this, I turned to my wife and said, “Look, the video screen says, ‘I’m loved’.” Marshall McLuhan would be proud. In his seminal work, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man, 1964 he posited the truth ‘The medium is the message.’ McLuhan wanted us to know that how we convey something is as important if not more important then the actual idea that we are intending to express. So after that worship service, the most personal of messages was just conveyed to us in the most impersonal of means.

Overheard at a McDonalds

‘Daddy’s buying the Big Mac so he can win a million bucks, then you don’t have to go to no school no more…’

My son the Poker teacher

Its true, the other night while we were camping out in the backyard, Jacob taught me Poker. Last year he received The Dangerous Book for Boys, which chronicles everything that a boy needs to know in life. Topics such as: how to make a kite, build a go-kart, descriptions of pirate flags, 20 important Latin phrases, and yes, how to play Poker. So there we sat, using Whoppers and Lemon Drops as our chips, and for the next hour and a half, we played Poker together.
This leads me to the question… ‘What have you learned from someone who’s significantly younger then you?’