there is a tipping point when it comes to liberal thought, a point where the mind moves from "this is the noble choice" to "this is the self interested choice which, coincidentally, serves liberal ends."

I saw Stanley Crouch read about 10 years ago and he was talking about the OJ trial (yeah, ten years ago) and part of his point was that, say what you like about the sorry state of race relations in the U.S., but it's something that the best available defense attorney is a black man. 

Not the best available black attorney, but the best available attorney, period, happens to be a black man.  And there's something undeniably progressive about that.  The progress isn't over but to say that there is no progress?  Well that's just crazy.

I felt that way watching Barak Obama give the Democratic keynote address tonight.  To think that Illinois, a state dominated by Chicago (not known for its progressive racial politics) and filled out with rural, farming communities (again) that we have a senatorial candidate like Obama who is, at this point, running unopposed and who does not just give me a smug "ooooh aren't I progressive voting for a black guy!" warm feeling  but is actually an ass-kicking, the-best-qualified, hell-of-a-speaker candidate who I get to vote for. 

It's a hell of a long way from Carol fucking Mosley Braun.

***
I have a co-worker who is a Republican but otherwise we like one another.  I was teasing her today about the convention, asking if she was the one I saw dressed in a giant rubber flip-flop standing behind Chris Matthews, etc.   Anyway, she asked if I had seen the Clintons' embrace (it wasn't even an air kiss, more like a neck touch with chins pointed as far away as possible).

She takes some kind of confirmation from that non-kiss in the same way I take confirmation from Barak Obama.  That Hillary is in a loveless marriage and that there is something deeply cynical about staying with your openly philandering husband simply because it advances your own agenda.

And I feel all over the place on that.  I can't imagine having the entire world weigh in on Your Husband and What He's Been Up To.  On the other hand, if your husband did, in fact, jizz all over some dress from The Gap and had to fess up...well why NOT turn that into a career for yourself.  Clearly they spend no time with one another whatsoever and I don't doubt for one minute that he is getting international booty left and right out on his speaking tours, book tours, fundraising tours, etc...I mean this is the first ex-president who could command a full-on groupie brigade.  I imagine all the pilates-ed forty-somethings who would LOVE to show him around (insert name of community here) while he's in town.

I dunno if Hillary is getting any action (although I do rather hope she has a squad of interns, ivy league, fit, and having signed non-disclosure agreements ready to service her every need) but it's hard for me to blame her for capitalizing on His presidency.  I mean, my god, Sonny Bono's wife took over his seat in Congress, we aren't supposed to cut Hillary any slack?????  TELL ME she isn't qualified for elective office?  She was AS qualified, if not MORE qualified than her husband so she decides she wants to run?  And win?  Well bully for her.

At the end of the day, I'm happier with my opinions than I think I would be with my co-workers.  I get bitter, of course I do.  But my hope, oh my hope.  It fucking glows sometimes.