(Oh, Barron, were you looking for another place to promote the ACP as successor to the dying GOP? I got a comments section for ya bro 🙂 – promoted by ProgressiveCowgirl)
Friends, two years ago, as we watched the GOP storm Washington with electoral gains, we shuddered in fear. Tea Party bigotry seemed to have become the new political norm. I am going to self-aggrandize now, but two years ago, on this day, I boldly wrote an editorial outlining why the GOP’s bigotry would ultimately lead to their extinction, not their vindication.
I am relinking my article from two years ago, as a celebratory rerun. All of us ‘liberals’ and ‘progressives’ (even fiscal conservative ones, like me) should stand proud today that we did not give up. Well done, friends.
Any front-paging is appreciated!
– Miguel Ali (formerly Muhammad Ali Hasan)
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The title of your diary made me think it would be about how the Whigs imploded into the Republicans. The Whigs went extinct. (With a name like that, deservedly.)
I think Americans are finally waking up to the flim flammery of the radical righties of the last forty years. From an “honest” movement of Saint Ronald, the party has fallen over the cliff.
Care to share about the new name?
To everyone else –
I am sorry that I haven’t been around, but life has never been better!
My fiancee and I are having our first baby (a boy), I got my first book contract from Bear Manor Media, and I just wrapped my first feature film (that I wrote and directed).
It’s called Confessions of a Womanizer (insert laughs here) and it stars Gary Busey, C Thomas Howell, WWE’s The Bella Twins, Jillian Rose Reed, and Andrew Lawrence. Life is amazing 🙂
Regarding my name change, I’ll post what I put on facebook –
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE:
Miguel Ali formerly carried the last name “Hasan,” but is changing his full name to “Miguel Ali” in recognition of his Spanish-Morisco heritage, which is predominantly Jewish. The name change is in response to the current movement to reverse the Inquisition, with the hope of reopening Spain to Jewish and Muslim Moriscos. “Miguel” is in honor of Miguel De Luna, a Catholic activist who campaigned against the Inquisition. “Ali” is in honor of the name his mother gave him. Miguel Ali is an interfaith practitioner, adhering to principles of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism.
Anyways – I miss being on here, but California loves me and life is great there – I miss you all!
Gary Busey ? That must’ve been like herding cats. Keep living the good life.
…he was awesome. The man takes acting very seriously. It was an honor to work with him.
Hope you’re well brother!
You’ve come a long way, at so many levels! At least from how “we” understood you not too many years ago.
“Confessions of a Womanizer.” Wow. Strikes home. Not to sound bragging, but that’s exactly what I was for several decades, playing LA bachelor. Is film up on IMDB?
Gary Busey. Even this non-movie/Hollywood person gets that one. You need to keep us posted how that venture is going.
Super congrats on the baby. I didn’t know that unmarrieds could have children! 🙂
Are your parents still playing Republican?
California is a captivating state/state of mind. I lived in LA 1982-1993, have visited twice since. No place like it in the world. I will always miss it.
Where in Cali are you?
Confessions of a Womanizer on IMDB here –
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt23…
We’re in post-production now – we’re aiming for a summer release 🙂 The movie looks excellent and is hilarious. I couldn’t be happier – it came out 10 times better than I thought (and people are going to love Busey’s performance).
Jennie and I will be getting married sometime early next year – best decision I’ve ever made (don’t know if I can say the same for her – lol)
Otherwise, I’m in Huntington Beach, but planning a move to LA to be closer to the industry — I adore California and Los Angeles – I do miss Colorado, but I really do belong in LA – it’s just the right place for me – thank you for your well wishes! I am deeply Blessed.
Also on the movie but especially on the engagement.
Miguel Ali,
Not that your concerns are not legitimate and relevant but Democrats won because they promise to give away more free stuff…
But I’m outing Nock RIGHT NOW:
See? It HAS to be him. It’s uncanny.
Mr. O’Reilly, sir, if I throw a stick will you chase if far enough to leave the blog, please?
Not that your concerns are legitimate but even so the way you present them make them more than just irrelevant crazy person shit.
How is it then that Democrats are the ones asking us to pay for our stuff, while Republicans did a spectacular job of cutting taxes while increasing the debt?
…and GE get, right?
Yes, there are freeloaders in our society. But that’s the price of helping one another to make all of our lives better. Better to err in generosity than be a dime pinching asshole.
Pretending to be some kind of independent purist when you’re just regurgitating the FOX party line. Like them, you offer no examples of the free stuff or evidence that the 50% who vote Dem are roughly the same as the 47% who don’t pay federal income taxes, though many pay pretty high tax rates including payroll taxes.
In the real world, outside of the FOX studios, many Republican voters don’t make enough to pay federal income taxes or, on the other hand, make so much that they easily evade federal income taxes. Most Dem voters, like most Republican voters, are hard working tax paying citizens.
The whole O’Really 50% meme is complete bull. The main difference between today’s middle class R voters and middle class D voters is that the latter aren’t fools easily manipulated into voting against their own interests.
Here are three directions they could take (and probably will, all at the same time)
Tack to the middle:
Hard a starboard!
or do nothing:
If Haley Barbour has his way, the party will begin taking baby steps towards a more accommodating immigration policy in order to court Hispanic voters in time for the 2016 election.
But even his “liberal” views on immigration have a way to go:
about how they will avoid losing Hispanics 80-20 is in support of the argument that Hispanics are currently too stupid to know what’s good for them.
This was the same argument Republicans were making about women two months ago.
I foresee great success!
GOP will be stuck in the denial stage of grief instead of advancing to acceptance in time for the next election.
I mean, duh, non-Cuban Latino voters will increase, not decrease and the 53/47 split in the electorate favoring women isn’t going away either.
What the Bauer crowd sees as pro-family will continue to be seen by women at the heart of families as pro anything but a return to a patriarchal society in which women know their place as nothing more than vessels for pro-creation and underlings to men. This would be a natural fit, of course, for the GOP economic policy of a return to the gilded age of a few fabulously wealthy robber barons lording it over powerless struggling masses. Today’s GOP seems to be too in love with the distant past to come to terms with the present.
What Barbour sees as conciliation, I’m guessing Latinos might see as just slightly less hard-edged, but equally insulting, disdain and contempt. And don’t even ask about any reconciliation with African Americans, the primary target of the 50% of voters just want free stuff meme. Heck even the small percentage of Asian Americans, many of whom might be seen as a natural fit for what the GOP used to be, went for Obama by a stunning 70%. While I’m sure issues are involved, could it be that, like Jews of my generation, they recognize that the same folks who use the n word or denigrate Latinos when they are in the room aren’t to be trusted to refrain from saying the same kinds of things about them when they are not? I mean just as one among many factors. The only area in which bigoted white folks tend not to discriminate is, after all, in their equal opportunity bigotry towards anything “other”.
Acceptance? Nowhere close.
The original Cuban ex-pats and their kids were 100% Republican.
Exit polling this year in Miami showed that these ex-Cubans, their kids, their grandkids went 50-50 Dem/Pub. As the first two generations die off, I think that the Cubans will become more like the larger non-Cuban Hispanic block.
In other words, 80% Dem.
When they don’t have the Cubans to point to for the purpose of demonstrating how much they really love Latinos and Latinos love them, then what? And imagine what a nightmare a potential whole new Latino state, the state of Puerto Rico, must be for the GOP.
My son finds the prospect of 51 stars aesthetically unpleasing. He suggests this be remedied, in the event of statehood for Puerto Rico, by the ouster of Texas or the entry of a companion state to make it an even 52, such as the American Virgin Islands.
Let’s make it easy for him. I have a passport, I can see my kids. Unless they check political affinities before issuing a visa.
Congratulations on the pending nuptials, the pending fatherhood, and the pending movie, my friend! I am very happy for you!
I would love to hear how you and your fiance handled her job and your new political affiliation. Were their conflicts? Areas of agreement? Disagreement?
My friend said her daughter went to school and was approached by a male student who was wearing a shirt that read, “I only sleep with Republicans”. She asked him, “Do you only sleep with old white guys?” So, I know your fiance is not an old white guy, but the story does make a point about the dwindling diversity of the Republican party. How does she justify being there as a woman, and as a person who appreciates diversity (I am assuming she does)?
As far as love life goes… Jennie is pro-gay-marriage and pro-amnesty. As long as we agree on those two things, I’m happy.
From there, we’re both fiscal conservatives, so we work out just fine 🙂
Regarding her views on the Party… I can’t speak for her, but I think there are many things about the GOP that frustrate her right now.
I thought I knew at least the basics of your heritage. Parents born in India before Independence, relocated from Delhi to Karachi around the time of the Partition.
Just shows how little I know.
Speakin’ of them, howz Mom and Dad doin ? I sure appreciate them supporting the local University.
The GOP doesn’t deserve to survive in any fashion, any more than your party. Both exist strictly to serve the banksters and trans-national corporations, one more nakedly than the other, but both pointed toward the same outcome.
I think the people ought to have their own voice, party, representation.
My vision is of the Occupy folks joining with the T-partiers and taking over the ACP.
Where it really counts, almost all of us are conservative. And I don’t intend “conservative” as code for “tools of the Koch’s and Adelson’s.”
Occupy is the anti-tea party.
Mom and Dad are doing good (from what I hear) – I’m pretty focused on work in California and my new family, but I think they’re well.
Thank you for your compliments on the University – supporting the business school is my parents’ most proud gift. They support it with much affection.
Really man, good work! Cannot wait to see your film! You should host a CO Pols showing sometime.
Sounds like a good idea! I’ll try to do it for both the movie and the book release.
I don’t know about writing more books, but I hope this is one of many movies – thank you for your kind words brother!
Congrats on the nino. So happy for you and the way your seem to really be diggin’ life.
That cold beer awaits you if you ever find your way back to Palisade..
Vaya con Dios.
And yes – we have to grab a drink! I will definitely let you know when my travels take me back to GJ, brother!
Hope your family isn’t upset about the name change, though.
The only difference is you took off the rest. I remember you posting the “Miguel Ali” part at least a year ago.
Thanks BC!
I don’t know exactly how the family feels, but my mother is supportive. She knows the identity is important to me. It’s especially become important since finishing my rehab program last spring. I know it sounds cheesy, but I want to leave the old identity behind and “Miguel” is a way for me to start fresh. I’m very proud of it.
(2) The Republican Party has provided a service by sucking up all the racists, taliban-Christians, super-wealthy Libertarians, and anti-science people. Let’s keep them in that little zoo where we can keep an eye on them.
(2) We don’t want the big-Corporate and super-wealthy contaminating the Democratic Party.
(3) Thankfully the Republicans have decimated the Blue-dog caucus.
Three of them in fact. Otherwise… .
The Republican Party a victim of the coherence of their Party line and their dominance in certain areas of the country.
The Party is controlled by power brokers who’s compasses point only to extreme political views. Any move to the center will have to confront these forces. What players or institutions in the Republican Party have the power to control the Party or the primary battles?
Brad DeLong makes some good points:
Memo to Republican billionaires: Rupert Murdoch is not your friend. John Roberts is not your friend. Karl Rove is not your friend.
Remember folks, we live in the age of “corporations are people too” and cloning . . . (What do you think Willard was except for an updated and improved version of Steve Forbes, with the ability to mive it’s eyelids on occasion?)
As long as our FrankenCorporations breathe, and propoganda can be funded, there’s always going to be enough wealthy overlords to cobble together a Republican Party. But, it looks like it will have to be a bit smarter, and it’s going to be a lot more expensive than Adelson’s $53 million, or the Koch’s shadow $60 million. (Which reminds me if something funny I read yesterday, one commentator was speculating that Sheldon might be wearing a T-shirt with Willard’s picture on it, along with the caption — “I spent $53 million, and all I got was this lousy candidate.”)
I’m content to let the Republicans sort it out for themselves–or not. As a party, live or die? Whatever. There will always be an opposition.
Will the Tea Baggers become an actual party? Will the Republican brand endure? I frankly don’t care.
More pertinent question (for me): Which direction will the Democratic Party choose? More progressive or same ol’ same ol’?
…..to reclaim a liberal agenda. And call it that.
see heads explode
more conciliatory “progressive”? I don’t know. Progressive might appeal to a certain Teddy Roosevelt loving segment. I suppose we can be liberal and progressive.
This has been a bit of a puzzle for me. I guess I finally settled on progressive (for me) for a few reasons (recognizing that reason was merely mental masturbatory justification for a mushy sort of “good feeling”):
Progressive suggests forward movement and contradicts what I feel is the right’s emotional drive, i.e., regressive. Liberal has become somewhat confusing, especially internationally, having been at times a the name for right wingers. Also liberal carries the taint of neo-liberalism. Too, progressive can encompass my true bent which is democratic socialist, which liberal can’t quite. In other words, for me, progressive is a larger, more inclusive term for “the left”.
In summary: ??? Maybe it’s just, you say tomahto, I say potayto? Today, in America, I’d be proud to be called either.
but no way around the fact that it came from a couple of decades of Dems letting righties turn “liberal” into a dirty word. There’s a certain in your face satisfaction in the prospect of reclaiming the word. Where do I order my Liberal Pride T-shirt and coffee mug?
I don’t look to international parties for clues about the meanings of words. How many totalitarian states were officially “Democratic Republics” in their name? It’s similar when you look at some of the party names in Europe today.
Liberal, in 19th century Europe, meant people who wanted some kind of representative government like the USA and UK. Conservatives were traditional monarchists who might go so far as believing in the divine right of kings.
In general, I try to use the word “liberal” in order to take it back from the right, who have worked hard to make it a dirty word. “Progressive” is a pretty brilliant response, given the reasons you list. But I think seizing the word liberal is a good “fuck you” to the haters on the right.
That the Republican party would get with the program on social issues – women’s rights, gay rights, true religious freedom – and join the reality-based community with respect to science so that we could actually have leverage over DINOs (*cough*Hickenlooper*cough*) who do not support progressive ideals.
That, or maybe the Democratic party becomes the “rational conservative party” and we can get a powerful Liberal Party or something and the old “R” dies.
Something needs to change, that’s for sure.
Don’t know how I missed this til now. Guess I’ve been checking so many things that I haven’t actually given Pols a real in depth look since Election night.
Anyway, let me add my voice to the chorus here. That’s all great news.
I’m very happy 🙂