Rotting Costumes Optional

"What's up with your book? Why aren't you out there?"

My father seemed confused by my absence in various media, given that I wrote an election-year book that has sold well. He comes from a sincere place. The old man is a big supporter of mine, not always uncritical, but there should I need a bended ear. I simply told him that most leading liberals and liberal sites want nothing to do with me, that I'm the turd in the Jonestown punch bowl. At first it was the fear of me slamming Obama. Now that the election is essentially over, few want to seriously confront what's coming down the road. Since I back neither candidate, I'm free to say what I wish -- to myself, and to those gathered around my little soapbox. But to a vast crowd ready to celebrate some fantasy deliverance, I'm the last person they want to hear from. Sarah Palin's more welcome in that world than me.

Ah, showbiz. Hasn't it always been thus? A friend of mine associated with the Nation, a dissenter from that mag's Obama worship, told me that no one left of Joe Lieberman wants to hear any shit about the Dems. Not this year, and probably not for the next four as well. Don't believe the hype about holding Obama's feet to the fire once he's elected. After eight years of Bush/Cheney, the traditional presidential honeymoon will linger well past the usual expiration date. For liberals anyway. For reactionaries, the hysterical anti-Obama rhetoric is well underway, and will get more bizarro in due course. And as I've said before, this right wing assault will hand liberals the excuse they need to defend the White House, on patriotic grounds, naturally. Liberals love playing patriot games. One of many features they share with their reactionary cousins.

Of course, right wing and elite support for Obama is growing, which should tell you something about who Senator Change really is and what he actually represents. But for countless pie-eyed loyalists, it won't make a dent. Indeed, those outside of these dancing tribes must weather torrents of shit rain over the next two weeks -- either that, or just ignore the whole fucking mess. I'm seriously leaning toward the latter. In the space of a day, I was exposed to videos of white Americans barely able to conceal their racist fears of Obama, followed by testimonials from Obama's "foot soldiers," posted at Arianna's joint.

"Being a liberal and a young upstart, I always questioned things - especially my superiors. Over the last month I have stopped this habit . . . By and by, the Mother Brain has earned my respect. Instead, I take comfort knowing that my time is not taken for granted; my superiors use me efficiently and intelligently. To me, that matters more than you know."

"The audacity of it: to build a nationwide machine based on the Chicago Machine. Now nobody groan - the Chicago Machine WORKS. We have seen the birth of a huge, wonderful Machine, the new Dem Machine, which will carry us all forward into an Age of Mutuality."

Sweet abandoned mercy. Are we in for some sad absurdist violent times. Thank Jehovah that as an American, I have the right -- no, the duty -- to escape into pop culture diversions from the national abattoir. Maybe I'll see you there. First round's on me.