Saturday Morning Politicking

Southern, progressive, cis male type person tells all!

I’ve spent my free time doomscrolling for Jesus again. I have convinced myself that the world is in my feeds somehow. Alas, it is not so. Some of the world is there, to be certain. A carefully curated reflection of algorithmic insistence tells me what I want to hear every morning. So, here’s what I now know.

Jeff Bezos doesn’t care if you cancel your Washington Post subscription. That’s not how he makes his money there. We’ll see what the advertisers do now that he has publicly interfered with his editorial board, but subscription dollars are a drop in his bucket.

One assumes that he has always had editorial influence. But this kind of transparency is telling. The billionaires are invested in the outcome of the election and are flexing their might. Oligarchs gonna do what oligarchs do.

This is not to say that you should not cancel your subscription. Do it. You have more options. AP, Reuters, NPR, and various reputable international sources are out there for free. I personally read the AP feed and listen to NPR. I don’t read the NY Times, Washington Post, etc. There’s too much good and free media to ingest. That said, I want to subscribe to the Financial Times because I like the pink paper. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m not deep.

In other news, I’m going to write a little about being (b)aptist ala James McClendon and Anglican at the same time… “AngloBaptist”. It’s a return to theological roots (radix). It’s been a while since I publicly mused on the subject and some of my thinking has shifted or crystalized now that I have planted myself in the Episcopal Church. Perspective matters. I still believe that the traditions have much to teach one another. I also want to explore that thinking as a Southern Progressive Cis Male Banjo-pickin’ Resident of #RVA. I’m a product of a Southern liberal arts university, a Chicago seminary, and a Berkeley, CA PhD consortium. Of particular interest in the privilege that comes with all that. No one has tried me for heresy…yet. But I am That Liberal Uncle at Thanksgiving.

I’m voting for Harris. I’ll be irritating her and her supporters from the left, but she has my vote. This should surprise no one, of course. She is the only credible candidate. The Other Guy is a barrel of non-sequiturs and political pandering to the extreme right in our country. That’s his proven and winning strategy, of course. Demagoguery is shiny shit. He magically gets the KKK and white male mainline Protestants to support him. It’s a nightmare. She, on the other hand, is actually qualified to run the country. I’m tired of the Trumpian Theatrics. But they sell.

I’m also paying special attention to the down ticket elections here in Virginia. The Third Council District race in Richmond is of particular interest. It’s a three-way election. We’ll see if the incumbent can keep her seat. I am hoping not. We need the political log jam in City Hall to come to an end. Small business (see: restaurants) is suffering. Schools are in disarray. Housing is actually a crisis. And let’s not forget about the Loneliness Epidemic. We need real change, not just the appearance of it. I’ll be voting for Maria Carra Rose.

Well then…I said that. Now, I’ve taken my meds and have been caring for my son who has The Crud. We’ll be laying low this weekend.

What’s your plan?

Y’all be excellent to each other.