Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Carry On Clinton!

My tarot cards didn't reflect last night's results (see yesterday's blog). No dramatic tale of woe was told. Things remain much as they stood before, but with fewer opportunities for a dramatic change in the status quo to occur. Only three more primaries to go, not forgetting wrangling still to come about delegates and votes from Michigan and Florida.

A woman interviewee on TV last night responded, when asked if there is any way Senator Clinton can still achieve the Democratic nomination, "Something has to happen". Yes indeed, and I suspect something will!

I'll keep the 4-card tarot response in my mental pending tray for a week or two, and watch events.

Several writers and commentators have brought up the fact that this current election season reminds them of 1972, when George McGovern was the Democratic nominee opposing incumbent president Richard Nixon. Similar opinions, that just about any Democrat could win the election because the sitting president was so unpopular, prevailed then as now. But McGovern lost that election by a landslide.

I'm not well enough informed to argue the pros and cons of similarities. Instead I looked at the outer planets' positions for November 1972 and for this November. A clue may be found there. The outer planets relate to the collective, communal atmosphere, in contrast to the faster-moving "personal" planets, whose positions tend to be reflected in personality traits of individuals.

In early November 1972 Uranus lay at 20 Libra, Neptune at 4 Sagittarius and Pluto at 3 Libra. Saturn was at 19 Gemini. Saturn and Uranus were in trine, Neptune and Pluto in sextile aspect. The planets were in cardinal and mutable signs, Fire and Air.

In November 2008 Uranus will be at 19 Pisces, Neptune 21 Aquarius and Pluto at 29 Sagittarius, Saturn at 19 Virgo. Saturn and Uranus are in sextile, and, more widely, so are Neptune and Pluto. The outer planets this time around are in a mix of mutable and fixed signs, covering all 4 elements, Water, Air, Fire and Earth.

In both years two pairs of outer planets are harmoniously aligned - here's a similarity.

Here's a difference: symbolically - and this is only symbolic - 2008 is more fragmented elementally than 1972, between all four elements. In actuality the opinions of the US population have become fragmented in more and different directions. The two Democratic candidates are both "firsts" - first woman and first black candidate. This has brought about additional divisions. Most election years will have seen splits class-wise ("blue-collar" versus the more academic community), religious divides, and splits relating to policy choices, but never before have there been splits caused by loyalties to colour of skin or gender.

I'm not convinced yet that 2008 will progress in the same way 1972 did, election-wise. The differences are more evident than the similarities, as I see it. The Democratic nominee for 2008 is not yet finally determined, in spite of what the media like to assume. Choice of nominee is, of course, the key factor needed before trying to compare 1972 with 2008. The comparison is certainly worth keeping in mind as events unfold.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suspect there's little parallel between '72 and '08. Things we far weirder in the country and in the Democratic Party back then. Which doesn't mean McCain might not win by a comfy margin - it just means the underlying issues of that time and the emotional state of the nation was much different.

And I really suspect, when all's said and done, the dysfunctional Dems will rally 'round whichever ends up the candidate because most of the base of the party is really fixated by regaining the White House.

Of course, that means they'll have to ask me to move, since The Next President of the United States is already working on a color scheme to paint the Lincoln Bedroom!

Twilight said...

Hiya TNPOTUS!

You tell me that things were more weird in 1972 than now ? Oh my!
Are you sure you're not remembering through a haze of.....whatever... lol! On a weirdness scale of 1 to 10, I'd say we're now at 9 and a half.

I hope your view about the Dems coming together proves correct. At this point, from blogs I've read, it seems there's a definite hardening of attitude on both sides of the Obama-Clinton divide - but there's a long way still to go, and lots of twists in the plot still to come.

Yes, I was wondering about your plans re moving in (or out)of the WH - let us know if we can help with a U-Haul van, the husband is a nifty packer. ;-)

Michelle said...

The convoluted machinations of American politics leaves me dumbfounded.

I have an award for you, Twilight. :-)

http://crows-feet.blogspot.com/2008/05/e-is-for-excellent.html

Twilight said...

Yes, Michelle, dumbfounded just about covers it! :-)

Thank you kindly for the award -but you did present this to me already - see sidebar! I appreciate your thinking of my blog once again, though.

Twilight said...

Ooops - no sorry it was from another blogger buddy that time, yours was a different one. Thank you Michelle - I'll add your name under the "E" - you're very kind.