Another of Paul Simon's songs also strikes me as appropriate, being a Bernie Sanders supporter myself:Will Rogers: "We have plenty of confidence in this country, but we are a little short of good men to place our confidence in."
That's no longer true, now there IS one!
Simon & Garfunkel's lovely song "America" provides the background music. This article outlines Art Garfunkel's reasons for approving the song's use in this way; so far no comment from Paul Simon though, according to the report. However, there's also this from the New York Times referring to a CNN interview:
Art Garfunkel is a “Bernie guy.”
One half of the duo whose famous song, “America,” is the soundtrack for the most recent ad for Senator Bernie Sanders’s campaign, pledged his allegiance to the candidate in an interview with CNN’s Michael Smerconish.
“I like Bernie,” Mr. Garfunkel said. “I like his fight. I like his dignity and his stance. I like this song.”
He added that while he and his former musical partner, Paul Simon, might not agree on everything, they are both “liberals in our inclination,” and agreed on letting the Sanders campaign use their song.
Mr. Garfunkel said the idea to use the song came from the campaign, but the duo “acquiesced” to the request.
When something goes wrong
I'm the first to admit it
I'm the first to admit it
But the last one to know
when something goes right
Well it's likely to lose me
It's apt to confuse me
It's such an unusual sight
I can't get used to something so right
Something so right
News surfaced at the weekend that Michael Bloomberg, billionaire and former Mayor of New York, intends to enter the presidential campaign if Donald Trump, Ted Cruz or Bernie Sanders become party nominees. Bloomberg is said to be "galled by Donald J. Trump’s dominance of the Republican field, and troubled by Hillary Clinton’s stumbles and the rise of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont on the Democratic side."
Ah yes! Well...of course, he would, wouldn't he? He and his ilk are becoming increasingly alarmed at the thought of anti-establishment figures, on both sides of the political divide, gaining ground, gaining influence, threatening longtime power of the "princes". That thought reminds me of another song - or at least of its last verse.
From the Bob Dylan classic All Along the Watchtower
All along the watchtower, princes kept the view
While all the women came and went, barefoot servants, too.
Outside in the distance a wildcat did growl,
Two riders were approaching, the wind began to howl.
17 comments:
wishing Ya'll a safe n happy Tuesday~!
I see you are on the campaign trail today, Twilight! It's surprising the number of political candidates that simply employ a song in their campaign effort, with no approval-endorsement from the song's author or singer. Nice to know that Bernie's campaign actually sought approval.
I view Bloomberg's announcement as a good thing, should he actually walk the talk. It would take votes from Trump and Hillary both, predominantly the elitist, conservative voter...and we know there aren't many of 'em...the 1%. Jeb Bush is threatening the same measure...all the better. Split those votes!
I think Bernie has a loyal and hefty following. He's surpassing expectations all the way around. I highly doubt that a Bernie voter would defect to Bloomberg or any other candidate. I see it as Bernie vs Trump, at least at this point...lots can happen in the next eight months...stay tuned!!!
Sonny - Your internal clock needs to be reset...today's Monday (I hope!). Regardless, you have a pleasant day, too. I think your temperatures will rise today, melting the glaciers from the weekend.
monday huh.. yep I'm ahead a day lol but good wishes anyway:-)
its already melting out there~! yeaaaaaa gonna be a slushy mess at night but I wont go out then..
ps-- thanks for the info and links on my last question to yesterdays post, Mike.
I'm saving those and reading over at astro cafe about what Jup conjunct Sun means..
thanks again
Sonny ~ LOL! Happy day whatever day it is! Glad your snowdrifts are melting. :-)
mike ~ I'm not seeing a potential Bloomberg candidacy as a good thing. I tried to sort out probable outcomes if he did jump in, in certain circumstances, and came to this conclusion:
If it were
#1 Trump v Clinton = Bloomberg would split the Repub vote and help Clinton.
#2Trump v Sanders = Bloomberg would split the Dem vote and the Repub vote too...so ? Sanders support would remain strong, but some Clinton fans and establishment Dems could go to Bloomberg rather than Sanders. Bloomberg has been a Dem in the past. Trump fans would remain firm, but centre Republicans would vote Bloomberg. Result uncertain, but helping establishment politics either way.
:-(
Bloomberg is reported to have said he'll consider getting into the race only if Trump, Cruz or Sanders are nominated. He's trying to keep the establishment rule safe, whether on the Republican or Deomocratic side. He's on the side of the "princes".
mike ~ First thing I've read this morning : This Election Needs Michael Bloomberg (Like a Fish Needs a Bicycle)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-kuttner/this-election-needs-micha_b_9065962.html
Nothing has been predictable about this presidential run, so whether Bloomberg is in the race or not, I wouldn't count on "knowing" the outcome. Looking at his chart indicates to me that he doesn't have much in his natal chart that would resonate with our current transits of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, or Pluto, whereas Trump and Bernie have natal planets that form aspects to these transits. I don't see that Bloomberg will have much mass appeal with the electorate. Interesting...Bloomberg is younger than Bernie by a couple of months, so many of the outer planets are in relatively the same positions for both...the personal planets are very different, of course.
http://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Michael_Bloomberg?identite=Mike_Bloomberg
http://www.astrotheme.com/astrology/Bernie_Sanders
BTW - Bloomberg's time of birth is known, so that is truly his natal chart.
mike (again) ~ I agree regarding mass appeal - there'll be none of that for Bloomberg, there's no way he'd ever be president! Splitting the Dem vote if Bernie is the Dem nominee is the danger from him. Whereas you and I, and many Sanders supporters would vote for Clinton if Sanders isn't the Dem nominee (albeit with little enthusiasm) I suspect the same would not apply as much to Clinton supporters if Sanders is nominee, and there's the option of Bloomberg running 3rd party. Even the DNC could defect or refuse to lend him the total support Bernie would need for the General Election.
The establishment is feeling the unexpected groundswell of support for Bernie and is determined to counteract it any way they can.
On the face of it, Bernie versus two billionaires would be a no-brainer, but that's not the whole picture. Bernie will need the rest of the Democrat voters behind him in the General, just as Hillary would. But Bloomberg will not jump in if Hillary is nominee, because she looks after Wall Street well enough. Rigging at its best eh?
mike ~ Forgot to say thanks for the links to charts. Astrology might help once we know for sure whether Bloomberg is in or not - he says he'll decide in March.
This letter to the editor of the New York Times puts it well:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/26/opinion/if-bloomberg-enters-the-presidential-race.html?_r=0
To the Editor:
A presidential bid by former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg would only worsen the political dysfunction that worries him. Your article does not mention the two most likely consequences of an independent campaign. Any winner might receive a relatively low percentage of the popular vote, or the Republican-dominated House of Representatives would decide a deadlocked election, creating questionable public legitimacy for the winner.
Either result weakens our presidency and government. Perhaps this talk of a Bloomberg candidacy aims only to frighten Democrats away from Senator Bernie Sanders, but a President Sanders would be constrained by a Republican Congress and a conservative Supreme Court.
Even if one accepts the false symmetry between the alleged extremism of Mr. Sanders and some Republican contenders, surely Mr. Bloomberg should realize that the probable outcome of his own candidacy would pose a greater threat to national stability and security than a popularly elected democratic socialist president governing within our constitutional constraints.
JAMES D’EMILIO
Flagstaff, Ariz.
Perhaps Bloomberg's threat of candidacy is an attempt to intimidate the election process...more talk, far less walk. I just read Glenn Greenwald's "The Seven Stages of Establishment Backlash: Corbyn/Sanders Edition":
https://theintercept.com/2016/01/21/the-seven-stages-of-establishment-backlash-corbynsanders-edition/
Bloomberg is at "Stage 6": "Elect Hillary or I'll run and ruin everything, for everybody!"...LOL.
mike (again) ~ LOL - Yes, I read Greenwald's article this afternoon. Bloomberg's "threat" fits #6's flavour well.
We watched the CNN "Town Hall" from 8 to 10 tonight. Better than a debate, it gave all 3 Dem candidates a clear chance to present themselves and answer (presumably "approved and sanitised") questions from audience members. Bernie did well, Martin O'Mally was very good, again. Hillary was fine for the first 20 mins of her 45 mins but then she went on, and on, an on about her time as Sec of State. I tuned out. The presenter (son of somebody or other Cuomo - former Mayor of New York, husband said) needled Bernie far more than he did the other two, but Bernie was fine with it. Cuomo handled Hillary with kid gloves. No questions about Wall Street at all, or her donations from corporations etc. CNN was obviously "under orders".
I won't take away from Hillary the fact that she's good on stage, good campaigner, but that's not what the USA needs right now. We need somebody to change direction, even a little bit if that's all that's possible in 2016. It'd be the first step to be built on next time. Otherwise the country will remain in the doldrums of worsening corporate ownership with The People's wishes remaining virtually meaningless.
"Michael Bloomberg has no chance of being president. Why is he trying?"
by Trevor Timm
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/25/michael-bloomberg-no-chance-of-being-president-third-party-candidate-alienate-voters
mike (again) ~ Sigh - The Guardian ain't what it used to be! Trevor Timm seems not to get it! Some of the commenters do though. Commenter "bonkers 704", for instance, wrote I'm amazed the article doesn't mention the obvious reason why Bloomberg is threatening to run - as a spoiler candidate. He is trying to harm the Sanders candidacy and boost that of Clinton. Fortunately he is so politically toxic that the reverse is likely to result from his machinations!
I hope that commenter "bonkers 704" is right about the toxicity of Bloomberg!
I agree with Timm's essay, but it's really anyone's guess at this point whether Bloomberg will run. I think Bloomberg is full of hot air. Here's something from 2014, which refutes his latest announcement. From the horse's mouth:
"Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday he’d be up for a 2016 presidential run — if he thought he could win.
Bloomberg: “If I thought I could win, it would be something to consider,” he said on CBS’ 'Face the Nation' of a possible run as an Independent. “But you can't win, and I've given 12 years to public service and I'm not going to be a candidate for President. ... A lot of times, party loyalty means a lot to some people and there's a big percentage of the public that would vote Democratic or Republican no matter who their candidates were,” added Bloomberg, who has, at different times, identified as Republican, a Democrat and an Independent. “And no matter how much the press wants to create an Independent because it's good for selling newspapers and inches and minutes … it's just not possible.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/michael-bloomberg-run-president-thought-win-article-1.1796955
mike (again) ~ Yes, he could be simply full of hot air. I hope that's the case.
2016 is turning out to be very different from how things were in 2014 though. He could be receiving encouragement by others to enter as a spoiler, knowing full well that's all he'd be. His agenda: to safeguard himself and his peers from marauding non-establishment and, importantly, non-biddable would-be presidents (Trump & Sanders).
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