Fear Itself

We are open for business.

Let the transition begin ...

Thanks for stopping by.

Please head over to http://wactivist.com .

YIKES!

THE DECISION

After considering the votes, the comments, and the fact that Tom's Mom is booked up through March - I have come to a decision.

I am going to migrate my personal blog over to http://wactivist.com, BUT in an effort to find a compromise, and since there is no way I'm technically capable of creating a Scoop Blog like wactivist.com deserves (dailykos.com, mydd.com etc are scoop blogs) I am going to attach to wactivist.com a FORUM where people can post their wacky stories etc etc.  I can then take those stories and post them on the front blog page if I want ... and since you all are writing your stories -- my fears of being hated for making fun of the crazies will not materialize.

Then one day, if it becomes popular enough, I will just turn wactivist.com into a scoop type blog-- but only with a little cash from donors and help from people who know how to do it.

So ... what do you think of that!?

The Dilemma

When I started Fear Itself (on blogspot), it was meant to be a discussion of the use of FEAR in politics by the conservative right.  For the first few months I was spot on with this, but eventually things started to get a little off topic.

By the time I switched over to typepad, this blog was sort of a beast of its own.  While I wrote about politics frequently - It had become much more of a random place for my random rants about things I am overly passionate about than I originally had hoped

... but I like it better this way.

The problem is, FEAR ITSELF no longer is an appropriate name for this web page.  And that has me thinking ...

A year ago I had a plan, and I bought a domain name - waccktivvist dot com (misspelled to throw off google in case I ever decide to go with the plan I'm about to describe).  The concept with this web page was to create an anonymous place for political professionals of both parties to write about those volunteers that are the absolute NUTTIEST of all.  This is the place where you would post songs that people sent into campaigns that will "help you win the election".  This is the place where you would write about the guy who knows for certain putting a sign on his car that says BUSH IS GAY, AND HIS DAD WAS A PEDOPHILE will swing public support over to Kerry.  This is the place where you post the letter you get from the guy running for President who wants Michael Jackson to be his running mate and believes this intention was why MJ was put on trial.  This is the place you would put all kinds of crazy ass shit like that.   (btw the examples above have really happened to me)

Here is the problem with the plan.  I would constantly be afraid of being found out.  Making a living by working with volunteers puts me in a position where running a web page like that (and you know I can't delegate it in order for it to reach full glory I'd have to be in charge) could definitely get me canned, OR ruin my ability to work with the crazies.  And let's not get confused here -- we absolutely DO need the crazies.

So ... as a result I have lately been considering switching this blog over to waccktivvist dot com and running it on a textpattern engine that I install myself.  It would save me 12 bucks a month - and I think would be totally a good name.  Basically this blog is all about the things I'm fucking wa-cti-vist about ... and there is no denying that I have a decent amount of the wacky blood in my system.

So -- what do you think? 

Should I make the jump to the new domain?  I'd be able to export all the posts I have done on this one and import it into the new --- so nothing would disappear really, but my "branding" would be improved.

OR

Should I keep the old accktivvist dot com PLAN alive and keep the domain for when I'm comfortable enough to make it happen?

Please discuss in the comments but cast your official vote below.  Please, don't cast more than one vote Tom Reade.  This poll will close today at 5pm Arizona Time.

[UPDATE] Don't IM me with your thoughts, post them in the damn comments so everyone can see.  This is a big decision -- we need all the input we can get.

REVOLT!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Message from ESPN.com

Dear Fantasy Football Fan,

I want to let you know that everyone at ESPN.com shares your frustration with the early season technical problems with our Fantasy Football application. I appreciate very much that you have chosen to play Fantasy Football with us and we value our relationship with you - fan to fan. I want to apologize to you for the problems we've had and assure you that we are doing everything in our power to solve them and provide an experience that the best, most passionate sports fans on the Web deserve.

Our aim is to have our Fantasy Football application operating normally for this Sunday's games. We will be updating you on our progress and resolution.

Again we appreciate that you are playing Fantasy Football with us and we will do everything possible to make this a terrific experience for you this season.

Sincerely,
John Kosner
Senior Vice President and General Manager

Pro-Choice Politics in AZ, or Having Balls?

"Napolitano's  pro-choice stance earned the  support of women in 2002, and women won her the election."

... I've heard that for years now, and always have believed it - even though it is a little surprising.  Obviously the shocking part of the statement isn't the assumption that women are pro-choice and would vote for a candidate accordingly.  Instead what seems to fly in the face of logic is the assumption that ARIZONANS and ARIZONA WOMEN specifically are that aggressively pro-choice.  I mean come on, aren't we the home of the Goldwater Institute?  Of State Senator Ron Gould?  Don't super pro-lifers John Kyl and John McCain comfortably get elected here?   Surely we aren't in any way shape or form a pro-choice state!?

Well, think again.  Arizona is a pro-choice state. A recent SurveyUSA poll shows that this is as true now as it ever has been.

Pro Choice:  56%
Pro Life:  39%
Not Sure: 5%

Despite what could have been considered the conventional political wisdom in this state, Napolitano stuck to her beliefs during the campaign despite pressure, and refused to back away from her commitment to reproductive rights. 

Her opponent and the GOP tried to make it an issue.  While calling Janet "too liberal" for Arizona Salmon folks pointed to abortion as evidence.  Many people worried that her support for abortion would be the thing that took Napolitano down ... yet as we know, they were wrong and she narrowly was elected.

I think it might be considered common knowledge that the reason Napolitano didn't shy away from being pro-choice during her super super super close race last time around (and while governing) was to attract the support of WOMEN.  I have always been told that the Governor's campaign knew that in order for her to win, she would need to get Independent and Republican women to cross over and support her in pretty big numbers; being vocally pro-choice was the major way to do that.  Before I thought Napolitano's pro-choice stance worked, she kicked ass with women ... but now I'm not so sure.

While looking at the SUSA poll, everything seemed pretty as expected.  Women are pro-choice, Democrats are pro-choice, Republicans are pro-life, Hispanics are pro-choice but not by much, and under the column for black we see that they are majority pro-life ... so no big surprises.  Then I started to look at the rest of the numbers and two things jumped out at me:  First, the poll proves the campaign's point - Arizona women are pro-choice (56% - 40%) ... but guess what?  SO ARE ARIZONA MEN.

Among Men of all ages:
Pro-Choice: 56%
Pro-Life: 38%
Not-Sure: 6%

If these numbers are accurate it shows that the Gov's stance on choice wasn't the reason women went to vote for her - or at least not any more than it was the reason MEN voted for her.  So the question then is ... why exactly did women cross over?

I think the answer may be pretty simple, though not as simple as "because she is a woman too" (while that is a HUGE part of it).  Largely, I think women rewarded the Governor with their vote because it was exciting to see a female candidate stand up to her opponent and out-smart, out-wit, out-maneuver, and out-debate him ... all while sticking to her guns despite tons of political pressure.  In short, and to be crude as hell with an intentionally ironic saying, women supported and then voted for Janet because SHE HAD BALLS.  They rewarded her for being STRONG.

As we go into the stretch I hope that Arizona Democrats who are running for state-wide office remember - BE STRONG if you want to get women (and all) voters.  Don't moderate for the sake of moderation, and don't go around hiding your views on issues that are unpopular because you are afraid.  Fact is - Arizonans want to elect someone who will FIGHT, someone who will STAND FOR SOMETHING ... and even if we don't agree with you we sure as hell will be happy to know that you WILL fight and that you are fighting FOR A REASON. 

Translating this into a catchy little slogan would result in this --> "If you are unwilling to stand ... how on earth do you expect to run?"

Man ... been awhile since I wrote about anything political like this.  Little rusty ... but I forgot how much I enjoyed it.  There are a few other things this poll made me think about, I hope to write about each but am not sure when:

1. AZ is Pro-Choice, now I'm gonna prove that AZ voters care a lot more about the environment than we give them credit for.
   
   
2. Young Arizonans (and Americans) are pro-life ... and I know why.
   
   
3. Tom's Mom

Katrina, the dodged bullet

This is a complete ripoff from Dailykos:

President Bush has been explaining away his willingness to stay on vacation immediately after Katrina in a way that shows how completely the wheels have fallen off the conservative message machine:

When that storm came by, a lot of people said we dodged a bullet. When that storm came through at first, people said, Whew. There was a sense of relaxation. And that's what I was referring to.

And I myself thought we had dodged a bullet. You know why? Because I was listening to people probably over the airwaves say, The bullet has been dodged. And that was what I was referring to.

Of course, there were plans in case the levee had been breached. There was a sense of relaxation at a critical moment.

Of course ... newspapers seemed to be saying a "SLIGHTLY" different story:

Blogging For Real Again

I hear about 10 times a week from people that wish I would start blogging like "the old days".  After some nostalgic reading of the archives of this blog I have to admit, I was definitely a better blogger back in the day.  In fact most people even preferred MY BLOG to that one secret blog that is now the HUGE rage in our circle.  Neglect, a lack of creativity, and Muddy's blog continually kicking ass has made this one kinda die.

But, shit was good once! Remember when I translated the T-Mac Tech email they sent out?  Or when I told everyone why I wanted Vilsack to be DNC Chair?  From this blog you could learn why my IM name is crackorganizer, or why people sometimes call me Tonyca Ni. Sigh ... the good ol days.

I guess I got too busy with YDs and my job for this blog to be any good.  Also, I got a little too into MOBLOGGING photos from my cell phone (a function Altell has all but destroyed for me now) ... so this blog lately has just been snapshots for random things I'm doing at random times (normally after a beer or two).

Well, things are going to change.  I'm gonna try to make an effort on this thing again ...

... and yes the fact that YDA recently informed me the LINKED THIS FUCKING BLOG TO THEIR FUCKING PAGE absolutely has me motivated to stop sucking.

View from lunch

Muddy is right about white peopl

Disney devo