how can you be a democratically-elected queen?
wretched research questions for my yuletide story: an occasional series
did anybody ever watch hill street blues? if so, can you tell me if it was one of those cop shows that had characters who were district attorneys and such, or was it strictly a cop show?
1984 -- dukakis v. g.h.w. bush
1988 -- dukakis v. bob dole
1992 -- lloyd bentsen v. jack kemp
1996 --kemp v. bill clinton
2000 -- clinton v. g.w. bush
2004 -- gore v. g.w. bush
originally, i liked bentsen riding the incumbency coattails in 1992, but it pushed clinton's first term back to 2000, and even though he was considered to be young for a presidential nominee in 1992, he was halfway through his fourth term as the governor of arkansas, i can't really see him staying governor for another eight years. his fourth term was supposed to end in 1994, that way he serves out the last term and immediately begins campaigning for the 1996 election. he serves two terms similar to the ones he did have in 92 and 96, and then gore wins in 2004, i ... think?
this, of course, is dictated by the idea that the clinton presidency would happen no matter what. someone pointed out that a two-term dukakis presidency might eliminate the possibility of a clinton presidency, but i think that it parallels two terms of reagan --> two terms of g.w. bush. it makes the clinton presidency different, obviously, and he's more of a standard bearer and less of an agent of change.
what's funny is that this will probably all end up as about three throwaway lines in the actual story. actually, no, what's funny, is that in the story the president in question isn't actually michael dukakis.
on a completely different note, this morning i went to a benefit brunch for the state glbt youth commission. some things i learned, already knew or learned all over again:
1. there are very few things more embarrassing and painful than sitting through a live auction while nobody bids on any of the items.
2. just when you think you're listening to a rather interesting award acceptance speech about how (republican governor) bill weld created the glbt youth commission via executive order because the democratic legislature was cagey about it, the speaker may veer off into an uncomfortable and confusing rant about how the biggest problem facing queer youth today is the dangers of meeting people on the internet for sex.
3. i am still really, really, really glad that i don't do queer community organizing any more.
the keynote address was given by a college-age queer kid, and he was a really good speaker, but the subject matter was familiar territory: blah blah it's hard out here for a queer youth, here are the ways it was particularly shitty for me, blah blah supporting the work of the commission will make it less shitty for the next generation of kids. and it's like -- yes, that's true, but at the same time, i just get so depressed by the way that queer people have to tell their shitty stories over and over and over again because we think it's the most effective means of self-advocacy, because if we over-share enough about how much our minority status sucks for us, everyone else will finally get with the program and make things right.
and, i don't know, maybe it is the most effective form of self-advocacy, but sometimes i just get so ... embarrassed. i've lost track of how many fundraisers, conferences, panels, documentary films and interviews i've attended or been a part of that have featured some queer person telling all the intimate details of their angst and prejudice-filled coming out story. listening to this kid this morning, it felt exploitive, and i'm glad that better self-advocacy through more evocative self-exploitation isn't my job anymore.
hopefully, i will shortly follow this post with a public one about how the pm and i have rendered ourselves irrevocably retarded by watching four of the six star wars movies in the last twenty-four hours. but it's also possible that i'm so stupid now that i can't remember how to tie my shoes.
did anybody ever watch hill street blues? if so, can you tell me if it was one of those cop shows that had characters who were district attorneys and such, or was it strictly a cop show?
1984 -- dukakis v. g.h.w. bush
1988 -- dukakis v. bob dole
1992 -- lloyd bentsen v. jack kemp
1996 --kemp v. bill clinton
2000 -- clinton v. g.w. bush
2004 -- gore v. g.w. bush
originally, i liked bentsen riding the incumbency coattails in 1992, but it pushed clinton's first term back to 2000, and even though he was considered to be young for a presidential nominee in 1992, he was halfway through his fourth term as the governor of arkansas, i can't really see him staying governor for another eight years. his fourth term was supposed to end in 1994, that way he serves out the last term and immediately begins campaigning for the 1996 election. he serves two terms similar to the ones he did have in 92 and 96, and then gore wins in 2004, i ... think?
this, of course, is dictated by the idea that the clinton presidency would happen no matter what. someone pointed out that a two-term dukakis presidency might eliminate the possibility of a clinton presidency, but i think that it parallels two terms of reagan --> two terms of g.w. bush. it makes the clinton presidency different, obviously, and he's more of a standard bearer and less of an agent of change.
what's funny is that this will probably all end up as about three throwaway lines in the actual story. actually, no, what's funny, is that in the story the president in question isn't actually michael dukakis.
on a completely different note, this morning i went to a benefit brunch for the state glbt youth commission. some things i learned, already knew or learned all over again:
1. there are very few things more embarrassing and painful than sitting through a live auction while nobody bids on any of the items.
2. just when you think you're listening to a rather interesting award acceptance speech about how (republican governor) bill weld created the glbt youth commission via executive order because the democratic legislature was cagey about it, the speaker may veer off into an uncomfortable and confusing rant about how the biggest problem facing queer youth today is the dangers of meeting people on the internet for sex.
3. i am still really, really, really glad that i don't do queer community organizing any more.
the keynote address was given by a college-age queer kid, and he was a really good speaker, but the subject matter was familiar territory: blah blah it's hard out here for a queer youth, here are the ways it was particularly shitty for me, blah blah supporting the work of the commission will make it less shitty for the next generation of kids. and it's like -- yes, that's true, but at the same time, i just get so depressed by the way that queer people have to tell their shitty stories over and over and over again because we think it's the most effective means of self-advocacy, because if we over-share enough about how much our minority status sucks for us, everyone else will finally get with the program and make things right.
and, i don't know, maybe it is the most effective form of self-advocacy, but sometimes i just get so ... embarrassed. i've lost track of how many fundraisers, conferences, panels, documentary films and interviews i've attended or been a part of that have featured some queer person telling all the intimate details of their angst and prejudice-filled coming out story. listening to this kid this morning, it felt exploitive, and i'm glad that better self-advocacy through more evocative self-exploitation isn't my job anymore.
hopefully, i will shortly follow this post with a public one about how the pm and i have rendered ourselves irrevocably retarded by watching four of the six star wars movies in the last twenty-four hours. but it's also possible that i'm so stupid now that i can't remember how to tie my shoes.