Semi Truths

Although we’ve known for some time that it might come to this, it is only now starting to settle on me that the next Democratic candidate for President will be either a woman or an African-American. It is a stunning turn of events. As I have watched the process these past few months, and sensed which way the wind was blowing, I have said to all who care to listen that this is a good field of Democratic candidates, that any one of them would make a fine President, and that I will be happy to support whoever is chosen by the national party.

Not that I haven’t had my favorites. I’ve admired John Edwards for the past four years and enjoyed watching him evolve into a populist candidate as he refined his message about the two Americas. Dennis Kucinich is (was) the only candidate this year that I had the honor to meet in person, and although we all knew he would not be the final nominee, he was my heart’s choice. (Actually, I did meet one other candidate before: twenty years ago, when I was living in New York, Rudy Guliani dashed across the street to shake my hand. He was running for State Attorney General and I didn’t like him then, either.)

After seven years of unbelievably inept “governing”, I have found myself nostalgic for the simple scandals of the Clinton years, not to mention the reassuring financial scene of the 1990s. And I have always liked Hillary Clinton the person, so I find her candidacy exciting on many levels.

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Representative Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Presidential candidate for the Democratic nomination, is coming to Charlottesville on Friday, December 7th. As reported in the Daily Progress “Kucinich is the only Democratic presidential candidate who currently favors impeachment of both Vice President Dick Cheney and President Bush”. Kucinich will be speaking that Friday evening at the Albemarle County Office Building. More information can be found at David Swanson’s site AfterDowningStreet.org.

Several outlets are buzzing with the news about Stephen Colbert’s Presidential bid. It’s all a big joke, of course, and many are drawing comparisons to Pat Paulsen’s continuing runs for President (in a box somewhere, I’m sure I must still have some “Pat Paulsen for President” pins). Neither, however, were the first comedian to run for U.S. President. In addition to satirical campaigns by Eddie Cantor and Will Rogers, Gracie Allen (of the comic duo Burns and Allen) made quite a splash with her own wildly popular run in 1940, even forming her own “Surprise Party”. A well-written overview can be found here.

For the past few years, I have been getting my gas from Citgo because it comes from Venezuela and not from the Mid-East or Africa. Yes, I know that Venezuela is still an OPEC member and that Hugo Chavez is far from an angel, but I still admire how he stands up to Geo. Bush.

Normally, I gas up at the Citgo on Ivy. I like the fact that it’s a full-service station and that the attendant will wash my window and offer to check my oil. I tell my kids that this is what gas stations used to be like.

A few days ago, I found myself going up 29 and in need of gas, so I pulled into the 7-Eleven on Hydraulic, for they also carry Citgo gas. Or they used to. After I could not get my Citgo card to work, I stepped into the store. The clerk told me that 7-Eleven as a corporation no longer carries Citgo gas because Chavez had  called Bush “the devil” at the U.N.

“But that’s why I buy Citgo gas!”, I protested. The poor clerk was a little confounded by that answer and responded by trying to sell me a suspicious-looking meat product and a People magazine.

I can think of no earthly reason to ever go to 7-Eleven again.