#so i shouldn’t be disappointed (he asked if i was upset at the election results and. yes?? | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

chocoholicannanymous · 6 years ago

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If the Spit Hits the Fan Pt VI (Glee)

Have another chunk of WIP. It’s...going. Somewhat.

Follows pt I, pt II, pt III, pt IV and pt v.

Going back to school the next week isn't exactly a joy. Being thrown into a bigger role with practically no preparation had meant skimping on schoolwork in order to manage, meaning he's got some catching up to do now. Only he's also got the final days of campaigning for class president to do. And trying to be supportive when it comes to his dad's campaign.

He kind of wishes he had it in him to just bow out of the election. With Tony on his resume Kurt doesn't need it to pad his application any longer, and it's quite honestly more of a hassle than it's worth. However, it's not who he is. Kurt Hummel doesn't back down just because things are difficult, and this isn't going to be the first time. Of course, he might have, under other circumstances but not this time. Rachel's already withdrawn, meaning his opponents are down to Rick the Stick and Brittany. Which...no.

Brittany's a dear, but Kurt doesn't see her as a viable candidate. Not just because she shouldn't even be allowed to run, what with her GPA and everything, but because she's just running to make Santana happy. She wouldn't know what to do should she win.

And yet, all of the reasons why she isn't a good choice withstanding, Brittany's still the better option. Having someone clueless and probably useless is better than someone who's definitely useless, a bully and who knows how to use any and all position to treat others like shit.

Neither is a truly good option though, and so Kurt's hanging in there even though he'd rather not.

He wins. Only he doesn't. And that's not even the worst part.

“You want to suspend me? Not only are you taking senior class president away from me, but you want to suspend me as well? No.”

Kurt glares at Mr Figgins and Mr Schue – and why is he here anyway? – and raises a hand when they begin talking.

“I didn't cheat. So why should I be the one punished here?”

“We have witness to you sharing your plan.”

“Oh my god. I made a joke. I was worrying that beating the candidate who promised to walk around topless if she won – and I'm still waiting for an official reaction to that, by the way – and made a stupid joke about stuffing the ballot boxes. Like John F Kennedy.

“But that was all it was, a joke. This? Wasn't me. It's clear someone decided to sabotage the election.”

“Please.” Mr Schue. Why can't he just shut up and stop pretending like he cares? “Are we supposed to believe someone else stuffed the ballot boxes with your name, as a sabotage?”

A part of Kurt wants to just let them do this, to lie down and let them walk all over him, and then go home and cry. Call Sebastian – since no one else is likely to believe him – and complain about how unfair all of this is. But.

He couldn't fight being passed over for Tony. He couldn't fight Blaine disappearing. This he can fight.

Not to mention that a suspension for cheating won't not going to look good on his college applications.

“It wouldn't be the first time an election has been sabotaged to get to me. Sure, this isn't prom queen, but still. It's been done before, and whoever was behind that saw that the school would do nothing.

“Plus, it doesn't have to be about me. My father is running for congress, and if I were to be suspended for cheating it would reflect badly on him. It's not exactly hard to come up with reasons why a gay-friendly, arts-friendly congressman wouldn't be popular with certain people. And it's not like it would be the first sabotage there, would it? Just look at what happened to Santana Lopez.”

Kurt might not be that eager for class president any longer, but if this is about sabotaging his dad then he's not going to let it happen.

“Kurt,” and it's Mr Schue's I'm-disappointed-in-you voice. “I understand that you're upset, but trying to blame Sue for your actions is–”

“Again, no. Stop. I never said that. I never mentioned names. I do find it interesting that the first thing on your mind was coach Sylvester though, but that's on you. Me, I'm not willing to judge without proof.

“Mr Figgins. I expect to hear the results of your investigation during our next meeting.”

“Our next meeting? Mr Hummel, I think you have misunderstood things. There will be no more meetings. There is only this one, to inform you of your suspension.”

“Considering that the school's rules clearly state that a parent is to be present for all meetings regarding suspensions and expulsions, I'm fairly sure that we need to have at least one more meeting. My father is, after all, not present.”

There's some hemming and hawing, since apparently Mr Figgins doesn't think Burt Hummel's presence is necessary. Kurt disagrees. Just because he's a legal adult doesn't change the rules.

“Well, your father clearly didn't feel the need to be here, so I see no point in rearranging things just to please your sudden desire to follow the rules.”

And that...that's not okay.

“Mr Figgins. Stop. My father is in a closed meeting, and has been all day. I sincerely doubt you managed to get through to him, as it's emergencies only. Therefor it's not a question of him not 'feeling the need' but instead of him not being informed. If you push through this without his presence he'll be very upset.”

It's very pleasing to see Mr Figgins pale and start to stutter. It's clear that Burt Hummel's threats regarding the Defying Gravity diva-off is still alive and well in the man's head.

The next day is not fun. Kurt spends too much of it being told that he needs to confess and take his punishment. First there's Mr Schue, of course. Then Santana, who's upset on Brittany's behalf, and Rachel, who has switched to bitch-mode again, and even Mercedes.

Kurt stops listening to anyone outside of his teachers before lunch, and spends his free time hiding out in the library, either doing homework or texting Sebastian. (And the irony, it burns.)

It takes two days, and a very angry phonecall from his dad, for the meeting to happen.

Mr Schue's not present this time, for which Kurt's thankful. It might not be as good for Mr Figgins though, as it means he's the sole target of Burt Hummel's fury.

The man spouts a lot of bullshit, is basically trying to bully Kurt into confessing to something he's already said he didn't do, and doesn't even seem to realize that he's only making things worse. He also admits to not having investigated the extra ballots. It's clear that in Mr Figgins' mind there is no need to find another culprit when Kurt exists.

Of course, he tries to frame it differently, but that's what he's saying.

Even if it gets them nowhere Kurt still gets the pleasure of hearing his dad verbally nail the man to the wall. And then, after pointing out all the things Kurt mentioned the day before along with a few others, he goes for the throat.

“What was the final count?”

“I'm sorry?”

“What. Was. The. Final. Count? How many votes for each candidate?”

Mr Figgins hems and haws, but Burt Hummel isn't backing down. He just stares at the principal until what's left of the man's spine crumbles and he starts mumbling.

“Could you repeat that? In a volume meant for humans, this time.”

“Mr Nelson received about 50 votes, while Miss Pierce received almost 200.”

“And Kurt?”

“We're not –”

“How many votes did Kurt get? Exactly.”

The answer is 512. 512! That's... Even if he disregards the fake votes, that's still a lot more that Kurt'd ever dared to believe.

“Mhm. And how many fake votes did you say there were again?”

Oh. There are about 500 seniors at McKinley, give or take, and close to 800 ballots. Even if they round it up to 600 and claim all the false votes had Kurt's name on them there were still over 300 votes for him. He won. He should be senior class president.

“So what you're saying is that my son got the most votes, even if you remove all the fake ones, and instead of congratulating him or even redoing the election you want to take that away from him and suspend him? Is that how you run this school, Figgins?”

Listening to his dad Kurt feels his own rage responding. He tries to hold it back, but when Mr Figgins tries to come up with some kind of answer as to why this was the school's response he snaps.

“It's obvious isn't it? I ran on an anti-bullying platform. If I win then that's the students saying McKinley do have a problem with bullying, regardless of what Mr Figgins and the rest of the faculty like to claim.”

Kurt knows he sounds much too bitter, but he's had it. Mr Figgins has spent three years protecting the bullies instead of Kurt. It ends here though. If that means letting his father use – or even abuse – his new power, then Kurt will take it. Happily even.

It's too late to save his time at McKinley. This is to save his future – and that of everyone coming after him.

He can hear his dad gear up to hand Mr Figgins his ass, and as satisfying as it'd be in a way Kurt doesn't have the energy for it. He's beyond done.

“Here's what's going to happen. You, Mr Figgins, will tell the faculty and everyone else who asks that I'm innocent. I don't care how you explain the stuffed ballot boxes, or your lack of an investigation, as long as you make it clear that you had no grounds for accusing me. You will also write a letter stating the same, right now, and sign it for me.”

“And why exactly would I do any such thing?”

“Because if you don't I'm going to sue. Not just the school, but you personally. Starting with defamation of character. But, since my dad taught me that if you're going to do something you should do it properly, I won't stop there. If you force me to sue I will make sure to bring up every time this administration has failed me. And that's a lot, Mr Figgins.

“You might think you can get away with doing nothing, but this is the kind of case that the ACLU does pursue. And if they don't I just so happens to have an in with the State's Attorney. Not to mention that unlike you I have this little thing called proof.”

Even such a miserable little cockroach as Jacob ben Israel has his uses, and this is one. Before agreeing to come back to McKinley Kurt made copies of every video Jacob had posted of bullying, and he's kept it up afterwards. By now there are a lot of them. Considering the amount that shows faculty members ignoring it... Yeah, he's got enough for McKinley to be in serious trouble.

Judging by Mr Figgins' facial expression he knows it as well.

“Also, if you do this I will gracefully bow out.2

Once the letter is written and signed Kurt makes Mr Figgins read it to him before taking it – making sure it gets on the recording he's secretly making on his phone, since he wouldn't be the least surprised to find Mr Figgins breaking their agreement.

“And how am I to know that the two of you won't continue this, this witch-hunt against the school?”

A witch-hunt. From Kurt's side. It'd be a great joke if it wasn't such an absolute reverse of what's been going on since he first entered McKinley. Kurt'd laugh, really, only he's afraid he'd choke on the bitterness.

“First of all, because unlike you I keep my word. Second, because I won't be here. I had a very interesting talk with headmaster Barnes over at Dalton the other day,” and wow, Mr Figgins' face turns an amazing shade of purple, “and he offered me a place there. Apparently he's rather upset with you – something about repeatedly ensuring him that bullying is no longer an issue at McKinley?”

Since one of those reassurances had been right after junior prom Mr Figgins has every reason to look like he's going to stroke out. Having been caught lying to another educator doesn't look good, especially not when said educator has friends on the school board.

“I've decided to accept the offer, seeing as it's once again been proved that no one at McKinley is ever going to try and treat me fairly.”

In the end Kurt walks out feeling rather pleased with the talk.

As he walks from Mr Figgins' office to the choir room the speaker system comes alive and announces that while there's been some irregularities Brittany Pierce is McKinley's new senior class president. Not a word about Kurt. He'll have to deal with that later – provided, of course, that his dad didn't hear it.

He's early, as classes don't let out for another 10 minutes. That time, Kurt decides, is best spent listening to music and steeling himself. The rest of the group won't be pleased to hear he's leaving, even if they haven't exactly made him feel welcome lately. Chances are Santana and Brittany will show up too, to gloat – at least in Santana's case – meaning things can get really ugly.

They do. One of these days, Kurt thinks, I'd really like to be wrong about something unpleasant.

He allows them a couple of minutes before slamming his hand into the chair next to him. The sound silences the others and he rises to tell them what's what.

“It's really interesting to see how this group, my so-called friends and the teacher who always talks about being there for us, decided to throw all kind of support out the window. You of all people should remember how I've been treated here. For instance, you were all there when I ended up prom queen because someone decided they just couldn't stand not being able to bully me.

“And yet now that another election's been sabotaged not a single one of you stops to think that maybe this wasn't something I did but instead something that was done to me.

“To think that I would have said you were my best friends.”

There are quite a few guilty-looking faces, but also a few stubborn ones. Santana is among the latter.

“Yeah? Well, we all remember how you said winning this was important to you, so you could get into a school full of Berrys. In my book you're one to talk, ruining Brit's glory like that.”

Rachel is visibly torn between nodding along and being upset over Santana's barbed remark, and Kurt's just...done.

“Don't worry, Santana. I won't be ruining anything for anyone. Not anymore. I'm done. I've been offered to come back to Dalton, and things being what they are I accepted. As of,” he checks the clock, “27 minutes ago I'm no longer a student at McKinley.

“I just wanted to say goodbye.”

He doesn't want to argue, and so he grabs his bag and walks to the door. Still, he can't resist giving Santana a taste of her own medicine and stops to whisper in her ear, making sure to keep his voice low enough that none of the others can hear.

“Brittany's so-called glory? That's on my expense. Whoever stuffed the ballot boxes didn't change the fact that I still got more votes than Brittany and Rick the Stick together. I don't know who did it, or why, but frankly? You are one of the people with the strongest motive. And if I find out it was you then you're going to learn exactly what 'ruining' means.”

He's going to treasure that stricken look on Santana's face for quite some time.

#chocoholic fics #kurt hummel #kurt fic #a wild sebastian appears #though not exactly in this part #anti-lighthousefucker #not edited or beta read #meant for an episode revamp fic #possibly even a season revamp #mckinley is a trash-heap #in 2019 we finish our wips

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devilsofficialfanfic · 6 years ago

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Doing The Best We Can

Chapter 18: Sweetheart

The meeting was called back into session, and Lotor took his place next to Keith. He really did like having Keith right beside him.

They had planned all this out ahead of time, as they usually did before negotiations of any sort, but it was still nice to be able to communicate silently with Keith in the midst of things. It was impossible to account for every single outcome, after all, no matter how much thought you put into something.

And he could hold Keith’s hand under the table and no one would know.

The situation was not as fraught as it could have been. The Galra Empire would survive isolation quite well, probably; the two dozen planets under Imperial control had small, but steadily growing, populations and large amounts of various natural resources. Seven of those planets were industrial centers, and a further eleven were agricultural producers. They’d prosper.

The rest of the universe might not; the war had been hard on many.

Not all, of course; provisions had been made as planets elected to leave the Empire, in the name of revitalizing economies, instead of letting them crash.

Coalition planets were different. For one thing, most were too proud to ask for help, and even if they had… By the time the war ended, they weren’t the Empire’s responsibility. They had wanted freedom, and Lotor understood -admired -that, but freedom meant that they would have to weather the hardships ahead of them, instead of continuing to blame the Empire for each and every problem.

At some point, you just had to move on and do what needed to be done.

Only, they hadn’t, and that’s why they were here.

He was called on to speak again, and he let go of Keith’s hand and stood. “We have been working on this issue tirelessly since the end of the war. Our fleets are the only ones capable of handling this scale of operation. We have spent a total of fifty billion GAC on various Coalition-sponsored resettlement programs and revitalization projects. There is barely a piracy problem within Imperial territory, because we have the resources to guard our shipments and patrol trade routes. We are offering this support now in order to better not ourselves, but the known universe as a whole.

“But it will not come without a cost, and that cost is that you must trust us.”

“Why should we?”

Lotor did not quite catch the speaker, but he turned in their general direction. “Because you have no choice. Few Coalition planets are self-sufficient, and without intergalactic trade, the remainder will starve. And then you will blame that, too, on the Galra.

“Trade enriches all of us. Galra, Olkarion, Taujeerian, Human… Refusing our offer of assistance will mean that pirates will run rampant over your civilizations. Do not let your justified hatred of my father continue to color your perceptions of what the Empire is now.”

Lotor was tired. He’d spent part of the afternoon, after the Empire’s representatives had been excused from the meeting, doing some in-depth examinations of various...technologies and bribing the Castle’s mice.

His mind had not been able to let go of the matter at hand, of course, and that was part of the reason he was unable to sleep, despite his exhaustion.

At least the night air was cooler.

Lance sidled up to him at the balcony. Lance’s footsteps weren’t as stealthy as Keith’s, making it easy for him to tell them apart without looking.

“Couldn’t sleep?” Lance asked softly. Presumably to keep from waking Keith, but Lotor knew from experience that that would not be a problem. Those sleeping pills were potent.

“Just thinking,” Lotor said. There was an orange glow on the horizon; a wild fire of some type, perhaps. But it was far away.

Lance leaned his head against Lotor’s arm. “Yeah?” A clear invitation to share whatever troubled him.

Lotor wasn’t sure, exactly, what troubled him. Keith and he had planned for most contingencies regarding the meeting, including this one, and it was working perfectly so far. The schematics he’d drawn as a result of this afternoon’s adventure in the Castle weren’t terribly important; certainly not enough to keep him awake. And while the heat was annoying, he’d slept in far worse conditions.

“I...don’t know,” he said finally. “It’s probably nothing.”

“I’m not sure I believe that,” Lance said. He ducked under Lotor’s arm, and Lotor obliged him by wrapping his arm around Lance’s waist.

Lotor sighed. “I suppose… Keith mentioned he spoke to you, before you left Daikiraan. About adopting a child.”

“He did,” Lance said neutrally.

“And I… I’ve never really been around children,” Lotor admitted. “I’m...afraid.”

“Everyone’s scared of screwing their kids up. The important thing, I guess, is just...being there. Putting the time in. Everything else can be learned.”

He knew it was too dark for Lance to really see much, and perhaps that was why he was able to ask the question he hadn’t quite managed to ask Keith. “Do you think I would be a good father?”

Lance was silent -Lotor imagined it was a startled silence, like it was something Lance hadn’t quite considered -for a long moment. “Oh,” he breathed finally. “Oh, Lotor.” He twisted a little, so he could look up at Lotor.

Lotor avoided his gaze. Selfishly, perhaps. But he was allowed this small indulgence.

“Lotor, sweetheart, look at me?”

It was hard, but Lotor did, because he could rarely refuse any request Lance made in that soft, sweet tone.

Lance reached up and cupped his face with both hands. “You are not, and you will never be, your father, ok? I know he hurt you, but he’s dead, and he’s been dead, and he can’t hurt you anymore. He will never hurt you again, and you will never become him, ok, because you are not him.”

“But what if-?”

“No, hush. It’s not going to happen.” Lance was quiet until Lotor finally nodded reluctantly. “Ultimately, it’s up to you. Keith said he’s been considering it for several years now, and I always knew I’d prefer to have kids, but we’re not going to force it on you if you don’t want to. It’s something we all have to commit to, together, and if your heart’s not in it, then it’s not fair to the kid or you.

“That being said, I think, personally, that you’d make a great father. I mean, maybe you’ve never really been around kids, but you can learn to feed a baby and change diapers and all that. That’s not what makes a great father. You just...have to be there, yeah? And you’re always so attentive when it comes to me and Keith, always so considerate and warm to us? So I think you’d be really great with kids.”

Lotor pressed his cheek into Lance’s right hand. “I…don’t know what to say to that.”

“Just think about it. You don’t have to make a decision anytime soon. It’s kind of one of those things you probably shouldn’t rush into, you know?”

“Would you be…” Lotor searched for the right word. “Upset? Disappointed? If I decided against it?”

“Yeah, a little, probably,” Lance admitted. “But not at you, and I’d, you know, get over it. Volunteer with a youth program or something. But just because I might be upset, does not mean you have to agree to it. We’re married, now, so that means we’re in this together, for better or worse, remember? If we’re gonna do this, we need to be in agreement about it. I love you, and Keith loves you, and we’re gonna love you no matter how this turns out, ok? So you don’t need to worry about that.”

“I know,” Lotor said softly, then leaned down to kiss Lance. “Thank you for this. I appreciate it a great deal.”

“Yeah, well, what are husbands for?” Lance said with a grin. Then he yawned. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get up early tomorrow and it is way past my bedti-“

Lotor scooped him up in one smooth motion. “I suppose it’s time for me to go to bed as well.”

Lance laughed and wrapped an arm around Lotor’s shoulders. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too.”

#vld lotor #vld keith #vld lance #doing the best we can #this might go on hiatus for a while but im not sure yet #\ (ツ) /#vld klancelot

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geliki80-blog · 4 years ago

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october 29, 2020, 1:24am

after watching some episodes of other shows, i settled on an episode of david letterman's netflix series with dave chappelle. it was powerful to watch something that referred to events happening this year that have touched my life, that have affected so many lives. and empowering to hear him amplify so many of the values that i have also come to embrace, including community.

it made me think about my life in the small town i stayed in after college. this town made only slightly bigger by the university that brings in a more diverse range of thinkers and characters than the town itself could ever hope to boast about. i was drawn to this place because i wanted to be closer to thick clusters of trees and farther from dense throngs of people. the electricity of the city had worn me out by seventeen, and i craved an escape from the pace of consumerism that felt foreign and overwhelming to me.

but as i got older within the smaller town's limits, i recognized more and more about how my experiences fit within a bigger context. how certain things that had been more subtle or more covert in pittsburgh were obvious in a place still glaringly white, and glaringly conservative. and the more i realized about the way the town operated, and the way the country operated, and my own place within all of that, i felt more and more disconnected from my literal community. from the place where i liked the trees more than the people.

still i managed to make friends. characters paraded in and out of the tiny gas station on a corner at one of the four intersections in town where i worked part-time for several years. people spoke to me because i was just about the least threatening person, and i was in a subservient role. i had a welcoming aura that had been inviting strangers to open up to me from the time i was a teenager waiting on buses in downtown pittsburgh. that trait followed me into my twenties, and into various customer service positions. as a cashier, i didn't have the freedom to walk away from a customer who decided to unload about his day, his life, his opinions about the state of the country. there was a sense of marginalization that i always felt. a feeling of subversiveness just beneath the surface. and so community for me came to mean the group of people whom i had gravitated toward. whom i had chosen to talk to and listen to. people who stuck around and became close to me, spent time with me, allowed me into their lives and into their families and into their hearts. before long, new friends became people who were precious to me over a decade, and that time grows longer still with so many friends i had the pleasure of meeting in this tiny vortex of interesting and predictable people.

as i get older, i want to be more active in my community. i already know i have a talent for talking with people. for listening. and i know how many people i learned about just from that passive role as a cashier at a gas station. so imagine what i could accomplish with a bit more intention. i've never been much for schmoozing. i also don't believe in selling anything to people. but i know we all have needs, and i believe in working toward making sure everyone's are met. and i know that we stand a much better chance of accomplishing that if we work together, rather than against each other.

there are times that i have really fucked up with people. times when my ego or my perspective has gotten in the way of using a better approach to create dialogue. times when i've talked at someone. or times when my feelings got the best of me, and i spoke before i thought well enough. i think thoughtfulness is definitely something that improves with age and experience, especially if we're conscious about strengthening that muscle. when someone hurts me, there is the part of hurt that is all ego. that is painful. and forgiveness seems always to have two parts--one for forgiving the other person for being human and doing what humans do sometimes which might be lashing out, or projecting, or doing what wounded creatures do. the other for forgiving myself for reacting and getting mad at the person for being human and doing what wounded creatures do. and anyone who denies me permission to make mistakes is not really my friend. but anyone who is not my friend is not my enemy either. and again, ultimately we are both trying to achieve something with progress. with shaping the world around us (and within) toward what we want it to be. and while i cannot control how the other person advances with their own sense of forgiveness, it's never a bad time to engage in some self-reflection and re-evaluate what i have the power to grow within myself, improve within my own behaviors. what the other person does is up to them. and i want only never to hinder their growth. so sometimes stepping back, stepping away from someone is necessary. but the door for dialogue should never close.

and i think that relates to the bigger picture. the bigger society that we're all a part of.

tonight, i was thinking as i hung up the fiona apple poster in my room, the construction paper matting badly faded. the cheap plastic poster frame misaligned and taped at the corners to hold it all together. i was thinking about giving permission to people to make mistakes. allowing it. when that idea first comes into my mind, it comes with the assumption that people will learn from their mistakes, and become better. smarter. more compassionate. but there is an error to that thinking, because it assumes that people must be better than what they are, and that they are not worthy of forgiveness unless they evolve from their mistakes. we punish a child with the intention of teaching them to think and behave more appropriately. but children repeat behaviors, pushing the extent of our boundaries and still receiving forgiveness because it takes time to learn certain lessons. if that patience is not applied to adults, then everyone is doomed to failure. not only that, but we withhold love from people we deem as not acting right.

somewhere in my heart i know that i have to love my neighbor. and somewhere else in my heart i don't want anything to do with him unless i enjoy interacting with him.

friends are neighbors we choose, and it can be harder when they disappoint us. but only because we become so used to them that when they let us down we take it personally.

if we allow people to make mistakes, and accept that they will, and accept that it might take a long time for them to learn...how does that inform our expectations for leaders?

dave chappelle had a skit talking about an interaction he had with a transgender woman that did not paint her in a very kind light. and i was very upset with him. i wasn't the only one. but when he went on to continue making specials, i refrained from watching because i didn't want to support someone transphobic. i didn't want to risk that he would keep telling those kinds of jokes. but he ended up addressing that bit in a later special. i ended up coming back to him, because there was always something about his honesty and delivery, his artistry, that i was drawn to (like so many people). in the interview with letterman, he asks chappelle about if he wants to be a leader, acknowledging how letterman himself looked to dave for some sort of guidance. some sort of catharsis following the murder of george floyd. and it made me think about the leaders that the people choose versus the leaders that are groomed for us.

joe biden is the democratic nominee in our two-party presidential election, the results of which will be determined by an electoral college whose structure, like so many other things in this country, is in terrible need of revision. the people who are openly unenthusiastic about biden refer to his history, his involvement with legislation that was, like so many other things in this country, terribly imperfect and influenced by the politics of the time. biden had to change. as a public figure, as a political figure, he had to change with the times and with what the idea of a democrat meant, otherwise people like bernie sanders would stand a chance, and the two-party system would finally shift toward something more pluralistic, and the powers that be want to remain the powers that be. so while people condemn biden for his past, here i am wondering on one hand isn't he allowed to be imperfect? while at the same time wishing we could have had better leaders altogether from the start. leaders who were ahead of their time. leaders not so influenced by the politics and trends of the time. leaders who really make all of us feel confident they will be good for all of us. be what we really need in that office.

i guess what i'm saying is chappelle for president? but really what i'm saying is there has to be a balance between the degree of accountability a person holds for their behaviors and a degree of permission that we grant to people to learn from their mistakes and do better. and we shouldn't be electing anyone to office who hasn't demonstrated that they can learn from their mistakes. who remains the same self-interested, self-absorbed, capitalist pig they always were. i have every faith that chappelle will continue to evolve as a human being, because his craft and his passion are connected with that continuous journey of learning and experiencing and reflecting. i don't have as much faith in biden. but i want to. i want this not to be just another swing of the pendulum back toward the left before another shift toward the right again. i want our political arena to have more diversity. more progress. to really be for the people. even though that's not really the way it was set up. those were the words that were used, and they represent a good vision. a good potential.

i don't know what for the people really looks like. there are some examples around the world, but every place has its issues. no place on earth is perfect. (though ikaria might be close to it. and some of those other blue zones where people live the longest, happiest lives.)

i have no power in what happens next. the presidential election is in five days. i've cast my vote. millions of citizens have. maybe the outcome has already been decided, and this election business is more of a farce than we realize. but i still have no control over what happens, and i have to focus back on the arena where i do have power. myself. my own backyard. my own community. my own friends and family. my work. so that's what i'll do. and i'll always feel grateful for people like chappelle who are willing to speak up about things many of us have a hard time with, even within our communities. thank goodness for unofficial leaders who open up the spaces for us to keep the dialogue going. especially when they can help us to laugh. because we're all dealing with so many of the mistakes people have been allowed to make for hundreds of years.

#forgiveness #community #leadership #politics #philosophy #progress #processing

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nothingman · 7 years ago

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Rep. Joe Crowley’s primary loss on Tuesday night is already blowing open fractures within the Democratic caucus, increasing calls for fresh blood in a leadership that has held power for years.

A day after 28-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez upset the New York incumbent and no. 4 member of House Democratic leadership, members were shocked, thinking through what the loss of a member of leadership to a young progressive means for their caucus and, more widely, for the party. Crowley was seen as a potential successor to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

“I wouldn’t take anything for granted if I were in leadership now,” Kentucky Rep. John Yarmuth told reporters Wednesday morning.

As it became clear that Crowley would lose Tuesday night, one House Democrat told BuzzFeed News, “I think this may help open doors for the younger generation of Democrats in the House of Representatives.”

By Wednesday morning, House Democrats were grappling with Crowley’s surprise defeat, questioning whether the rest of their leadership, who are all in their 70s, can stay — even if they manage to take back the House after the midterms.

“I think it’s just yet another wake-up call that the country is ready for progressives, for folks of color, for leadership that understands that anger that is across the country about where people’s future’s lie,” Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a first-term progressive lawmaker, said Wednesday morning. “It’s a call for a different way of doing business.”

Within the caucus, Jayapal said, “I think everything is up in the air. … I’m thinking there will be a shakeup, and, if not right now, then certainly after November.”

The shock among Democrats on Capitol Hill in the last 24 hours has been palpable. On Tuesday night as results poured in, Yarmuth said his text chain with more than 20 other House Democrats, including Crowley himself, “blew up“ with members stunned at their colleague’s loss. (Crowley, who reportedly spent the day with his family rather than returning to the Hill Wednesday, didn’t participate much in the chat, Yarmuth said.)

Asked if Crowley’s loss makes leadership a free-for-all, Rep. Seth Moulton, who often criticizes his party’s leadership, said, “It opens up the possibilities. We have such talented people in our party right now.”

Leadership insisted Wednesday, however, that they aren’t going anywhere. In a press conference that was nominally about health care, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi fielded several questions about how much longer she and her remaining leadership team can hold onto their posts.

Asked whether the leadership should reflect an increasingly diverse, young, female, and progressive Democratic caucus, Pelosi argued, “Well I’m female, I’m progressive. What’s your problem?”

Pressed on the results of last night’s election, in which voters rejected a current member of leadership for a younger, more progressive woman, Pelosi became terse. “Yeah they did. They made a choice in one district. So let’s not let yourself get carried away on demographics and the rest of that within the caucus or outside of the caucus," she said.

Just as in other years, members will decide who their leadership is, she added. But, as Yarmuth noted Wednesday, that membership will include new voices. “I think new members like Alexandria and others, if they are successful in the fall, are certainly going to have a voice in leadership and determining who the next leaders are,” he told reporters.

Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego said that Pelosi’s leadership team could still make arguments that could appeal to the caucus, saying that members shouldn’t necessarily “discount” their current leadership “because they’re older.”

But, he added, those arguments may not fly with newly elected Democrats next year. “I think the mode of winning in the past was, you know, I have seniority. I’ve done this, and I’ve raised this type of money. And I think that’s not going to fly with these incoming members of Congress, and a lot of them are going to want to actually ask, what are you actually going to do right now?” he said.

Still, other Democrats pumped the brakes on the idea that Crowley’s loss was indicative of bigger problems for Democratic leaders.

Rep. Linda Sanchez, a Latina and the fifth-ranking Democrat in the House just behind Crowley who is also seen as a potential replacement, warned reporters not to read too much into his election. “I don’t think that we can predict any trend or make any blanket statements, because every district is fundamentally very different from every other district,” Sanchez said Wednesday morning, adding that she was “still trying to process” the results.

Her comments were reminiscent of what Pelosi said on the subject. “The fact that in a very progressive district in New York [voters] went more progressive … is about that district. It is not to be viewed as something that stands for everything else,” Pelosi said.

House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, Pelosi’s second in command, acknowledged that there is a generational shift with the House Democratic caucus, but said he didn’t know what Crowley’s race, specifically, meant for the rest of leadership during a sit-down with reporters Wednesday.

Asked what lesson leadership should take from Crowley’s loss, Hoyer said it was about staying connected with voters back home. "I think that we ought to all be very cognizant that we are in a very, very keen environment of voter awareness, and we need to appeal to them and set forth our positions and keep in close contact with them," he said. "It's not a new lesson necessarily, but every once in a while you get reminded of that lesson, sometimes in stark terms."

As for the vacancy Crowley will leave behind, some Democrats who have been mentioned as potential future leaders for the party said Wednesday that it was too soon to discuss it.

Sanchez has previously expressed interest in running for a higher leadership post herself and recently told C-SPAN that it’s “time to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders” in the caucus. Asked Wednesday morning if she would consider replacing Crowley, Sanchez said she thought she would “be a good caucus chair” but was not ready to make any announcements.

Yarmuth, who was there when Sanchez was asked, jumped in to say, “all of us are a little bit sensitive about, you know, jumping over Joe’s body, because we all love Joe and share the disappointment.” But he added that if Sanchez chose to pursue the position, she would have “broad support in the caucus.”

Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, whose name also comes up in conversations about future leadership, told reporters that a few colleagues have already reached out to her about running for a higher leadership slot next year. But Bustos didn’t say if she will run for the spot.

“I think it’s worth noting this is about a half day old right now. Very unexpected outcome. … You just never know what’s going to happen in politics or when there are openings, and I think it’s a matter of, you know, when opportunity knocks, are you wearing your bathrobe or are you wearing your prom dress? Are you ready for it?” she said. “And, you know, I think there are many people in our caucus who will be ready to step up, and now there’s going to be an opportunity to do that.”

Asked whether the Democratic caucus has done enough to build up younger talent to replace their leadership someday, Washington Rep. Adam Smith said Wednesday morning he felt confident there is “a wealth of talent” for future leadership in the Democratic caucus.

“You can never picture the next leader until they’re there,” Smith said. “It’s like you never picture your kids driving until they actually do.”

via BuzzFeed News

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repwinpril9y0a1 · 8 years ago

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Montana Republican Wins Special U.S. House Race Despite Assault Charge

Republican Greg Gianforte overcame an election eve assault charge filed against him that sparked national attention, defeating Democrat Rob Quist in the race for Montana’s open U.S. House seat Thursday.

Gianforte received 50.7 percent to Quist’s 43.5 percent with 97 percent of precincts reporting late Thursday. Libertarian Mark Wicks picked up 5.8 percent of the vote.

The result is a major disappointment for progressive activists who poured money into the campaign to help Quist, a banjo-playing songwriter and political newcomer, in a bid to notch a symbolically important win against President Donald Trump.

The defeat is especially demoralizing for Democrats in light of the misdemeanor assault charge against Gianforte, a multimillionaire tech entrepreneur and social conservative, for allegedly “body slamming” Ben Jacobs of The Guardian on Wednesday while the reporter was asking about the GOP health care bill. Gianforte’s campaign blamed Jacobs, casting him as a “liberal reporter” who acted “aggressively” toward the Republican as he was about to be interviewed by a TV crew. But Alicia Acuna, the Fox News reporter who was slated to interview Gianforte, corroborated Jacobs’ version of events, and the incident spurred widespread condemnation of the Republican.

After the election was called, Gianforte apologized for his attack on the reporter, according to The Associated Press.

BREAKING: Republican Greg Gianforte says he 'learned a lesson," apologizes to reporter after being charged with assaulting him.

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2017

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the liberal group MoveOn.org had blasted Gianforte with a last-minute ad campaign highlighting the incident as evidence he was “unfit to serve” and had “no business being in Congress.”

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) urged Gianforte to apologize earlier Thursday and called his behavior “wrong.” And three Montana newspapers withdrew their endorsement of him.

The Missoulian newspaper said “there is no doubt that Gianforte committed an act of terrible judgment that, if it doesn’t land him in jail, also shouldn’t land him in the U.S. House of Representatives.”

A factor likely benefiting Gianforte was that before news broke of Wednesday’s altercation, more than one-third of Montana’s registered voters had cast early ballots, according to state election officials. Still, Quist’s loss will inevitably fuel criticism that the national Democratic Party got involved in the race too late.

Even before Thursday’s results were known, Jeff Hauser, a veteran progressive political strategist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Revolving Door Project, had told HuffPost that “the national Democrats who provided financial assistance after mail-in voting had already begun will have to question anew their initial reluctance to engage in the race in March and early April.”

“Early funding might have ensured more consistent tracking on Gianforte,” Hauser added, referring to the attack on the reporter. “It almost seems like you never know when Gianforte might commit a crime under a modicum of scrutiny.”

Under almost any circumstances, a Democratic win would have been an upset. Even as Quist’s standing improved in the campaign’s final weeks, none of the polls released in advance of the race showed him ahead of Gianforte.

Montana’s at-large U.S. House seat opened up in December when Trump tapped Ryan Zinke as his interior secretary. Republican Zinke had cruised to re-election in November by nearly 16 percentage points. Trump carried the state over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton by 20 points.

Democratic presidential candidates have triumphed in the state just twice since 1952, most recently when Bill Clinton won it in 1992.

Still, in a state with a sizable segment of independents, Democrats at times have held their own in down-ballot races. One of them is current Gov. Steve Bullock, who won re-election in 2016 when he defeated Gianforte by 4 percentage points.

Quist, 69, a native-born rancher’s son from the Flathead Valley and founder of the popular Mission Mountain Wood Band, had the profile to repeat Bullock’s success. But Montana’s GOP leanings proved insurmountable in a traditionally low-turnout special election.

“When this race started, I thought Quist had a 1-in-5 chance,” Jorge Quintana, a Democratic National Committee member from Montana, told HuffPost. “I don’t think any Democrat has been disappointed with the way Quist has behaved in this campaign. He has raised a ton of money. And he has hit the state hard ― Montanans expect that.”

With grassroots opposition to Trump prompting a wellspring of national protests and small-dollar fundraising for progressive causes, Democratic leaders looked for a victory in Montana to signal waning public support for the president in historically Republican territory ― and spook GOP leaders.

But Quist’s loss comes on the heels of similar disappointments for the party. Earlier this month, Democrat Heath Mello failed to unseat Republican Mayor Jean Stothert in Omaha, Nebraska. In April, progressive Democrat James Thompson lost an unexpectedly close race for an open House seat in deep-red Kansas.

In 2017’s highest-profile race, Democrat Jon Ossoff fell less than two percentage points short in April of an outright win in Georgia’s 6th Congressional District, a seat Republican Tom Price gave up to become Health and Human Services Department secretary and that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich once held. Ossoff faces Republican Karen Handel in a June 20 runoff election.

Democrats were able to flip two state legislative seats on Tuesday ― one in New York, the other in New Hampshire.

Quist, known throughout sprawling Montana for his music and poetry, barnstormed across the Treasure State in what at first seemed a quixotic campaign. He encouraged supporters to organize new Democratic committees in counties long neglected by the party. Until late last month, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee virtually ignored the race.

Quist was buoyed by support from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who Quist backed in the 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. Sanders, who won Montana’s primary over Clinton, headlined four separate campaign events for Quist this past weekend that drew thousands of supporters.

Gianforte sought to capitalize on Trump’s popularity in the state. Donald Trump Jr. and Vice President Mike Pence campaigned on his behalf. Both the president and Pence recorded a last-minute robocalls for him.

Still, Quist’s campaign gained ground as House Republicans passed the deeply unpopular healthcare bill and the White House became engulfed in a series of self-inflicted scandals. Party leaders tripled their initial investment in the race to $600,000 as polls showed it tightening earlier this month.

Quist raised more than $5 million, with his average individual donation amounting to $25 ― $2 below the figure that Sanders’ constantly touted during his presidential run. Quist received more than $550,000 after Gianforte waffled on his support for the American Health Care Act that would repeal and replace Obamacare.

The 56-year-old Republican praised the bill, which threatens the health insurance coverage for at least 70,000 Montanans, in a private call to conservative lobbyists. Days later, Gianforte walked back his comments amid voter outrage after The New York Times earlier this month published audio of the call.

Quist, whose medical expenses nearly bankrupted him in the 1990s after a botched surgery left him unqualified for affordable health insurance, hammered his opponent with slogans like “hands off our health care.”

Quist also depicted Gianforte, who sold a software company in 2011 to tech giant Oracle for $1.5 billion, as an out-of-touch millionaire guy from outside the state. The cowboy hat-clad son of Montana ranchers repeatedly skewered Gianforte as a “New Jersey billionaire.” The Republican, born in San Diego, spent years in the Garden State before moving to Montana in 1995. His reported net worth is estimated at between $65 million and $315 million.

Gianforte raised more than $3.4 million, including a $1 million loan he made to his campaign.

Republicans attacked Quist for failing to pay commercial taxes on a barn he converted in the 1990s into a concert space and rental property. Quist defended the property in an interview with the Billings Gazette, insisting his son lived there, “so that’s not a rental property. It’s just something that’s kind of family-owned.”

A lengthy report in the conservative Washington Free Beacon cast doubt over the botched gallbladder surgery Quist frequently cited as the pre-existing condition that prevented him from getting health insurance.

Quist’s loss may heighten Democratic concerns about the re-election prospects next year for Sen. Jon Tester, a party moderate.

Quintana, though, said he believes Tester is in good shape for a third term.

“He looks out for Montana. He’s setting himself up quite nicely for 2018,” Quintana said.

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porchenclose10019 · 8 years ago