Just saw this interesting post at Barack Oblogger. It’s a simple post, but it makes the point effectively. Despite the past week’s scuttlebutt over Hillary Clinton and “white, working class voters,” Barack Obama has won nominating contests in eight of the nation’s 15 whitest states (I’m trusting it’s quantified by a percentage of the overall population, the definition of whiteness or nonwhiteness — always somewhat frought — seems somewhat hard to actually hang a number upon). Results aren’t in yet for Montana (which votes June 3) or Kentucky, which votes tomorrow (along with Oregon). I think the vote in Kentucky will be much closer than it was in West Virginia but still lean toward’s Hillary, but Obama has run away with the vote in mountainous, western states (and might I say, Republican bastions), so he’ll sew it up in Montana. I also predict he’ll blow Hillary out of the water in Oregon (also tomorrow), not in this list of 15 but still far from a bastion of diversity (not to mention a place where working class ideals have incredible mileage).
Not having been there for almost four years I still feel I can speak from experience that Maine, which tops the whiteness chart (and how!) is undoubtedly Obama country, and Mainers are so wicked far from elitist that it alone shatters the “working class” myth Hillary’s campaign touts.
This is unbelievable. Amidst all the brouhaha over George Bush’s attack on Barack Obama in the Israeli Knesset was this hilarious (if grating) exchange between Hardball-host Chris Matthews and conservative pundit Kevin James. I never thought I’d be admiring Matthews twice in one year, let alone one week, but it has happened as he seized on James’ ignorance of world history (see his criticism of Bill O’Reilly’s perspective on race in America for more).
Many people already realize the saddening lack of historical knowledge in contemporary society, but for this cheerleader of the Bush regime — ostensibly expected to be somewhat well-educated if he’s attempting to articulate a political position in the mainstream media — to so blatantly lack understanding of modern world history still shocks me. It just saddens me, it really does, because thousands of American students and families will continue to eat this tripe up, to make such basic arguments without even knowing the circumstance upon which they are basing their opinion. Ugh, I’m getting ranty and this video (it takes a couple minutes to get to the good/horrible part) speaks for itself, but it’s just outstanding. While I don’t personally buy the appeasement comparison, I’d hope at least those making the argument realize at the very least that Chamberlain’s appeasement policy allowed Hitler to annex Czechoslovakia (amusing note: While writing Czechoslovakia, for some reason, I typed Poland. Who’s the idiot now? The egg is on my face. Oh I can only imagine what comments I’d have received).
Anyhow, I meant to publish this Friday and now this has probably been all over the Internet:
Loyal In Good Taste readers should be aware by now that I joined three compadres for a sampling of Downtown Oxnard’s Tour de Taco this week. My account of the experience is available here. However, two of my fellow taco samplers provided me with much more entertaining and detailed descriptions than I was able to include. Unfortunately, they didn’t arrive in time for publication, but I think they capture the Tour de Taco excellently. Here they are (They’ve asked to be credited by their pseudonyms, Nena and Rico Taco):
Pilar’s had great black and white photos on the wall, and a friendly hostess/waitress.This was definitely a date-type restaurant, where you could slide into a booth and not be bothered unless they were refilling your chip basket.Our tacos took FOREVER to come out, but my carne asada was moist and flavorful.The fish taco was much more crowded - cabbage, runny Mexican-style sour cream, and big old beer battered fish hunks.The beer batter was good at first, but by the end of the first “half-taco,” I couldn’t take any more of it.The crema sauce was too rich for how much they put on it.The tortillas were thick and seemed like they’d been pan-fried.
Jesse’s had it going on.You walk right up to the edge of the kitchen and then sort of have to scoot along the street window wall to get inside, and the guy munching at bar seemed to be enjoying his plate.My little tacos were by far the best here - the meat was unbelievably tender and the chicken - I’m guessing thigh meat - came to pieces in my mouth.The cilantro was a perfect complement for the carnitas taco.These tacos were way smaller than the ones at Pilar, but were the size you’d expect.You would probably order four or five for a meal.This was much more the kind of place you’d stop in for lunch on a work day, or grab some dinner before heading to the game. We were surprised and disappointed, though, that they couldn’t serve beer.
Sabor was low on ambience, but that may have been because it was 9 p.m. on a Monday.My taco al pastor was saucy in a good way.The staff was really, really friendly.I’m pretty sure it was the owner who took our order, and the food came out quickly, brought by two nice young women.This was more family-style of a restaurant, with big plastic marlin on the wall and music videos playing on a TV hung from the ceiling. Sabor didn’t have their liquor license yet, either, which was a total downer. It’s bring-your-own-cerveza at some of these places.
(Also, we should note that the Taco Stand was closed at 6:50 p.m. Major suckage.)
Alright, alright, yes, I am probably blogger No. 234,807,097,921 to link to this video today. But come on. How can you not resist The Empire Strikes Barack.
