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Political Hoo-Ha

The fact that I’m gay, from Massachusetts and work at Harvard pretty much makes it obvious which way I lean politically so I’m not even going to go there.


But what I did want to point out was some news I read in the Boston Globe this morning about voters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. There are nearly 1.5 million registered Democrats in this tiny place…and only about 500,000 registered Republicans. That in itself makes me incredibly thankful (and fortunate) to be living here as a gay American. But what made me most happy was that since Governor Romney (Republican, Morman, corporate millionnaire) was elected just two years ago, over 15,000 Republicans have changed parties. And since Bush got elected 4 years ago the total number climbs to 36,000 Republicans who have jumped ship in Massachusetts. 36,000!!!!!!


Meanwhile, the governor has been aggressively trying to increase the number of Republican elected officials in the state, has been aggressively trying to fight gay marriage and has been aggressively working towards getting Bush re-elected. Gee? I wonder if this has anything to do with these reductions in his party? (his spokesman says no). It’s funny, Romney’s whole election campaign was about how he wasn’t a politician – he was a businessman who could help pull Massachusetts out of recession with his expert business skills and non-politics ways. Meanwhile, he’s used every political tool in the book (the same ones he’s accused the Democrats of, I might add) in trying to push his own agenda.


OOPS – my first paragraph said “I’m not going to go there”…but I did.


In other news, my retired, 75 year-old, computer-illiterate father just bought a desktop computer at Best Buy so he can access the internet. This is a man who has never touched a computer in his entire life and who still can’t figure out how to use the call-waiting feature he’s had for 20 years. That’s one of the many things I love about him. As he’s gotten older, he’s finally started to do (and get) all of the things he missed out on in life when he had to support his ailing mother until her death and then raise his two kids. Good for him!


It makes me want to go down to the Cape and help teach him a few things (how to make on-line travel arrangements, how to find porn and then hide the history from Mom, where to find my Amazon.com Wish List…you know, the important stuff).

6 Comments

  1. Comment by David on October 13, 2004 12:35 pm

    Hmm, teaching Dad to find straight porn on the web. Happy Happy Joy Joy.

  2. Comment by jeff on October 13, 2004 1:52 pm

    Just be happy you don’t work for the State – Romney refuses to even sit down with the unions, we’ve all been contractless for at least 2 years. I’ve started to forget what a raise is.

  3. Comment by chrispy on October 13, 2004 3:59 pm

    with the Holiday Season falling upon us, maybe you could get him a gift certificate to Tramps R Us Online or something.

  4. Comment by matt on October 13, 2004 6:01 pm

    Way to go, baby! We gotta get Bush outta there!

    Your dad might enjoy that lactation granny web site you seem so fond of!

    By the way, I established a wish list — make my mother and everyone you know buy me things from it!!!

  5. Comment by Will on October 13, 2004 7:29 pm

    Hey, Karl, every now and then this state’s wacky politics really pay off. I suspect the anti-gay marriage amendment may well be voted down in the legislature next spring and never make it to the voters in 2006. and if it does, I truly think the voters will reject it.

  6. Comment by Scott on October 24, 2004 3:25 am

    you know I would have never known you were gay had you not said it. I am as well but I like it that you are a person first and a gay person as well.

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