Basically, all my posts are over at AdrienneRoyer.com, which was redirected to CosmopolitanConservative.com.

I’ll be making some changes tonight, so this is just a brief fix. If you’re looking for coverage on the Glenn Beck rally, you can read it here.

Last week, while I was lying in the hospital, I caught Glenn Beck on the O’Reilly Factor. Beck explained that this event would be non-political and very, very different.

“Yeah, right.” I thought. “I’m supposed to volunteer for that. There’s no way the tea party crowd will be apolitical.”

I was completely wrong.

Volunteer Training
Yesterday, I attended a volunteer training at the Hyatt near Union Station. Upon my arrival, I noticed a conference of black teamsters and Women of Faith were at the same hotel, which made for interesting people watching. Nothing happened, and everyone was polite to each other.

At the training, which was led by Capital Services, Inc., a vendor contracted to plan the rally and the upcoming 9/12 March, three things were emphasized:

1. Do NOT wear any political or partisan attire or carry signs.

2. Do NOT engage with hecklers. Be polite and smile and step away.

3. Help pick up trash.

Word had some how gotten out to not wear political items, so the volunteers wore all of it to the training session. It was like Christmas Eve when all the grandmas wear every single holiday item they own because they won’t be able to wear them for another year.

Groups had on matching t-shirts. One woman had on a glittery cowboy hat and matching boots emblazoned with the American flag. Some people were already sporting their fluorescent orange Restoring Honor tshirts that had “Marshal*” written on the front and back. Another woman had on a sequined Glenn Beck logo tshirt. Sequins! A number had on Beck’s “faith, hope and charity” shirts or the Restoring Honor t-shirt.

During the training, one man asked if he could wear his Sarah Palin pin written in Hebrew. That one shocked the other volunteers and a murmur went through the crowd. Sadly, the man was told he could not wear his volunteer t-shirt with Hebrew Sarah Palin pin. (I’d really like to see what it looks like.)

Early Morning
My volunteer shirt started bright and early around 6:45 a.m. I was assigned to help direct people from Metro Center to the Mall. Volunteers picked a Metro Center exit when they arrived, so I stood at 12th and F.

Once the Metro opened, attendees came in waves as trains arrived. I stood at the top of the escalators and gave directions as groups exited. Most people were overwhelmingly kind and thanked me for spending my Saturday volunteering. Several people asked to take my photo, so I posed with a number of random children. I felt like some type of Glenn Beck mascot. Wearing a volunteer shirt really didn’t make me any more special.

Hecklers
Because of the Metro schedule, people came in waves. There were long stretches without anyone to direct, so I stood there quietly. Around 7:30 a.m., two black men in suits walked toward the Metro. They looked to be my age. They saw me and asked what I was doing. I politely explained I was volunteering for the Restoring Honor rally and helping to direct attendees from the Metro to Lincoln Memorial.

This apparently made one guy snap. He looked at me and asked, “How many homeless people are you going to feed.”

“Excuse me?” I replied. I was confused.

“How many homeless people are you going to feed today.” He repeated. This time he sounded angry.

I shook my head, smiled and walked away. Heckler guy and his friend continued toward the escalators, continually shouting at me, “How many people are you going to feed today?”

Newsflash liberals: all signs point that conservatives donate more money and volunteer much more than the left. DO NOT get into a “Who cares more?” contest with me. Unless you are a missionary or a Peace Corp volunteer, I will win every time. Each year, I spend hundreds of hours volunteering. I donate significant portions of my income to charitable causes. In college, I was in a service sorority, and then I served as a VISTA for two years. In terms of dollars and hours, I probably care more than you.

Don’t think that you are better than me because you lean left. I guarantee that I do more to help our fellow man. The heckler’s entire argument was based on the stereotype that all conservatives are selfish, white people. Grow up. Yelling at me only makes you look like a jerk. The left continues to prove that they are the ones perpetuating stereotypes. As much as I wanted to inform hecker dude of these facts, I was bound by the Restoring Honor rules and disengaged as soon as I sensed they wanted trouble.

A little later, I noticed a grouchy lady get off the escalator. As soon as she saw me, she scowled. It was a busy moment, with several waves of rally attendees huddling near me to get directions. I noticed the woman stand off to the side and then stroll around the escalator in circles. She waited until the crowd had thinned out, when she “casually” walked by me, stopping long enough to say, “No one cares about your stupid directions for your dumb rally.”

Mature. Real mature for a woman in her late 40s. I loved how she stuck around until the crowd thinned out so she could drop her amazing cut down. My feelings were hurt…

The Rally
Around 11 a.m., the steady stream of attendees stopped, so I walked towards the rally. As I got nearer, I noticed that this crowd was different. Many people wore Glenn Beck t-shirts or Christian t-shirts. Some baseball player was speaking about being a Christian. I walked by street preachers. This rally seemed much more religious than patriotic or political. It was immensely different than any Tea Party event I’ve attended.

Everyone was on the quiet side or subdued. Most were there with families and sitting on lawn chairs or blankets. The crowd seemed peaceful. Quite contrary to how the left paints the typical Beck viewer!

I walked around for about 45 minutes and realized I wouldn’t get very close to the Lincoln Memorial. I walked from the Washington Monument, through the World War II Memorial up to the Duck Pond. There were scores of people huddled under the shade in the trees between the Reflecting Pool and the Duck Pond. You couldn’t see much, but you could hear the rally.

Overall, this rally was much more faith-oriented than anything else. I’m not complaining. I’m a Christian and heart Jesus, but this was not what I expected. I work with a number of organizations that focus on freedom of faith and restoring our Judeo-Christian heritage. This event easily could have been sponsored by one of them.

I did miss the first two hours due to my volunteer station at Metro Center and only stayed for a little while, so the portion I saw was very limited.

Crowd Size
I took a few photos, but my cell phone is not cooperating and uploading them to the web right now. It’s always difficult to estimate sizes. The National Park Service stopped doing it because event organizers of all kinds of events would get upset at their estimate. Hard core devotees will inflate. Detractors and enemies will deflate. The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Some folks on Twitter claim between 500,000-1 million. I could be wrong, but that seems high. I would venture between 250,000-400,000. Between the Lincoln Memorial down through both sides of Reflecting Pool and the areas next to them, to the World War II Memorial, crowds were densely packed.

Between the World War II Memorial and the Washington Monument, the crowds were much more scattered. Folks were spaced far apart and sitting on blankets. You could walk through the crowd. It was impossible to walk through the crowd between the WWII Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial.

It seems as though 1 million people would require the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and past the Washington Monument to be packed in tightly. However, I’m terrible at estimates. That’s my honest attempt to describe the crowd as accurately as possible.

Reactions
This rally proves the phenomenal power of Glenn Beck. Love him or hate him, you should respect his influence. He’s hardly my favorite pundit (too much emotion and emphasis on conspiracy theories), but he’s gotten the American people to read and study the roots of the conservative movement. Not even Buckley or Rush have been able to do that. Beck has found a way to bring conservative intelligentsia to the masses. I can respect that.

*Marshal is the National Park Service term for volunteer on the Mall. It’s dumb. Blame it on some bureaucrat.

Yeah, it turns out I was exactly right. Back in June, I wrote:

Yes, capitalism is harsh. But you know what’s even worse? The government interfering with markets that indirectly end up hurting the very people they claim to be helping.

Sadly, I hate gloating on this one. This is a real economic problem that has devastating effects on low income people. For many Americans, having a car isn’t a luxury. I realize that most liberals live in urban enclaves with public transportation systems, so this can be a difficult concept to grasp. Most Americans live in rural or suburban areas. Having a car is the only means of getting to and from work or the store. In my previous post, I shared my difficulties in finding a late model Honda compared to a similar car search I had in 2007. Paying $1,800 more for a car is painful, especially for those of us on budgets. Hot Air notes:

As predicted last year, the people most hurt by the price increases are those who can least afford them. The used-car market usually attracts people who need transportation on a budget, who cannot afford to buy new. By destroying a quarter’s worth of trade-ins in three weeks and permanently taking them off the market, the Obama administration has forced an artificial inflation by supply restriction. Moreover, they did so by subsidizing new-car sales that would have occurred anyway, eating up three billion dollars in taxpayer money.

In other words, the White House spent $3 billion to make used cars more expensive for working-class families. Nice work.

Great job, Obama Administration. Please, stop trying to fix the economy! The American people may actually survive this storm if you just sit on your thumbs in the White House and enjoy the perks. Perhaps Pelosi and Reid can take up Obama’s golf schedule?

I did learn that doctors and moms aren’t joking when they say to drink plenty of fluids.  On one particularly un-fun day last week, I landed in the ER for dehydration while my co-workers enjoyed a spa day. My company has spa/golf day for their anniversary each summer, and I missed it!

Lesson learned: drinking fluids when sick is important.

This t-shirt sums up most younger feminists views on abortion. (Sorry for the language. As Lori Ziganto notes, feminists delight in the crude.)

Forget the moral objections that devoutly religious people hold against abortion. Forget the racial targeting that the abortion industry aims towards the black community. Ignore the serious health risks that the actual procedure of abortion poses or the rights of the conceived to experience life. These are not legitimate arguments.

Because people like me are too stupid or dogmatic to agree with the enlightened writers like Amanda Marcotte, Jessica Valenti and her crazed team of bloggers at Feministing, we should F–k off!

Highgate Cemetary

Perhaps it’s morbid, but historical cemeteries are fascinating.  Highgate Cemetary puts anything we have in America to shame. The barely contained wilderness is trevassed by paths and streets that meander through the elaborate tombs and vaults.  It can only be described as a gothic fantasy land and couldn’t exist outside of London.

Built at the height of Victorian drama and ritual in the 1830s, Highgate was one of the first commercial cemeteries in London and catered to the Victorians desire for pomp and class structure even death. After it fell in disrepair, a group of local residents bought it and only mildly attempted to control the underbrush, which heightens the surreal aspects.

This eerie wonderland is the backdrop of Niffenegger’s novel, which I can only describe as a trippy ghost story/tragedy.

Julia and Valentina are 20-year-old mirror twins. Not only are they are identical, but all of Valentina’s features are reversed. Her heart and organs are also on the opposite of her body causing a number of health issues. She serves as the “weaker” twin.

Julia is healthy and the “strong” twin but has an odd co-dependency on her sister. They share every waking moment and even sleep together. While Julia is described as the extrovert, it’s Valentina who actually wants to forge a life for herself independent of her twin. This provides much of the tension of the novel.

Julia and Valentina’s mother and aunt, Edie and Elspeth respectively, are also identical twins but are estranged. Julia and Valentina never meet their aunt. When Elspeth dies in her early 40s, she leaves her estate to the twins on two conditions: they live in her flat overlooking Highgate Cemetary for one year, and their parents can never set foot in the flat.

Highgate Cemetary

The twins move to London and basically spend their time being professional tourists. Valentina wants to be a clothing designer and go back to school, but Julia is hellbent on doing nothing. She bullies her weaker twin every time the idea of school emerges in order to keep them together. Even at 20, the two are still dressing alike.

They soon meet the colorful cast of characters that Elspeth knew and loved. A character can’t have a name like Elspeth and live in a fabulous flat overlooking one of the most famous cemetaries in the world and have boring neighbors. In real life, this would likely be the case, but in fiction world, no writer can resist creating memorable supporting characters.

Before long the twins meet Robert, Elspeths much younger grieving lover and neighbor. Elspeth was apparently something of a refined couger who owned a rare book business. Robert is taking the 20-year approach to grad school and has been writing a dissertation on Highgate Cemetary for 13 years. He knows almost everything there is to know about it and also works as a guide for Friends of Highgate. He serves as the executor of Elspeth’s estate, and eventually helps the twins settle into London.

Not suprisingly, he falls in love with Valentina, who is miserably stuck in a creepy relationship with her controlling sister. Soon after moving into the flat, Valentina discovers that Elspeth is haunting the place. Using Robert’s knowledge of Victorian spiritualism, they communicate with her, and Valentina spends long hours getting to know her aunt. Julia takes an automatic dislike to Elspeth and avoids talking to the ghost.

Valentina adopts a kitten that they find wandering through Highgate. While playing with the kitten and Valentina one day, Elspeth realizes she can snatch the soul of the kitten out of its body and effectively kill it. She returns the soul and the kitten comes back to life.

Valentina uses this information to devise a way to permanently escape her twin and run off with Robert.

In true Niffenegger form, nothing ever turns out as it should, and several bizarre twists occur to make the story even more…disconcerting. While I enjoy her writing and tight plots, her books are unsettling. These aren’t happy escape books or beach reads. These are strange, twisted works of art.

Detail of a tomb in Highgate

The ghost element was strange. Niffenegger found a way to write about ghosts without involving any type of spirituality. You never wonder about the afterlife or God. The story is too intriguing.

Niffenegger also bases much of her plot on the tension of relationships. Why is Julia the strong one, yet the one who refuses to let go of her twin-ness. Why is that her only identity? How does Elspeth feel about having her niece start a relationship with her lover of 13 years while she’s still “present?” Why did Edie and Elspeth stop speaking to each other. What happened before the twins birth that drove the sisters apart?

If you like unsettling books that will stay with you for days, I recommend this. It’s an interesting take on an modern gothic tale and has the perfect setting. Niffenegger obviously spent a tremendous amount of time researching Highgate and captures it well.

Welcome to reality TV’s Washington: Wealthy women with Newsweek-grade opinions waxing soporific on the existential significance of a black president on Real Housewives; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dicing things up on Top Chef; twentysomethings pining progressive on the Real World. And absolutely everyone—except maybe Tareq and Michaele Salahi—boring the pants off their viewers.

Are people boring? Not the ones that I know and have observed. It’s the the opposite. When all the fascinating and interesting stuff is private and off-the-record, only the flimsy, boring moments remain.

In other words, despite the establishing shots of the Capitol and the increasingly pathetic cameos from attention-seeking federal-city figures, what reality TV producers have chosen as their locale is not a nexus of power and celebrity, but a nest of normalcy. And as one reality TV producer recently told Esquire when asked about the increase in scripted reality TV shows, “Normal people don’t make good television.”

The problem also isn’t that people in DC are normal. Normal doesn’t reside in the Beltway.  Most people in his region are uber-nerds in something. We’re the grown up versions of extreme stereotypes in high school. Imagine an entire city populated with the A/V nerds, student council members and annoying activists.

Reality TV could work in DC. The problem is that it would require a level of honesty and transparency that no one in the area is willing to give.

Why? DC will never be LA or NYC. We’ll never be upfront about our love of fame, money or appearances. We’re DC. We’re supposed to be the people with substance. The ones changing the world. When you take the same formula that works in other parts of the country–whether it’s Top Chef, Real Housewives or the Real World franchises — and apply them to DC, they always fails.

Unlike reality shows in other parts of the country, anything filmed here has very real and very serious consequences. Even the most silly or shallow gaffe could be construed to hurt a political party, piece of legislation or organization in the future (for example, fundraisers at bondage clubs). People who live in this town also have a habit of becoming either famous, powerful, influential or a combination of all three.

The revelation that Scott Brown posed nude for Cosmo is interesting once, but it is a problem when behavior like that becomes the norm. Americans don’t want leaders and bureaucrats with colorful and checkered pasts. We want dignity, calm, gravitas and respect. Because of that, you’ll never get anyone really interesting on a reality show in DC. You’ll only get the shallow people, the ones unwilling to work hard and make it the traditional ways.

Everyone else — the powerful and influential ones that you never hear about — realize that discretion is a key resume-builder.

On one level, it’s a shame. I’ve had fascinating jobs and sat in interesting meetings that will never be captured for the masses. All of those closed meetings, off-the-record conversations and casual get-togethers would never work with a camera crew. The few attempts to capture them are thinly-veiled satirical novels. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve sat in a meeting, felt a sense of déjà vu and realized that the same scene was nearly played out in a Christopher Buckley novel.

The same story lines that work on reality shows won’t work here because they’re meant to capture the bizarre worlds that are out of reach for most Americans. In DC, the normal is so bizarre that they don’t translate. TLC and Discovery, two reality-loving networks, are headquartered within the Beltway, yet the closest thing to local reality shows are Puppybowl and DC Cupcake.

Rather than look at rich housewives, follow the behind-the-scenes operations of a think tank. Instead of putting 10 strangers together in a house in DuPont Circle, follow a group of real interns around on the Hill. Do a special on the ability of DC twentysomethings to combine any team sport, a bar and copious amounts of alcohol into a social event. We may be smart policy wonks, but we’re smart policy wonks who can drink a lot. That perception gets lost on most, particularly producers of reality shows.

I can’t see this happening, but follow the inter-workings of a real campaign would be the ultimate reality show. Sure there are enormous hours of mind-numbing busy work, research, web design and data entry, but the moments of activity are unlike anything else. Even a TV show tracking the rivalries on softball leagues would be better than watching a group of silly women pretend to be power brokers and friends.That milieu doesn’t work in the District.

Shows following the work of local nonprofits would be fascinating. Imagine a show at the Washington Animal Rescue League. They are one of the premiere animal shelters in the country and rescue animals from around the globe. What about profiling the DC Central Kitchen or look at the DC Opportunity Scholars? How many policy groups and nonprofits are doing cutting-edge work here that go unnoticed?

The problem isn’t that DC is boring. The problem is that we don’t fit the cookie-cutter. In order to survive in DC, you have to adapt to the District. Reality show creators need to do the same.

While this is a travesty, I do have the recipe for the BasilMarceaux.com memorized.

Either WordPress got corrupted or, as someone said on Twitter, Chuck Fleischmann really didn’t like being compared to Natty Light. The tech support guy was convinced my site got hacked, but he also didn’t believe me when I told that NO ONE else has access to my computer.

I doubt it was anything purposely nefarious. Although…

Update: Over the weekend, several very kind readers hunted down my lost posts via their RSS readers and Google cache. I really appreciate all of you taking the time to help me. Thank you!

The long-awaited drinking game is here. After writing a voter guide drink menu for tonight’s festivities, here’s how to play the game* If you need suggestions for drinks, click here for Gubernatorial drinks and here for TN-03 candidates.

Chug your drink:

1. Every time a Haslam ad appears on TV.

2. The mention of secession

3. A country/Christian music star mentioned on TV about supporting Zach Wamp.

Take a shot when:

1. A Chattanooga-based candidate says the words, “Volkswagen” or “VW.”

2. Someone mentions BasilMarceaux.com

3. You hear the Black Eyed Peas’ I Gotta Feeling in the background

Take a drink when:

1. A candidate infers innocence from running a dirty campaign and blames the opposition.

2. A candidate references attack ads, dirty mailers or tricks.

3. A candidate cites an endorsement.

4. A candidate awkwardly references their website address.

5. A reporter or anchor says the following words:

-Voter turnout
-”It’s too early to tell”
-”Gonna be a close one”
-Victory party
-Tea party
-Landslide
-Mama Grizzly
-Women vote
-Precinct
-red state
-Islam/Muslim
-Mudslinging

6. A GOP candidate says the following words:

-Obamacare
-Economy
-Job creation
-Stimulus
-Bailout
-Big Government
-Government Spending
-Pelosi
-Obama
-Healthcare
-Victory tonight
-tax cuts
-trial lawyer
-establishment
-Tea Party
-Conservative victory
-Family Values

7. A candidate thanks his/her family

8. B-roll is shown of the following:

-Elderly poll watchers
-Rednecks
-Alex P. Keaton clones
-Ballots
-People walking into the poll

9. You see someone with a “I voted today” sticker

Any more rules? Suggest them in the comments.

*Be a grown up. Please drink responsibly.

The TN-03 race is brutal. There are ELEVEN registered candidates. While there are arguably top four or five, this race is a contender for qualifying in South Carolina politics. It lacks the bizarre factor of having a whackadoodle candidate, and only demonstrates the awfulness of politics. Part 1: Tennessee Gubernatorial Candidates Described by Mixed Drink is here. For more on the background of TN-03, click here and here.

Part 2: TN-03 Candidates Described by Mixed Drink

The Final Five*

Robin Smith

Robin Smith is and continues to be the front-runner here. As a former TN GOP chair she has the anointing. In any other cycle Robin would be the unquestioned champion. However, she’s running in a cycle when having establishment credentials hurts. In Robin’s case, I believe she is a genuine conservative  and has that cred despite being an political insider in the Volunteer State.

Robin has racked up nearly every endorsement known to right-wing politics. I’m on their media list and and get an announcement almost every day. One stood out to me. Robin was the first woman endorsed by Smart Girl Politics. As my favorite organization out there, I’m thrilled that a Mama Grizzly from Tennessee got it! (Yep, I had to go there.)

Robin gets my vote and my support.

There are a number of candidates that I genuinely like and respect in this race, and hope that these folks run for other offices in Tennessee. We need their talents and ability in other offices. Keep running Tommy Crangle and Van Irion.

Robin’s drink is the Red Velvet Martini.

.5 oz Van Gough Dutch Chocolate Vodka
.5 oz Stoli Vanilla Vodka
.5 oz Chateau Monet Framboise Raspberry Liqueur
Splash of Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Pour all ingredients into a martini shaker. Shake and strain into a chilled martini glass rimmed with sugar and drizzled with white chocolate and raspberry sauce.

Red velvet cake is my absolute favorite cake in the world, and I always have it on my birthday. I have dreams about my grandmother’s recipe, which is incredibly difficult to make. Red velvet cake has to be the perfect blend of rich and moist.

Red velvet is also a Southern classic, which I think fits Robin well. It’s red for Republican, and involves Godiva liqueur. What woman doesn’t love liquid chocolate in a martini glass?

Don’t Tread on Me

Van Irion is the quintessential Tea Party candidate. I admire Van’s relentlessness, scoff at his readings of online polls, and think his lawsuit is innovative.

However, Van is just too…Ron Paul. Please don’t blast me! I’ve laid out my case before on Dr. Paul. I also respect and admire him, but just can’t go join the ranks.

Van is the type of person that we need on the county or state level. I hope that he runs for something in 2012. Tennessee does need his outlook and fiscal restraint.

Based on the Boston Tea Party, an actual drink that existed before Rick Santelli took to the airwaves, I’m adding a shot of Jack Daniels® for Tennessee.

The Don’t Tread on Me. This definitely needs to be served in a beer stein or a tankard.

1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz rum
1/2 oz vodka
1/2 oz triple sec
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 oz Tia Maria® coffee liqueur
1/2 oz Grand Marnier® orange liqueur
1/2 oz Jack Daniels®
2 oz sweet and sour mix
5 oz Coca-Cola®

Combine all ingredients (except Coca-Cola) in a shaker, shake and strain over ice, or combine ingredients in a collins glass with ice and shake. Top with coke, garnish with a lemon wedge, and serve.

Tim Gobble

Sheriff Gobble’s campaign is the one that never really got started. During my marginal involvement with the Hamilton County GOP from 2008-2009, he was getting everything going. Then, nothing. I was surprised.

I like the idea of a law enforcement professional and a former secret service agent elected to Congress since there are way too many lawyers in the House. But please pay your bills! Sadly can’t learn more about you at the last minute, like most of the electorate does since your website is down. I work for an agency that develops websites and online fundraising for candidates, so I certainly understand why his vendor “hijacked” the site. It’s not a desirable tactic, but I feel their pain.

Given Sheriff Gobbles career path, he is the H’allo Police.

1 oz. Vodka
1 oz. Lemon Juice

Pour the vodka and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker half-filled with ice cubes. Shake well, strain into an old-fashioned glass, and serve.

The lemon juice adds a bit of a sour twist. It’s similar to the feeling you get when a candidate doesn’t pay his bills. I understand how tough it can be to fundraise, especially as an underdog in an 11-way race. However, be proactive with your vendors. They’ll likely work out a payment plan or some type of arrangement. It looks bad if you’re running on a platform of fiscal responsibility, and you aren’t paying your own bills. Why should voters trust you?

Art Rhodes

Art Rhodes was a candidate who barely got any attention, even on sites like Chattanoogan. There are only a few letters to the editor even mentioning him. He seems like an interesting candidate and is the only one running who has DC experience.

For that reason, and his apparent devotion to the Church of God, Mr. Rhodes gets a non-alcoholic drink called Bloody Shame, as in “it’s a bloody shame no one gave him attention.”

Chuck Fleischmann

Bleh. Chuck Fleischman. Bleh Huckabee. Need I say more?

Chuck is Natty Light. You only drink it if you absolutely have to…and it’s free.

The Overlooked Four

Tommy Crangle

Tommy Crangle has something virtually no Congressional candidate ever has–foreign policy experience. According to his biography on his website, he worked for the Department of Defense in Iraq serving as an adviser to the Ministry of Electricity. If you can work in the chaos of the Iraq, you can handle Congress.

Like Rhodes and Gobble, the field was just too flooded for him to get attention. According to a Chattarati article, he said:

…the (party-crowned) candidate … and the lawyer with money became the ‘frontrunners’ because they have connections and money.” He also alluded to the recent spate of attacks and counter-attacks by Fleischmann and Smith, saying that these candidates increase their media profiles “by accusing the other frontrunner of anything. It is a self-perpetuating cycle of the same old politics as usual that the people tell us they are sick of…”

While I completely understand his frustration and sentiment, it’s just the way that the game is played. Robin Smith worked through the ranks of Tennessee politics for years. There’s nothing wrong with networking and helping out the party. Until recently, it was how it was done. Fleischmann slung some mud to get attention. Negative campaigns work that way. Sadly, it’s part of the field. Rather than whining about it, solve it. Don’t start with Congress. Run for a local or county seat. Build a name for yourself. People can’t vote for you unless they know about you. In a district as big as TN-03, it takes more than one year of hard work to get your name out. Part of running a good campaign is reading the field and seeing if it’s strategic to run. Like everything else in life, good intentions don’t equate success. Larger forces are always at work. When your campaign doesn’t get the attention you feel it deserves, it’s fruitless to complain. Study how the system works and see why yours failed. Don’t blame money and connections. There are ways around them. Van Irion’s campaign testifies to that.

Thus, Crangle’s drink is the Underdog.

1 ½ oz. Vodka
2 oz. Grapefruit juice
Dash of Falernum
Kosher salt
Lime Squeeze

Shake ingredients with cubed ice and strain into a martini glass rimmed with kosher salt. Add a squeeze of lime.

Like Gobble’s drink, the grapefruit juice adds a little sourness to match the complaining.

The other candidates are nearly a mystery. Jean Howard-Hill looks fascinating. She needs to hear the same message as Crangle. Stay involved, but don’t expect to win in a crowded cycle. Harvey Howard never made the news and doesn’t appear to have a website. Why register to run if you aren’t going to try? Rick Kernea and Grover Travillian are also unknowns.

The Hamilton County Election Commission also reminds me that one Basil Marceaux, Sr. is also on the ballot for the 3rd Congressional District of Tennessee. Sigh…

*Heh. I’ve been trying to work in a Battlestar Galactica reference.