Senator Ted Kennedy dies at age 77

And so, we say goodbye to the last remaining Kennedy brother. This marks the ending of an era, and I'm deeply concerned about the future of politics in New England and the Northeast & Mid-Atlantic regions of the country. Seriously, democratic victories in those states are always taken for granted. They're some of the wealthiest states in the country, and the democratic victories that come from them are a result of political power houses and the Kennedy dynasty. Ted Kennedy certainly helped to carry the region through the terrible 80 when Reagan confused everyone into thinking that zero regulation in all industries would NOT fuck up the country, but unions would, and the early 90s when neo-conservatism flourished in the rich crowds/convinced them that affirmative action was reparations and being a WASP was a devine right.

Frankly, after spending so many years of my life in New England, I understand that Kennedy remained the senior senator from Massachusetts because of name recognition and tradition. Liberal ideals are only found in pockets of those geographically teeny weeny states. And even in a "progressive town" like Cambridge, a black Harvard professor can be arrested for entering his home in a menacing way. I mean, this was a state that also elected Mitt Romney. In 2006 I was shocked that Deval Patrick won. That was the year I moved from Wellesley to Cambridge. And, in Wellesley, I always had the sneaking suspicion that even the outwardly most progressive citizens secretly voted for Bush. Thus, I am concerned.

I am saddened by the news that Ted Kennedy died because, well, he seemed like a very nice man. And I believe very much in a lot of the things that he believed in. I mean, he has wanted health care reform since Nixon had those back room conversations about Mr. Kaiser and his for-profit health insurance pyramid scam. But, I am also very worried about what that means for American politics. (Too bad he must have received end of life counseling where he no doubt made it known his wishes about not remaining on life support, but where's the Terry Schiavo hoopla that could have kept him alive until this health care battle is over? We could have had a fun collective "Weekend at Bernie's" moment.)

Back to the serious stuff - I always scream, shout, and blabber on about Democrats taking things for granted and assuming all will work out in the end (which, in my opinion, makes us more religiously indoctrinated than the biggest "Christian Conservative" out there). After spending 10 years trying to win the country back from a small minority, I can't help but worry that we'll forget it's an ongoing movement. I see the northeast becoming a political battle ground, in which case this country will certainly see some hard times (socially). People will not appreciate such a dramatic political shift. Since the Kennedy era (which, again, officially ended today), the progressive tradition in the east has been a bit of a farce. There's but so long that colleges and universities can help sustain a non-existent movement. All of a sudden, New England residents will have to pay attention to what their Senate hopefuls have to say, and liberals will not be happy about the outcome, because they suck at explaining things. And having a consistent message. And not sounding elitist. The ability to make yourself sound like a yokel is a political skill, by the way.

And so, the trifecta of "oh shits!" that leads to a civil war:
1) "OH SHIT! The political system is falling apart!" (a ridiculous 2008 Pres Campaign, and people like Michelle Bachmann, check!)

2) "OH SHIT! The economy is falling apart!" (do I really need to elaborate? check!), and

3) "OH SHIT! The very social fabric of the nation is falling apart!" (an entire group feels disenfranchised - like the liberals and minorities that have historically flocked to the east coast - and organize to use physical violence OR the group that disenfranchised them feeling empowered to become physically violent...it's only a matter of time, really)

So, get 3 out of 3 of those things, and it becomes "Git yer musket, son! We're goin' ta war..." and we have to fight each other over who will run the country. But everyone will forget the real reason we started fighting after the 2nd year (not like it will ever be made clear to begin with), an entire generation and a half is killed, and whoever wins rewrites history to make it seem like it was all necessary. And that's US (and World) History, kids. Save yourself a semester of boring reading assignments.

I say all of that to uplift the life of Senator Ted Kennedy. He was no saint, he was no savior, but he held a part of the country together (so I say). Buckle your seatbelts, this will be a roller coaster. And not a cool Universal Studios coaster either; a fucked up, ghetto, parking lot carnival coaster. That will give you whiplash and make you throw up.