BorderWest

New Mexico Goes All Blue

It's been a day full of omens.
The wind blew steadily all day.
Governor Richardson shaved.
And New Mexico turned blue.

Well, I'm predicting the state goes all blue, hours (minutes?) before the congressional race numbers are reported.

The breakdown:
US Senate Race: Tom Udall (D) takes Senator Pete Domenici's (R) seat, defeating Steve Pearce.
This is good news for wilderness supporters. Udall has close ties with many environmental groups in New Mexico. This is bad news for People for Preserving Our Western Heritage. Pearce authored a bill, incorporating their proposal for federal lands in Doña Ana County.

BorderWest

A Pow Wow and Some Sidewalk Chalk

The scene of the Rio Grande Pow-Wow is familiar: the grass dancers, little boys in wranglers and grown men in Dallas Cowboys jerseys. I spent twelve years living next door to the second largest reservation in California. I spent the intervening years missing it. A remote Northern California town it had the usual problems, too few jobs and too much alcohol. Early deaths and violence were common place, yet I was born to the ways of that small town, to its ranching, logging, and the reservation. Living beside another culture, knowing there was more than my way of living was the norm.

BorderWest

Open Letter to the Presidential Candidates: You Missed It

Dear Presidential Candidates:

You were asked a serious question -- what sacrifice individuals could make to restore the American dream and one of you answered we need to cut earmarks and the other that we need to switch off the lights and drive less. You missed it. You missed a defining moment.

See, we think the times are pretty serious, that the problems are pretty big, bigger than slashing a few budgets and skipping a trip or two for ice cream. We think the problems will require the effort and sacrifice of the individual, not just the maneuverings of government. When you had a chance to cast a grand vision, a vision that strikes at what it means to be in a democracy, of what it means to value the contributions of the individual, you both balked, as if you are not sure our individual actions matter in the face of large problems.

BorderWest

Desperate Housewife Supports Obama

We gathered with fellow Las Crucens and students to see, hear, and ogle Eva Longoria of Desperate Housewives fame and Adam Rodriguez of CSI: Miami as they expressed their support for Barack Obama outside New Mexico State University's Corbett Center. Braving a rare New Mexico rain, we listened to Obamified music as we waited for the rally to begin. Strains of Bob Marley and Queen became vehicles for Obama chants. The husband danced the boy because, well, how else do you entertain a two-year-old at a political rally?

BorderWest

The Things They Don’t Teach You in Grad School

My grandmother is in a hospital bed in a pretty town built by oil barons hundreds of miles from my crowded desk. I wrote a paper today on Aristotle's theory of rhetoric, read two of Plato's dialogues, and called my family every few hours for a report. They could not tell me what I wanted to hear -- that it was okay, that the leukemia had disappeared, that the doctors predicted nothing but good health and smiles. They spoke in tired voices after a night pacing the halls of a hospital. They talked with disbelief of all she has been through. They talked with surprise of her strength.

BorderWest

Angst and Questions at the Border Patrol Checkpoint

We pull up to the U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint east of Las Cruces. Ahead of us, a group of Hispanic men file out of the station and open the doors to their Ford Explorer. The agent asks, "Are you American citizens?"
"Yes."
"All of you?"
I want to quip, all but the dog, but I do not think anyone will laugh.
"Where are you headed?"

BorderWest

Moderate: Old American Word for Commence the Flogging

"The middle of the road is all of the usable surface. The extremes, right and left, are in the gutters." Dwight D. Eisenhower

I am as prone to identity politics as the rest of the nation. A boy I dated in high school reminds me of Obama, surely coloring my view. McCain reminds me of my grandfather. Like most of America, I will vote from a complex stance of logic, background, and bias. American politics is as much about gut feeling as a stance on the issues. I may be alone in this, but I do not consider the last statement a negative. However, I do think our propensity towards identity politics places a huge responsibility on the individual. We must examine our biases, our gut feelings, and strive towards logic. Examination may prove our gut feelings right, or it may uncover fallacies. I am still undergoing my own examination.

BorderWest

Sarah Palin: It’s Called Sassy

At the end of Sarah Palin's speech, the commentator on MSNBC searched for a word to describe it. He said that it wasn't all sarcasm and it wasn't bitter, it was. . . and his voice dropped off, searching for the word. I think we call it sassy.

Sarah Palin had to justify McCain's choice and rouse the crowd. Did she do it?

Discuss away.

BorderWest

Scenes from the Hatch Chile Festival

Hatch, New Mexico claims the title of Chile Capital of the World. As we drove through the town, every other business boasted chile or included a mention of chile in its name. Chile is more than a crop or a condiment in Hatch. It is the economic mainstay of their economy. A town of little over 1600, Hatch has been celebrating the chile harvest for over thirty-six years.