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Top 5 methods of dealing with political disillusionment and frustration
As a Hillary supporter, I've dealt with my share of disappointments this election season. I know there are many disillusioned and angry Obama supporters right now who may appreciate some tips on working through the anger. In the spirit of unity, here are my top 5 coping mechanisms:
1. Fleur de Sel Caramel Ice Cream - Haagen Dazs. Instant nirvana.
2. Run on treadmill with iPod set to ANGRY. My personal faves are List of Demands (Reparations) - Saul Williams and Killing in the Name of - Rage Against The Machine set on repeat for 45 minutes (cool down to Eye of the Tiger as always :)). Alternate with kickboxing class. Instead of doing your usual visulaizations of the final battle scene in The Karate Kid, picture landing a roundhouse kick to Howard Dean or whomever has offended you most that day. Bonus - this helps counteract overindulgence of #1.
3. Come to TPM to express your anger and outrage. Some would say we should just bottle up my disappointments and sweep them under the rug. I respectfully disagree. So please engage others and tell them why your so pissed. Please note engaging in actual dialogue means acknowleding and listening to other points of view so that you can tell them exactly why they are an idiot or assacious. Verbal body slams and jousting helps us to vent our frustrations in a positive manner. And sometimes even in disagreement we find common ground in our core beliefs. Makes you realize that democrats are not as divided as we tought.
4. Remember what this election is all about: NOT MCCAIN
5. After you've vented your anger & come to the realization of what's most important, go back to your iPod to the mellow songs and play Love is Stronger than Pride.
I wont pretend that I intend to stop living
I wont pretend I'm good at forgiving
But I can't hate you
Although I have tried
Mmmm
I still really really love you
Love is stronger than pride
I still really really love you
Mm mm mm mm mm
Sitting here wasting my time
Would be like
Waiting for the sun to rise
Its all too clear things come and go
Sitting here waiting for you
Would be like waiting for winter
Its gonna be cold
There may even
Be snow
I still really really love you
Love is stronger than pride
I still really really love you
Love is stronger
I still really love you
Love is stronger than pride
Words: sade adu
Yes, I am pissed at the Democratic party for a host of reasons and this FISA crap adds another layer of outrage, but when it comes down to it I know my party can be better than this. The FISA vote is a betrayal, but I'll be waiting for the sun to rise after we elect a democratic president and increase our majorities in the House & Senate. Love is stronger than pride.
Comments (52)
Might be the first time I've rec'd one of yours, and I do so without reservation.
June 21, 2008 8:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the rec :) Glad to know a red sox fan and a yankee fan can agree on something!
June 21, 2008 9:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Behold the power of Unity Pony!
June 22, 2008 12:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey look - a thread where we're not getting spanked.
Bad tiger.
June 22, 2008 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love is even stronger than death: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A2RtUv_PgGA
June 21, 2008 8:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Love is stronger than fear. There are only love and fear and only love is real.
June 21, 2008 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Fear not real?
sigh
Try telling that to the parents of children who don't feel pain
June 21, 2008 9:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to stomp on your flowers, but love won't fight fear. Fear beats everything. Fear is what drives survival -- fear, hunger and lust. Nasty beasts we are.
Love also helps -- better yet, make that empathy. You just can't bare to see someone go through shit. But if at the same time you see someone aiming a gun at you, you tend to think of your survival first. And your family, friends...
I just get agitated when I hear flower-power stuff tied to politics (not dismissing it in other contexts). It's why our side has such a hard time winning. Too busy visualizing peace and shit, not busy enough actually fighting for it.
June 22, 2008 1:21 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let me add the most important ingredient in human survival -- logic. Logic beats fear.
Spock out.
June 22, 2008 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nice. The five stages of grief (just about.)
I am reaching acceptance, but I might have to go back to the ice-cream here and there ;D
June 21, 2008 9:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know there has to be some vintage Alanis Morrissette in that angry iPod, right?
June 21, 2008 9:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
I confess, YOU OUGHTA KNOW, you are right :)
June 21, 2008 9:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sabotage by the Beasties is notable, too
June 22, 2008 7:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
er, and American Idiot
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5mjN32G1iI
and Eminem is always good for a little rage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLMVQa0KD8
June 22, 2008 8:12 AM | Reply | Permalink
dijamo. Absolutely brilliant. Thanks.
This is how and what we all need to communicate. It's realistic, thoughtful, valid and humorous too!
June 21, 2008 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow! Fabulous post.
Just as it does in your avatar, your intelligence and beauty explodes in your writing (despite the fact I can't understand the Hillary-thing.)
Great work.
June 21, 2008 10:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rec'ing the posts of people you spent primary season vehemently disagreeing with?! Unheard of!
June 21, 2008 11:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
PRICELESS!!!
June 22, 2008 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great post. And there's never a wrong time for a little Haagen Daz!
Something I tell myself when perfectionism threatens to paralyze me in my personal life is, "it doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to be done."
The goal is defeat McCain and get our country back. We'll never get it perfect, but we will get it done.
Thanks for a good, solid reality check.
June 22, 2008 1:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Phoebe Fay's is still the best avatar on TPM.
June 22, 2008 3:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks Aubie, but I think the bunnycat's got me beat.
June 22, 2008 12:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." - Voltaire
June 22, 2008 10:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
And while I'm quoting Voltaire:
"I am very fond of truth, but not at all of martyrdom."
Apropos, perhaps, considering Obama's recent FISA statement?
June 22, 2008 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey, what's up with this talking FRENCH?!
Here in America, we expect you to talk FREEDOM!
June 22, 2008 12:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
In the spirit of unity I just wanted to give you a heads up... They eat rabbit in France, don't they? Mon Dieu!
June 22, 2008 5:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ah, but do they eat cats? That is the question. Chat au vin blanc, chat au gratin, that sort of stuff...
June 22, 2008 6:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yes, but on the menu it says "poulet."
June 22, 2008 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's what Google can do for you when searching for "poulet" (NSFW!): http://membres.lycos.fr/bs2bs/images/poulet.jpg
June 22, 2008 8:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
McCain't! You got that right, Dijamo. (The three pillars of centeredness- hardcore tunes followed by ballads, kickboxing and ice cream...)
June 22, 2008 2:44 AM | Reply | Permalink
What happened to drinking heavily?
June 22, 2008 3:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
No worries, friend.
Got that covered!
June 22, 2008 3:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great post, Dijamo.
Voltaire wrote "the perfect is the enemy of the good," a wonderful maxim to keep in your pocket if you work in politics or community organizing. Yes, there are people who, when a politician they have supported disappoints them, will stand in their perfect pool of purity and howl in outrage and declare that they will never again support that politician. Yet that attitude only serves to empower the people even more opposed to their own values.
June 22, 2008 5:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hah! Didn't notice that you'd already posted the quote. So we agree then? :o)
June 22, 2008 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
She speaks American and you speak French. How could you ever agree?
June 22, 2008 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
1 and 2 shouldn't really be separate, should they? They don't strike me as either/or alternatives. Oh, you can do 2 and not do 1, but if you do 1, you'd better plan on doing 2.
June 22, 2008 10:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey dijamo - I'm glad you're still around and I'm doubly glad to have you on our side cause you are a fierce fighter and I admire that tremendously.
You go girl.
June 22, 2008 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
Seconded.
June 22, 2008 11:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thirded. (is that a word?) =)
June 22, 2008 3:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
It is if you want it to be.
Fourthed.
June 22, 2008 3:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks to all for the welcome :) I'm sure we'll continue to have our little spats on various issues, but it's nice to be on the same team!
June 22, 2008 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
And in lieu of an Obama beer to toast to being on the same team, might I suggest a donation to WWW.HILLARYCLINTON.COM :) :) :)
June 22, 2008 5:10 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for the pep talk, dijamo.
Rage Against the Machine is an excellent choice. Has helped me work through anger during the last 7 years.
For a mood uplift and return to hope, I like some of the old Earth Wind & Fire (1975 was a great year for them) hits like "That's the Way of the World," "Shining Star," and "Sing a Song."
June 22, 2008 2:30 PM | Reply | Permalink
I just want to add a song to the angry/redemptive list: This Year by the Mountain Goats (it's on iTunes).
Chorus: I am gonna make it through this year if it kills me.
So true.
June 22, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't forget "My favorite Mutiney" by Boots Riley (The Coup).
Rage on.
June 22, 2008 3:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I love the Coup.
Do you know their song Laugh/Love/F***?
"and make the damn revolution come quicker..."
F-yeah.
June 22, 2008 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Great post as always, dijamo, but I'm looking forward to it dropping off the Recommended List so I can stop thinking about ice cream. Ate plenty of it myself over the last 6 months, and it really does work.
So I'm gonna go ride my bike now. ;-)
June 22, 2008 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
We Can't Make It Here Anymore - by James Mcmurtry is a good one : )
June 22, 2008 6:13 PM | Reply | Permalink
dijamo--love your post as I love everything you write. fleur de sel kicks ass--I make a cone with that and the new Ben & Jerry's Cake Batter, which I highly recommend.
as someone said above, "McCain't!" I'm a Hillary girl too but I'm a loyal Democrat and I'm glad we are all starting to come together.
June 22, 2008 6:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ain't no way to it but through it. Well said.
June 22, 2008 7:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Getting laid also helps. Tata!
June 22, 2008 8:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
Very well said. Let's keep the big picture in mind.
John McCain Opposed Expanded GI Bill
June 22, 2008 8:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
!Nuff said.
Now comes the heavy lifting
Time to turn this world around.
June 24, 2008 8:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
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