Guilt By Association: Why Romney May Wish To Avoid Bloomberg

Among Mitt Romney's rumored choices for running mates, one name stands out above all: Michael Bloomberg. But the old-school Republican could bring something else to the Romney camp that could destroy the campaign entirely, the New York Blizzard of 2010.

December 27th, 2010 has been hailed as the "busiest day for 911 calls since Sept. 11, 2001" in an article published December 29th, 2010 by the New York Daily News. That day was faced with the helplessness of being trapped by seemingly endless drifts of snow, and a city government that seemed unwilling to protect its citizens.

By December 30th,  Mayor Bloomberg finally ventured out to see the aftermath of the four boroughs and how they fared without the support that Manhattan had received. It is speculated that since Manhattan is a major tourist destination, the city went out of it's way to ensure the streets were cleared. New York Public Advocat Bill de Blasio, second-in-line to the Mayor, had sent a letter to the office of Bloomberg demanding an explanation for the late and ineffective response, which remained unanswered. Even after plows finally made it to the outer boroughs on and after December 30th, the streets were not salted, thereby weakening any effect that plowing would have to the 20 inches of snow; a final insult to the lives lost during the storm.

Flash forward two years later, and the man at the helm of this city is now being hailed as a 'safe' choice for Mitt Romney by ESPN columnist L.Z. Granderson. It seems that the memory of the Republican party, once again, is fuzzy and measurable in nano-seconds. This textbook result of ineffectual leadership should be foremost in the mind of Romney, and to head off any bad press at the proverbial pass, he'd ought to look to another running mate. Preferrably a running mate with less blood on their hands.

Bloomberg's track record of attempting a $34-million dollar cut in childcare services and the forced layoff of over 4,600 teachers in the City of New York is -comparatively- light work in the face of the blizzard. This does nothing to give the impression that he is an "old-school" Republican and is more in-step with the modern incarnation of the standard issue Republican: "All for None, and More For Me" being the generalized concept.

Given Bloomberg's history, and the already shaky foundation of Romney's campaign, choosing Bloomberg as a running mate may prove to be the winter of Romney's discontent.

How Lil Wayne Made Me Think (For An Uncomfortably Long Time)

Another long commute to the job, listening to the radio listlessly. The commute has become so ingrained in me that I could do it in my sleep, and so I sometimes fear I'll end up like those sleepwalkers who go as far as to drive to the office, only to wake up at their desk in their pajamas.

"You're here early, Jackson! I'm proud of you, go-getter, but pajamas are against the office dress code; nice bunny slippers, though."

I quickly snapped out of my daze after I heard a very thought-provoking line from someone who is, arguably, the least "thought-provoking" individual I'm aware of. That person, of course, is Lil' Wayne. The line in question goes "they say you don't know what you doin', 'til you stop doin' it." However accented in that New Orleans drawl which so offends my high-class, New York ears, it made sense. I'm in the middle of a major career change, or rather, on track for it. Perhaps I miswrote? What I mean to say is that the body is headed for a career change and the spirit has already taken his last check, sent out his resume and shit on the boss' desk. I've said many a time that I'd quit, but lets just say a pending "business trip" is cementing that statement as more than just the petty words of a malcontent wage-slave.

But not truly understanding what you're doing until you stop is true, at least for my life it would seem. I tend to wonder what life will truly be like after I leave my old career. I am slightly apprehensive, given my experience with dropping something and then picking it back up. From relearning the trombone, to quitting writing, to "trying again" with a dumb-fuck ex who only served to teach me why she was an "ex" in the first place, I gained so much more after dropping it off and then picking it back up for a second glance; it's something like muscle memory when I think about it.

Now, I can't help but wonder if I'll miss it: The paid holidays, the steady paycheck, the travel and so many other factors that make this line of work satisfying. If only for the illusory sense of "peace of mind," I can't see myself missing any of it. What I know I will miss, however, is the people. But at the same time, fuck no I won't! That is, not all of them, only some of them. But in any case, I know that I will be closing another chapter in my life, only to open another. A chapter where my family doesn't have to worry about me, where my lady doesn't have to shit herself every time I say "I'm going on another business trip" and a chapter where I don't have to fight for the contracted right to pursue my education and one day, hopefully, write full-time.

If all else fails, I can just work for the government...