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Pen Points
Letters to Gay Today |
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Denying Bush the Nomination
When, on January 26, NationalGayLobby.Org issued its call for a "gay and lesbian led migration of Democratic and independent voters to the Republican Party in time to vote in key primaries," we said that the "only sure way to prevent a Bush presidency is to deny him the Republican nomination." At that time, we also said that the only way to deny Bush his party's nomination, "is by registering as Republicans and voting for John McCain in the primaries." We believe that the results of primary elections held to date validate our strategy, and are an indication that huge numbers of voters from our community and from among our traditional allies -- labor, the African-American community, Libertarians, and younger voters -- heeded our call. On February 29, Virginia will award its 56 convention delegates in an "open" Republican primary. The religious and radical right and social conservatives are pulling out all the stops in an effort to bolster George W. Bush's faltering campaign. While a McCain win in the Virginia primary is doubtful, we believe that it is possible for our community and our friends to deprive Bush of the overwhelming victory he desperately needs in Virginia. On March 7, "Super Tuesday," the Republican Party will assign 337 convention delegates in "open" and "semi-open" primaries in ten states. All registered voters, regardless of part affiliation, will be eligible to vote in the six "open" primaries -- Georgia, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Vermont and Washington. Republican and Independent voters may vote in the "semi-open" Republican primaries in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
In his analysis of the Michigan primary published today, Salon.com columnist Joe Conason wrote, "Michigan's rejection of George W. Bush is an ominous sign for the Republican Party. For the party's anointed candidate to lose in an open-primary state where the GOP is usually competitive suggests serious trouble next fall." It is up to each of us do her or his part to make what Conason sees as a suggestion of trouble for the Republicans a political reality.
Michael Romanello
Bald is Beautiful
One thing that has always puzzled me is why males put such a high premium on a full head of hair.
Now, I'm not one to tote out Yul Brenner (sp?), the totally bald star of musicals in the 50s & 60s, as the ultimate male beauty standard. However, I've often thought that moderate baldness was actually very enhancing to many males. Partial baldness can be very masculine, very handsome. I always found those "Hair Club for Men" ads on TV to be most annoying. At times, I've even been known to scribble graffiti on lighted signs on the bus stop ads outside my shop's door which touted "cures" for baldness with messages like "Bald is Beautiful!" I've ridden in elevators with men wearing hair pieces, Sam Donaldson style, which made me say to myself, "Doesn't that look ridiculous?" I had a good friend who had a father, quite handsome but lacking hair on the top of his head, who once went out shopping for hair pieces. The story went that everyone broke out into uncontrollable laughter each time another "wig" went on. He never wore a hair piece and looked all the better for it. However, I suggest that folks should watch out for rip-offs and not "internalize" the much promoted "if-you-are-bald-you-are-ugly" mindset. It's not what's on top of year head that's important, it's what is between your ears and in your heart that really matters. Randolfe Wicker |
Gov. George W. Bush is wondering what's happening to his sure-thing campaign 
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