THE DAILY BLADE: Paganism Finds A Home In The Bible Belt
Pagans are people, too, say administrators at Marshall University (Huntington, WV). Going beyond general policies respecting observances of “all faiths,” Marshall is the first college in the U.S.– and possibly anywhere on the planet - that explicitly allows Druids, Wiccans other pagans to miss classes to observe religious holidays or festivals, reports The Associated Press:
The decision to allow pagan students to make up missed work is an extension of existing policy toward members of other religious groups, said Steve Hensley, the dean of student affairs at Marshall.
“I don’t think there are a lot of students here who have those beliefs,” Mr. Hensley said, “but we want to respect them. It was really just a matter of looking into it, and deciding what was the right thing.”
Students are responsible for establishing that they are religious believers and that the holiday in question is important to their faith by filing a written request with Mr. Hensley.
Even in the United Kingdom, which spawned “modern” paganism, there is no similar accommodation. “It seems to be an American original,” a history professor at the Uniiversity of Bristol tells AP.
Is Ron Paul’s Support Virtual Or Real?: Part II
Second-tier presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) pulled off a first-rate fundraising coup, netting $4.3 million in online contributions from 38,000 donors in a single day, bringing his total haul to $7.3 million in 4Q 2007. No other Republican comes close to Paul’s 24-hour feat, but Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has him beat at $6.2 million.
Paul supporters flashed their cash in honor of Guy Fawkes Day, which commemorates the would-be assassin of England’s King James I on Nov. 5, 1605. Guy Fawkes was also the inspiration the novel-turned-movie "V for Vendetta," in which the lead character takes on a fascist government in England. In several GOP presidential debates, the libertarian Paul has all-but called George W. Bush a fascist – taking issue with the Administration’s policies on domestic spying, for instance.
So does this mean Paul has a shot at the nomination? In a word: Nah. The Stiletto agrees with WaPo political blogger Chris Cillizza’s take:
Paul was widely seen as a political gadlfy when he entered the race, but through skill, luck or a little of both he has built himself into an Internet phenomenon. …
It's not yet clear that Paul's online national community can deliver actual votes for him. … While Paul is at the center of a national movement, it won't help him in Iowa or New Hampshire if thousands of people from California or Illinois are backing him. …
There has always been a pot of money that exists for unconventional candidates who believe the system is fundamentally broken and are only tangentially affiliated with a party. …
[H]is money and his message make him a actor in New Hampshire ... he remains a decided longshot ... the excitement and attention he is drawing would seem to be a perfect lead up to a third party candidacy if and when he loses the Republican nomination.
The Houston Chronicle reports that Jonathan Bydlak, the Paul campaign’s fundraising director posted a message on the candidate's Web site that the ka-ching means just one thing: “Ron Paul is for real." Maybe. But it appears his supporters are real. (second item).
The Stiletto Scoops The Wall Street Journal
The highlight of the evening was the electrifying and impassioned give-and-take … between [Fmr Gov. Mike] Huckabee and [Rep.] Ron Paul on whether and when to pull out of Iraq. … Speaking in measured tones, Huckabee came off as strong and principled, but the more excitable Paul became, the higher-pitched and whinier his voice got so even if he said something that made sense, he sounded unreasonable …
- Huckabee Is Now A First-Tier Candidate, The Stiletto Blog (third item), September 7, 2007
[D]o the candidates sound presidential? … Pitch is largely determined by anatomy - a bigger voice box creates a deeper voice. That's too bad for Mrs. Clinton, Democratic Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich and Republican Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who had the highest pitches. A deep voice connotes dominance, expertise and competence … A high-pitched voice, on the other hand, suggests nervousness, excitability, sometimes even wackiness.
- Talk Is Cheap in Politics, But a Deep Voice Helps, The Wall Street Journal, November 3, 2007
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