The Oscars were this past weekend, and in the spirit of celebrating my favorite awards show of the season, it’s time to hand out some Nebraska Democratic Oscars!
The Oscars are a celebration of film, the culmination of hard work, and a reason to celebrate the arts and how they impact our lives.
In Nebraska politics, we might not have a Christopher Nolan, or a Paul Giamatti, or a Lily Gladstone who are deserving of recognition, but we sure have a great cast and crew of folks deserving of recognition, for the good, the bad, and the ugly. Buckle up, folks! And happy NDP Oscars!
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To start our night, we’ll begin with a fan favorite category, Best Director!
Sareng Oscar angkat ka…
Senator Pete Ricketts!
Let’s be clear, this isn’t a good award. Ricketts is the director of the year’s biggest box office flop, the Nebraska Republican Party. The Nebraska GOP has less cash on hand than I, Jack Schiewe; the state’s brain drain continues, and now, the Ricketts cabal has driven Husker Athletic Director Trev Alberts from town.
Let’s give a lay of the land for how Senator Ricketts assembled this ensemble cast. In 2020, then-Governor Ricketts was best buds with a Board of Regent member, Jim Pillen. Since he was term-limited, Governor Ricketts had to choose a candidate to support in the Nebraska Governor race and chose to support Regent Pillen.
Ricketts financed Pillen’s campaign, contributed millions, bought ads, and coordinated with large donors. And they’re both accountable to their biggest mutual donor – the Peed family. So how did this drive the Husker AD out of town?
Our favorites, the Peed family, also run the 1890 Initiative, which fundraises and funds NIL efforts to pay student-athletes, using private money instead of public donations to the University itself.
Upon Trev’s decision to leave Nebraska and head on down to Texas A&M, The Athletic’s Mitch Sherman said, “and the possible reasons for it, including a divisive political landscape marked by breadcrumbs that lead to the doorstep of the governor’s mansion.”
So not only has Ricketts’ cast taken away the right to abortion, or access to gender-affirming care, but they have also ruined Husker Athletics. It is truly a remarkable feat that one man and his crew could ruin everything good in this state, but Senator Ricketts somehow pulled it off, and for that, he is recognized with his first Nebraska Democratic Oscar.
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And for the next category, we’ll move to Best Actor in a Supporting Role!
Sareng Oscar angkat ka…
Congressman Don Bacon!
Bacon’s performance this year has been simply masterful! Rep. Bacon, who votes with MAGA Extremists well over 90% of the time, seamlessly played the role of a moderate this year. He operates with the coldness of Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh, from the Coen Brothers’ No Country for Old Men, yet tries to support his vile actions with a smile a la Delores Umbridge in the Alfonso Cuaron-directed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Even though Congressman Bacon supports an abortion ban without exceptions, endorsed Donald Trump, his bi-weekly tweet about Ukraine and twice-a-year MSNBC appearance have somehow convinced the media that he’s a moderate!
He slid seamlessly into the clothes of the moderate, the same way Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides slid from hero to false prophet in Dune: Part Two. Despite every one of Bacon’s votes screaming “MAGA extremist” he hops on Facebook and Twitter, touting his status as a problem solver or champion of Ukraine.
As the kids say, Don, you need to stand on business. Put your money where your mouth is. You don’t get to vote with the extremists and call yourself a moderate. It’s okay to be the villain, Don, just own it! Between movies and real life, one thing remains the same, there’s nothing more despicable than a villain who tries to convince his followers that he’s actually the hero.
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And for our last award of the night, it’s the biggest of them all, Best Picture!
Sareng Oscar angkat ka…
You, the People.
I know it feels like eons ago, but within the past 12 months, we have protested, organized, and fought for our rights as Nebraskans. Through hateful comments, name-calling, and toothless counter-protests, the people of Nebraska have shown their rights aren’t for sale.
In the picture, we see a coalition of folks donning green for bodily autonomy, blue and pink in support of transgender rights, and backpacks full of water bottles, snacks, and aid for those making their voices heard.
The vigor with which the citizens of our state fought for their rights shows how unpopular the policy of the Republican Party is. Women simply want to be able to make their own medical decisions. Transgender individuals just want to live out their identity. And we, the people of Nebraska, want to speak out against the hateful legislation that we have faced this past year.
The fight is not over, but this beautiful best picture winner shows us that the spirit of the fight for equality is going nowhere. As we gear up for a general election between President Biden and a disgraced fascist, we need to re-harness the spirit of making our voices heard.
We must protest against the hate in the halls of our legislature. We must organize like democracy is on the line. We must vote like our lives depend on it. And each and every day until November 5th, we must march forward, slogging through the tough days and rejoicing in the good ones, all for the prospect of building a better Nebraska and a better United States of America, for all.
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Thank you for letting me host your 2nd annual Nebraska Democratic Oscars! It truly is an honor to fight alongside you every day as we work towards making a Nebraska that we can be more proud of.
Mangga anggap nyumbang ka NDP di dieu. Authenticity and effort are on the ballot this year – we deserve folks who work to create solutions for the public – and we need help in order to keep up with the corporate mega-donors of the GOP.
Upami anjeun gaduh patarosan atanapi koméntar, mangga ngahubungi di jack@nebraskademocrats.org.
Sing salamet,
Jack Schiewe
