Election 2008

I've been going back and forth between two feelings about this election.

On one hand, I try to analyze both sides, understand where people on the other (Republican) side sit on issues. It's hard to empathize with them so I try to seriously hear where they're coming from.

Then, I see polls on TV, or hear people saying things to me, and I get angry and think to myself things like, "How the FUCK could any reasonable human being want McCain, and then Palin, in this position of government? HOW? WHAT THE FUCK?!?" Then, I go through some psychological thing where I alternate between different stages of the process - acceptance, denial, anger, frustration, depression all occur to me. The whole "If x wins, I'm moving to Canada" thing has occurred to me. How could we live in a country where, as the saying goes, people would rather have a leader who is strong and wrong instead of "weak" and right (and notice I put weak in quotes)????????????

ARGHGHGHGHHGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! How could this thing even be close?!?!?!?

Why I Voted For McCain

These are actual quotes that people I know have said in the past couple weeks as in regard to (a) why they plan on voting for the McCain/Palin ticket in two months or (b) reasons why they don't want Barack Obama in office (essentially the same, no?) These are either exact or paraphrased as close as I can remember to the actual quote. Some make me scratch my head.

- "I just like him [McCain]... I just like his whole thing."
(Me) - "What do you mean, 'his whole thing'?"
- "You know... just what he's about. I always have."

- "I really don't like much at all about McCain... but the whole abortion thing just drives me nuts. So I'll probably vote for him."

- "You know, when he [Obama] gets into office, he's just going to help his own."

- (passing some African-American gentlemen pimped out in oversized Obama t-shirts in a casino, and pointing them out to me) "There's your boy, Walt. That's who you're supporting." (said derisively)

- "The fact that his [Obama's] middle name is Hussein makes a difference."


...and this really happened...

- "I'm afraid that when the Muslim parts of the world see a guy with the name 'Barack Obama' get elected, they're going to think that they have somebody in a high position in America, and they'll be more likely to try shit than if John McCain is in there."
(Me) - "Why would they?"
- "Come on... 'Barack Obama'? They'll think, 'We've got one!' That stuff matters."

Palin, etc...

As much as I wish this picture that I got on email was real, it's not.

The boys over at Where's Luke have been posting many political items recently, from awesome videos to general political questions like this for which I don't have an answer. As ChuckJerry posted in the last link, it's unfathomable how many people are duped by the Republican agenda which has been proven to not work in this country for the past 30 years. People who think that business should just run free and that anybody can just "pull themselves up by their bootstraps" the way their grandfathers did when they came to America is living in the past. However, I don't think the people who read this blog (if any of you are out there) would disagree with me. But, in answer to Jerry's non-rhetorical question, the book "What's the Matter With Kansas?" explains it well. Read the Wikipedia summary.

But anyway, some random thoughts:
- Joe Biden was awesome with Tom Brokaw this past Sunday on Meet the Press.
- Gloria Steinem weighs in.
- It's ironic, among many hundreds of phony-ass things, that the GOP has tried to paint Barack Obama as style over substance, yet if you actually go watch everything stated in the GOP convention, you hear all style ("Country First", "A True Maverick", "Let's Fight for America!") and no substance, whereas the converse seems to be true when I hear Obama and Biden speak.
- And fuck Sarah Palin for saying these words: "Just know that if I get elected, you mothers of special needs children will have a friend in the White House." Fuck you. How manipulative even above all the other manipulative, crafty insubstantial shit they spew. Is the implication that you won't have a friend there with those evil Democrats? And is there any substance to being a "friend" of these people?

This has turned into a rant. I'm going to stop now.

Republican Rally

Watching the Republican Rally, Giuliani speaking...

Two thoughts:

1) I feel like I'm watching a Nazi Rally.
2) From my brother: "These people are fucking crazy."