Tuesday, November 04, 2008

As the world watches

It's probably the biggest event since nine-eleven in that the majority of people on the planet are paying attention to this US election. As for me, I'm so sick and tired of the two years of campaigning that I look forward to the relative calm of the next two years (before the campaigning for 2012 starts). Yesterday I saw a guy proudly state that he was a "yellow dog Republican". That meant that he would vote for a yellow dog before he would vote Democrat. Why don't you just brand the word "stupid" on your forehead and get it over with? Not stupid because you're Republican, but stupid because you admit that you've stopped using any of your mental faculties.

I was a Republican for many years but the party changed. Parties change people! The Republican party used to be far more libertarian. That was why I liked them - less government and more freedom was their platform. Now we see that they increase government and take away freedoms (in the name of protecting us from the terrorists.) People also change, and so it's important to analyze issues and candidates and not slap some stupid label on yourself so you can stop using your brain. I can't be Republican now because part of the platform is to keep people like myself as second class citizens. Reminder: Serge and I cannot live together in the US. Not legally anyway. I would have to vote in my best interest, which is what most people should be doing.

Personally, and I hope I don't get yelled at, I'll be okay if either candidate wins. Sure I prefer Obama, but McCain seems nice enough and has lots of experience and probably has another four years in him. The "country first" slogan kind of pisses me off because it suggests that if you vote the other side, you're not patriotic. In general we Democrats are a more forgiving and forgetting lot. I suppose that's a weakness, but so be it. What worries me is that if Obama wins, we're going to have a bunch of shows on TV whose sole purpose is to denigrate him.

And anyway, these are politicians. I'll say it again. The art of politics is to get money from the rich and votes from the poor on the premise of protecting one from the other. In other words, they must lie to get elected. All of them.

Nobody cares (nor should they) what I think, but these are just my thoughts on this election day. Now go vote!

21 comments:

TED said...

It's hard for me to square the notion that McCain is "nice enough" with the campaign that he's been running. If someone tries to win office through fear and racism, then he's not nice enough for me.

But I'll be relieved when it's over, too.

My adventures said...

I hope they reform the whole process, it's rather disgusting to watch for so long a period of time. I'd rather see all that money go somewhere more productive.

Anonymous said...

It's the double standard of the Conservative Right I can't stand. Those so called Christians who hate Gays and Black people. They don't think much of women either or at least not until they have to vote for one as vice-president. They couldn't vote for John Kerry because his wife has ties to Heinz a company that makes Ketchup and Pickles. Fast forward to this year were it is just fine that McPain's wife owns a part in the nations largest Beer distributorship. Excuse me? Nobody ever died from eating Pickles but how many innocent people have died from being ran over by a drunk driver? Yet, they look the other way and say don't bring up the past. It is not the past Cindy McCain owns this company now. ed

dpaste said...

Even putting aside the possibility that McCain might be "nice," the presence of Palin completely invalidates the ticket. She would be the death knell of this country.

RJ March said...

McCain as "nice enough." Hmmm. Interesting take.

Patricia said...

I don't always agree with everything the party stands for, but I'm proud to call myself a Democrat. I can't wait to see what happens and I'm beyond hopeful that my guy gets in.

Lemuel said...

After 40 years of personal history and nearly 150 years of family and ancestral history, I left the Republican party this past spring. These are not "my father's Republicans".

Rox said...

Just David is right, they need to reform the whole process to cut down the time in which they can have their campaigns and also the way people vote. There seems to be a ton of voter fraud in the US. It needs to be more like our system, campaign lasts a month, you mark your X on a piece of paper and it gets counted. Even our last election cost 300 million, I wonder what this election will cost the already-strapped people of the US?

Obama '08. Not that I have a say. LOL

Lyvvie said...

I never party affiliate because I have no idea who I'll like when the election comes around. I quite liked Ron Paul who is more libertarian than republican. I thought he said a lot of sense. Shame the republicans didn't put him forward.

And anyone who yells at you in your own blog for sharing your own opinions is a dinkleberry and you can delete them or let your friends defend you, as you know we would.

GayProf said...

McCain has no credibility with me given how closely he snuggled up to Bush over the past eight years (even after the Bush campaign trashed him and used racism to defeat his 2000 campaign). This suggests that he would lack the strength to do what is right for the nation even when it is unpopular. And, of course, Palin has shown herself be to woefully uninformed.

An Obama victory, on the other hand, would be good for the country in many ways. Not the least of which is the symbolism of such a victory.

A Lewis said...

oh no, it's going BLUE this time around. Happy Election Day...it's an exciting day to be alive!

Doug said...

It's scary how much attention this election is getting.

I know a few yellow dogs who would do a better job than some of the elected officials we've got.

Your idea of supporting whoever wins is very non-partisan, an increasingly rare viewpoint.

Anonymous said...

"The art of politics is to get money from the rich and votes from the poor on the premise of protecting one from the other."

I think that is probably the most succinct and brilliant summation of the whole mess that is politics. In fact, I quoted you (with credit) on my blog. I hope you won't mind.

Mark in DE said...

"Nice enough" is not enough. If a constitutional amendment were raised to redefine marriage as between a man a woman, McCain would sign it. Obama would not.

Mark :-)

Scooter said...

When I first came of age to vote, I voted for a Republican. My mother was more disheartened about that then when I came out to her as a homosexual. I don't know who moved more....me to the left or the Republicans to the right, but I have voted blue in the last 4 elections.

As for McCain, I can't get past the fact that he called his second wife a cunt in front of people. That he later tried to say it was because it had been a long day, made me dislike him all the more. As president, he would have many long days. That coupled with his cheating on his first wife really compounded what I thought of him as a person.

That Obama and Biden have both spoken against California's Prop 8 made me respect them all the more.

Whatever happens, I, too, will be glad it's over. This has dragged on a long time.

Breenlantern said...

what's this about some election somewhere? Obama and McCain who?

*snicker*

I'll never tell who I'm voting for. You'll never know. Ever. Ever. Even after I casr my vote for Obama...oh, damn!

dit said...

For what it is worth, I think what you say makes sense. After the last two elections, I look at voting as a charade, no longer do I take it seriously as I was raised to. But I still do vote and not a straight ticket either. lol, I can't do anything straight.

Anonymous said...

I'm watching the results now...and my stomach is in knots.
I need a drink.

Snooze said...

I like your take on voting and I agree with you that at least McCain isn't Bush. He's an improvement. Palin is frightening, but provided McCain doesn't die in office, the US would be okay. That said, I'm hoping for an Obama win.

Anonymous said...

FWIW one of the differences is the supreme court. Another is whether or not we think the social conservatives deserve more more power over us. Finally, I violently disagree that McCain is nice enough. He has a history of throwing public temper tantrums.

Anonymous said...

The only thing I saw the man do that was "nice enough", Rick, was the tasteful and encouraging concession speech he gave last night.

Prop 8 pisses me off, and i hope, hope, hope they'll be able to overturn that. I agree that you should have way more of a majority for a constitutional change.