Heard on NPR

[Mythsaje]

Was listening to the Biden/Palin debate on NPR and I heard her say "McCain knows how to win a war." Somehow, in the twisted depths of my mind, that translated to "McCain can shit gold bars." It's never actually happened, but it could, right? I mean, he's never actually won a war, but apparently he knows how to win a war.

Huh. As I said the last time I posted, back on my birthday, that I've been avoiding the political stuff since the primary wars here. I'm interested, of course, since I think the whole future of this country, if not the human race, hinges on this particular election. Problem is, I think too many of our fellow Americans are collectively about as sharp as a hula hoop. They don't get it. Of course, I've been saying for years now that we need to stop blaming Bush for everything and make it clear as possible to everyone that our current crisis--pick your crisis, we have several to choose from--is of Republican origins and Bush is just the figurehead they'd LIKE us to blame.

Whatever.

I was talking about all of this with a neighbor earlier in the week and wasn't happy about what he had to say. If a lower middle-class, middle-aged African American man who's also a long-time union member can't choose between McCain and Obama even after that first debate, we're in DEEP SHIT.

A lot of us here have said that if Democrats can't be seen standing for their principles (our principles, no one will clearly see the difference between them and the Republicans. Considering the game played by the corporate media throughout the debacle that's been the Bush administration, we knew how much of a battle we had ahead of us. Yet very few people have had the nerve to speak the unvarnished truth to the American people. The economic crisis is almost entirely a Republican baby, fostered by rampant deregulation of banks and financial institutions. The war, despite having been authorized by members of both parties, has been almost universally supported by the Republicans, while at least some of the Dems have been heard to question not only the initial rationalization for attacking Iraq, but also the prosecution of it. It's been one fuck-up after another, and no matter how one tries to spin it, nearly every single theory propogated by the Republicans and their media mouthpieces has been shown to be absolutely false.

People, there is no reason the polling should be as close as it seems to be. The fact that it is shows that we've failed to connect to our fellow citizens, to make them understand what we face if McCain and Palin should win the White House. To continue in the same vein as we have been will, without out a doubt, spell the end of America's position as a world leader.

All the campaign donations in the world won't make a difference if people fail to understand the stakes involved, and, from what I'm hearing, that's precisely what's going on. People aren't seeing it. Every single person I've spoken to about it personally has come to understand what we face. Even my fourteen year old son has come to realize it.

This is probably the most important election in our lifetime and the issues that should be deciding it have been obscured all too well. Were in big, big trouble. Neither McCain nor Palin give a rat's ass about the spirits of liberty and democracy that form the cornerstone of our country. And the fact that we've been able to clearly explain that to those who will be making the choice in a month's time scares the shit out of me.

Or, maybe I should say that the fact that Obama's campaign hasn't been able to effectively get that across scares the shit out of me. I know damn well that I've been able to do it on a number of occasions. But it's not going to make that much of a difference here in Washington State, since it's practically guaranteed to go for Obama and Biden anyway.

My advice overall? Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

edited to fix a typo

[sandnsea]

1. Cut taxes and kill terrorists

Some people truly believe that's a good thing and think that Bush just didn't go about it the right way. They seem to be congregated in a few regions of the country. Until their Dem officials convince them they're wrong, they're always going to skew the polls to the point that it looks like the country is split.