The Presidnetial race is gloriously entertaining, although the twisty whiney soap opera could lead to real trouble down the road, when one of these folks actually ends up in the oval office, directing world affairs and with access to nuclear weapons.
The hot tempered McCain has chosen a much younger woman, two years younger than Obama, as running mate, trumping Obama's "young guy" with "younger gal".
Will voters believe "young half black guy" card trumps "young gun toting gal" card? That's left to be seen.
Personally, I believe if you're playing VP pick cards, that definitely the "young angry gun toting gal" card trumps the "loud mouth geezer white guy has been" card of Joe Biden.
I don't get the word African American anyhow. If you are born in America, aren't you just American, period? The term African American to me denotes dual citizenship. Am I supposed to call myself a "Welsh, Cherokee, Irish, English, French, German American"? To be correct? Why do people call Obama black when he's half white and half black? Whatever white means. Means usually a mixture of whole bunches of origins. Probably like black means. What if someone is black but like from Jamaica origins or some other continent. I bet it's an insult then to be called African American. I just don't know the protocols anymore. It's far too complicated for me.
Anyhow, Palin lives in Alaska, too. Now that's interesting. Go read the book "Going to Extremes" and you'll know what I mean.
I lived in Alaska. Alaska is beautiful. It is also a magnet for extremists and "characters" of all sorts. I'm a "character" and I suppose that's why I was drawn to live there. It's dark a lot of the time up there. Yup. 24 hours of darkness at times during the year.
The gun toting corruption hating mother of five, including a Down's syndrome baby, once asked "What the hell does a Vice President do? I'm used to being productive and how the hell does a VP spend their day?"
Actually, that's a really good question.
I think Cheney spent his days as VP actually running the country.
The Dems as usual are playing things stupid this election. When the "experience" issue came up, prior to the convention, not sure why they didn't just retort, "Wait a minute. Are you serious? I mean, you are the people who nominated George Bush, who had to hire tutors before he ran for a crash course in how the U.S. government works."
Bill Clinton is pouty as ever and is still showing his distaste over the wife's loss to Obama. Bill so wanted his penis available to serve again in the oval office.
He better keep things zipped around Sarah or risk getting something shot off. I wonder if he'll start calling out her name in his sleep.
As a general rule, I would say the Republicans are less sexist than the Democrats. Maybe less racist too. If the Democrats want to win, they must have a very specific message of change, short, sweet, well defined, because I am unable to come up with what the Democrats stand for.
I know what the Repubs say they stand for, not that they really do, but at least I know what they say they stand for: family values, whatever those are, because I have not seen family values exhibited by Republicans in office or in private life any more so than people of other faiths, oops I meant party affiliation exhibit. I define family values as honesty, fairness, personality responsibility, work ethic, you know that sort of thing.
Repubs say they stand for fiscal responsibility in government and private sector. Yeah right. That's a good one. They're the party of big spenders currently, who have driven us into unspeakable debt. And the third thing I think of that Repubs stand for is small government, which I'm all for, small and highly efficient. However, government has grown under Republicans.
What I'm saying is, at least I know the three major mantras of the Republicans, none of which they really act on. But when I think of Democrats, I have no idea what they even claim to believe in.
Come on, Dems, give us some spin on that. If I had to try to think of something, I'd have to say abortion rights and homosexual rights. The democratic party will not win an election in front of an empty plate.
They have exhibited the "we stand for nothing and have no backbone" philosophy very well, in the last couple years they've enjoyed a majority in the House.
This election is vastly interesting. It's hard for me to see Geezer McCain and Sarah Palin together. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I still don't think most men are capable of respecting a woman as an equal. Or, to put it simply, not thinking of a woman first with their penis, when standing in close proximity.
That's why I think the perfect running mates would be a gay man and a lesbian woman. Now that would be such a fun election, especially if one of the two was a native American, following Buddha, and the other an Irish Omish.
The Merkeley/Smith race for Senate here in Oregon has certainly created a buzz. They are both fixated on office furniture. That's real nice. But, I don't want either of them representing me in the Senate. I'm writing in my name in protest of their school kid furniture face off childishness.
The Repubs have run down our country, making stupidity fashionable, politicizing and mocking science, heralding pro-life values, while blasting up several countries, declaring corruption, greed and dishonesty family values, and sending us into debt I can't even fathom.
The democrats scream "change" while sitting placidly in congress like blow up dolls. Sure, I wish there was a third choice, some sock it to you straight forward fiscally responsible no nonsense person or party who would weed out the waste and corruption in government, battening down the hatches, while a diplomatic stand out on foreign affairs tap dancing. Ross Perot comes to mind.
But we don't have such people running. I'd like to see Obama swing towards reality and he might be doing that. McCain is too close to senility for reality. But it will be an interesting sprint to the finish, that's for sure.
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I live in an "extreme" area of my country too - and it is my belief and experience for that matter that I have more in common with my confrères on the west coast than I do in the center of the country.
ReplyDeleteI live in a region where people do hunt (much to my dismay tho I have to live with it), where I myself once hit a moose - totaled my car but my passenger survived and where people feel far from the center of power.
That said, I have no use for all this patriotism stuff whatever country it is. My people had to leave Ireland and Europe (Irish and Jewish can be almost as interesting as Obama's story, lol) so I know what it is to weave various cultural groups together and keep them all happy. I also live in an area where I have to speak two languages or even as a physician I would not have a job very long. Oh I suppose I could get by with just English but it is not fair to my patients to NOT address them in their own language. Plus, they have lived here as long as my ancestors. I also had to speak Hebrew to one set of grandparents an another grandmother spoke Irish Gaelic. Not surprisingly, I love languages!
That said, I laughed at first when I heard of the GOP VP pick, believing that Obama's choice in not choosing Hillary could be his undoing - since the polls indicate a close race but in politics, a week can be a lifetime! However, the more I read about her, the more I do not know if she will help or hurt that ticket. She definitely won't get Hillary's supporters or any woman who believes in woman's rights. I do praise her choice to have her last child (since I am active in disability issues) BUT it needs to be a choice and she is someone who would not allow that to be the case. I don't like that notion.
Plus, while it is her right to be a member of the NRA and cook moose for dinner (I have relatives who do this so I can hardly quibble), some of the NRA resolutions re guns scare me! I have seen some of the results of gun ownership in small rural communities when a child innocently takes the gun and oops, thinks it is a toy! More people are actually killed by guns in rural areas in Canada anyway and we have strong gun ownership legislation. It unnerves me to see such open laws in the US - if only because I go there often and because your legislation sometimes affects ours. (Tho not thus far re guns).
She may be a maverick - I have a neighbour who fishes with her husband and loves her job - and while she has a compelling story, I vote for what someone believes and not the person. Plus, she is the VP pick and NOT the candidate. I do think McCain is one of the better choices the GOP could have made and he needs to appeal to the religious right which is one of his weaknesses (He is not an evangelical person, as plus in my boo) and he thinks this woman on the ticket with her prayer groups incl the one she headed as a student in Alaska , will help. His Vietnam experience has given him extra credit but it is credit that he is running almost out of (30 yrs is a long time) and there is no way someone with 7 houses can even comprehend yours or even my situation.
The Obamas may be wealthy now but they sure were not raised that way and Joe Biden - who has his own flaws but accepts them - is also the poorest Senator in the House. Ms. Palin will never get those Hillary voters but she might energize the religious base so that will make it interesting.
The other issue is they both support Iraq and I could NEVER vote for that!
She IS interesting but keep in mind she has been most fortunate in her opposition - until now. I am anxious to see her debate Mr. Biden - and to her credit, she does seem as though she can work both sides of the aisle.
Btw, here, we do not utilize the term African-Canadian. We are Canadians. (tho one could say of a certain heritage if that comes up even if we do not espouse the melting pot ideal.)
I have to admit that the idea that "only in America" could someone like Obama make it to where he is is also not true but it makes great rhetoric. We have already had a woman Prime minister, several Jewish Premiers (like Govs) and our Parliament is much more diverse than the US Congress, not in the sense that many Blacks are there (we have fewer people of African ancestry) but we have Greeks, Arabs, Indo-Canadians (for want of a better word, lol), aboriginals, socialists and small l liberals in both the Liberal and Conservative party an probably a few in the socialist party and even some conservatives. We also had our 1st Roman Catholic PM (from NS I am happy to say, lol) in 1892 and have had many more since. Our Governor general is a naive of Haiti and she is a Black woman who calls herself a Canadian. (She is not however the first of her race to hod that job nor the first woman.) Obama could head a democratic country like England, Ireland, France, Australia or NZ for example.
So I just do not understand the only in America thing and while I do like him want to ask why that bit of arrogance that is patently so not true? I would be the first to suggest our system is not perfect but he needs to know his situation is not limited to one country.
Just my humble thoughts! :-)
Only in America stuff is funny. More like Now it won't be only in America, that we haven't had black candidates or women candidates. We're even behind Pakistan in this regard.
ReplyDeleteOf all the Republican candidates who ran, McCain is the most palatible to me also. Biden I know, he's a tough old guy, a good guy, too, speaks before he thinks sometimes, but who doesn't these days.
I think people who are running on what I call a religious agenda should move to Afghanistan and join the Taliban. That's just my thoughts. So you speak French, too, huh? I suppose you would have to, living where you do.
The term African American seems to encourage seeing people as different. Seperate. So many people now represent vast mixes of all sorts of origins.
I think when people say that "only in America" they are forgetting there is "the rest of the world" where, like you say, electing women, blacks, any and all race, religion and origin, is very normal. It's a novelty here, however, where we have gone with mostly aged white men and racism and ignorance, in some areas, is more prevalent than in many countries.
Lastly, I do believe America is shaped by the values of those who come here. Those who come here, even still, are people usually not satisified, wanting more, usually meaning wanting more money and material goods. So, with immigration historically and to the present, our national character has a strong bred in streak towards getting ahead and greed, by the very nature of the types of people who try to get here. Type AAA personalities throughout the world want to come here, the world capitol of type AAA personalities. Japan has its share however, too, of over exceeders and work yourself to death types.
I agree with your comments- there is not much difference between some in the Taliban and righteousness in any religion, incl mine (Reform Judaism tho I am prob on my way to hell since lobster is not kosher and I love it, lol)
ReplyDeleteThe comments about "Only in America" make me think of the "World Series" which other countries chuckle about - given that many of the best players live in Cuba and God forbid they'd never be allowed in the US and truth be known (and I have been there), Cuba has a superb medical system - and they help other countries - and while it could be better, it's not as bad as portrayed in the US media even by so called "liberals".
There is Toronto of course and may of the players come from Mexico or the Dominican Republic, a few from Canada...one or two Japanese.
But that's another term I wonder about. How is the "world Series" when it is played in only two countries (since 1969 when the former Montreal Expos became a franchise)?
But I digress.
I think more is coming about Palin all the time and it IS entertaining but sad to think this is the best he could do. I like McCain but what was he thinking???? I would never condemn her for having a 17 yr old pregnant daughter but she slashed funding for sex ed as well as help for teen mothers so that makes her a hypocrite in my book. I see a lot of teens now who are pregnant and I wonder about all those movies (Juno for example that literally glorify it). I cannot imagine any mom pitting her child thru this publicly but as my own mother says, she is thinking only about herself.
Sadly!!
She also lied which irks me- says she told the Ak Congress thanks but no thanks for the Bridge to nowhere hen in fact they are the ones who actually voted against it, NOT her!
http://redgreenandblue.org/2008/09/03/setting-the-record-straight-sarah-palin-and-the-bridge-to-nowhere/
Yeah, I speak French - always have but it is no great accomplishment here. Everyone does where I come from. Even intellectually challenged people and my cats are bilingual - actually my cats are smarter - Siamese, French and English, lol
Take care!!