Less than a week now and all the votes will be cast. Barring unforseen circumstances, this will probably be my last political post until election day or afterwards.
I do have to say one last thing about the nature of this campaign. I know there have been worse campaigns in American history but not lately. I don't agree with the McCain Palin philosophy of life but that isn't my biggest problem with their campaign. It's that they haven't run a campaign on the basis of their differences. They have campaigned on slander and hate and lies. Some of those lies, alas, are sticking in part because people are easily swayed by fear and by ways to rationalize racism. What gives me hope about this country is that they haven't stuck as much as they might have. Still, my next door neighbor said to me yesterday that she doesn't like McCain, but she's anxious that Obama has hung out with terrorists. Makes me want to scream. Makes me want to cry. If Obama wins, for some people the lies that have been thrown will continue to stick to him. For many, the "us and them" idea of America will continue to simmer. In a time of crisis, when the nation needs to pull together, Obama has campaigned on his ideas and hopes for all Americans. McCain has campaigned on smear tactics and distortions of the truth, and the idea that some of us love this country more than others. I don't expect anybody's mind to be changed at this point in time, but this ugliness has troubled me more than almost anything else. The fact that it has had so much traction is sad and troubling. The fact that it has not taken hold as the GOP hoped it would, gives me hope that America has crossed a bridge. I hope so.
Some things I'd like to see for the future in this country:
* I think it's time to eliminate the Electoral College. Stupid system in the current century.
* I'd like to see a return - I don't know how it can happen - to a news media that is impartial, informed and researches and reports with reason and impartiality. I think that the state of our news media is one of the greatest dangers that democracy faces. The fact that a non-story, like ACORN has gotten so much traction, while the greater threat of caging and disenfranchising voters gets much less significant coverage, though it is in fact the significant threat. A media which has acted in many ways as a mouth piece for gossip and slander is a danger to us all.
* I'd like to see an end to using hate, fear mongering and deceitl to manipulate people.
* I'd like to see a restoration of the law, the constitution and America's ethical compass.
* I'd like to see criminal trials for George Bush, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales and others who have done devastating harm here and abroad and broken dozens of ethical and constitutional laws to do so.
That's my rant for the day.
Here's an interview that Barack Obama did with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show last night. For anyone who is interested, here's a good interview with Charlie Gibson too in which he talks about how he hopes to run a bi-partisan administration to cope with the problems of the nation.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
In order to see those things come to fruition, I think you'll have to visit Fantasy Land at the magic kingdom.
I don't see the popular vote coming into law, but it sure does have its merits.
Every year when it come to our election mainly the presidential ones they say there going to be less money spent, less mud slinging, and keep to the issues.
I'm with you about Electoral College. Plus I have trouble with only two candidate.
Well can't change how people get there ideal.
The lady I take care of thinks Obama is a Muslim and she also worry about Rev. Wright.
Well she fan of Rev Haggai and in my personal opinion he is scary nut.
Well I post 10 reason why I won't vote for McInsane.
Coffee is on.
I enjoyed the Stewart interview, 2 of my favorite people ;)
it's so refreshing to listen to people who can speak, who have a light in their eyes, who are engaged in the world.
I was watching Letterman last nite - Alec Baldwin called Palin - 'Bible Spice'
I enjoyed that
Enjoy your political reprieve-well-deserved, I think, because you have really covered so much.
The Jon Stewart interview was fun to watch. I am on pins and needles until election day.
I've been a political junkie for years, and I can't think of any campaign that has been more dishonorable than Mac's. And I am with you on trials for Gonzales and all the other cronies. As John Dean wrote, this admininistartion has been "worse than Watergate," and yet these scoundrels are going to go free. Ugh.
We descended into this us vs them division pretty rapidly, but I can't see us climbing out of it as quickly.
Still, I think we can get to our "better history" as Mr Obama has stated. I'm an idealist, and he appears set on a course to bring us idealists back out of the cellar and into some respectable light again.
If we can't imagine or conceive of something, how can we possible figure out how to build it?
Thank you for being a voice of reason. You have rarely stooped to the rancor and bitterness I see from supporters of McCain/Palin. Instead, you have answered hostility with facts as best you can. I appreciate that because it's what I try to do as well.
My new motto is "dversity needn't be divisive".
Be well.
Post a Comment