No. 202: Ask not what your country can do for you...

I voted today.
About four different people in my life called to make sure I was voting. I voted. Check. It was pretty neat, actually. Yay democratic process!

Anyway, aside from that the rest of the day was sort've crappy, although not without its own lessons. I guess being able to extract those lessons from the crap is what determines you an optimist or a pessimist.

This paper will not defeat me. I'm only a half a page into five pages and I feel like I'd rather scrape my nails against every chalk board in American than keep writing it. It's at least a little encouraging to know: a) everyone else in Aristotle is feeling the same thing and b) tomorrow it will be over. In fact if I crack down, it'll be over in two hours. It may not be great, but it'll be over. c) Obama is gonna take down that nut Sarah Palin tonight (and yes, I've totally stopped considering John McCain). also d) I have three more discs of Deadwood.

As I'm now a declared liberal (though a moderate one), people have been asking me if I'm pro-Obama or anti-McCain. Here is my answer:
A lot of dear friends have been voicing really serious concerns about Obama. Just weird feelings that permeate their being. Four different people who have little to no contact with one another who live in different cities have used the exact same words in describing how they feel about him. It was a little eerie to hear Kendall's words come out of Tess's mouth. And a liberal girlfriend of mine said them not a day later. Two elections of voting and a hard fast Democrat voted for McCain this morning b/c Obama makes her skin crawl for reasons she does not know. She's black, btw.
Honestly, to me, Obama isn't amazing. He doesn't wig me out like he does some people, and he doesn't impress me by being half black, although I'm glad America finally got its crap together enough to get a black man in the runnings. But politically he is uninteresting and his views on abortion are horrific. I'll tell you openly that I voted for him, but voted for him with a sort of melancholy, b/c honestly, Id've liked for a viable third option.
McCain almost got me. He almost got me because of his abortion views, he almost got me because of his small business plan, he almost got me b/c even if he was awful, the liklihood of him living through even four years is low and he couldn't have really threatened much of my way of life. He lost me with Palin.
I felt morally compelled to vote against him then. That woman is derranged and I cannot support a ticket with her name on it. It's like giving up on America for me and unlike a lot of my more skeptical friends, I'm not ready to do that yet. I know this is strong and I know that she's probably not evil, and she's probably not as stupid as the media has hyped her out to be. But the fact that that's something I had to say means I could not, would not vote for her. She fills me with anxiety about politics more so than anything ever in my life. Her lack of tact and intelligence isn't comforting (as it is to some) because it signifies she's down to earth, "in touch" with the people. It just means she has no tact or intelligence, something we don't tollerate in our personal relationships. Why should someone in charge of the country get away with being ignorant and embarrasing because they play it off as "woodsy" and "down home"? She's played dirty, along with McCain, and she's accused others of doing exactly what she's done in manipulating and contorting politics to her whim. I'm sorry guys, I couldn't.
I hope Obama's not going to screw us over, I really do. I voted for Baltimore because this is the city I love. I voted for his education plan, his economy plan, his health care plan. Despite knowing people that own their own businesses and are suffering in this economy, I voted for his tax plan, b/c the government for the first time since the Great Depression, I think, is really in danger and really does need our money and cutting taxes or even saying you will (I think McCain knows this is a lie) is impossible. We as a people need to take the hit for now, stop going to movies, stop shopping at Gap, stop eating out every night. Then, when we statrt generating some relief, and the deficit stops sky-rocketing, we can demand tax cuts and build policy. But for right now, the house is on fire, and McCain is saying that you can totally crash at his place. No thanks. I''d rather put the fire out first if you don't mind.

Anyway-- that was me procrastinating via political ranting (I really know not enough about politics). Also-- stop putting up crappy youtube videos, people. I love you all, but seriously. At least upload some high quality media and stop making a joke of your point.

... said the blogger.

Cheers.
H.

No. 198: ANGER

So, I was sucked into watching the debates by the facility provided by live internet television. I stoppped catching up on Season 2 of House to watch this. I'm pretty sure my heart rate is up to about the level it is after a half an hour of steady running. 

Neither one of these candidates are great shakes. I think Obama is pretty cool, but let's be totally honest-- if he wasn't black, there wouldn't be a fuss. I say that without any possible racial bias, being "of African-American heritage", so this isn't a race thing. It's a politics thing-- he isn't great, and he won't do any more than another decent candidate. He'll just be do less harm, I think.

But McCain....

If God wasn't a just and merciful God, and His great power and wisdom fell into my hands for just one hour, I would make sure every bird in a ten mile radius pooped all over John McCain's entire campaign space and on his badly coiffeured head. Watching this campaign without shouting at him while he speaks is like trying not to jump when a car backfires. He's such a miserable person. His politics are bad, his personal attacks are bad and he's got the most horrible running mate I can imagine. If he wins, I'm not really sure what will happen to our country. A theory I've heard and sort of ascribe to is as follows:

John McCain will likely die within the next four years. I don't say this as a wish, I wish the man the best of health. But he's 72 years old, he's got health issues, and he is signing up to do one of the hardest, most stressful jobs imagineable. His ticker will not hold, man. So sadly in a spray of white lillies, the grand old boy begins his eternal sleep and has to face the Maker and reconcile all his outlandish lies. So there's that. 

And then what happens? The darkness of the Palin years descends. When she was appointed to public office, the first thing she did was appoint officials. The officials she appointed all happened to have graduated from her grammer school class. So she'll probably keep up this trend, and appoint someone to be VP. He will be the anti Christ, and we'll enter into the end times.

Possibly I'm being ironical. This whole campaign feels like a sad attempt at an Alanis Morissette song. But possibly electing John McCain ushers in the Apocalypse.

I'm just saying.

Remember, take some deep breaths while you watch this. I know it's hard, but it'll all be over soon.

Cheers.

H