With only a day to go, it’s pretty obvious by now that Obama is a shoe-in. The next 4 years will be heralded as a change in an orgasmic fury of bliss. And I use the mixed metaphors deliberately; a change is gonna come, no doubt. But it won’t be the party the rank-and-file are expecting. Of course, this society of ours continues to be dominated by obtuse fools who refuse to acknowledge that the change
has come, and has been here for awhile. Obama, Clinton, Palin…. They all represent that America is the land of equal opportunity-. But we remain mulish camps of monolithic people.
I will not vote for him. I once was his biggest fan, even campaigning for him in the classroom. But not now. He has naively made too many contradictory promises, he threw himself a Vanity Project major network celebration last week, with money garnered from a broken campaign pledge. He has decided to talk tough, even thuggish, on Pakistan, even threatening the war he so strenuously disavows. He panders to the Israel lobby and pro-lifers and gun-toters, even though his record on these subjects suggests far otherwise. He is elitist – a small-town boy made good, he now hobnobs with the urban intelligentsia. He looks down his nose at small town residents.
I will not vote for McCain. I wish that the SNL version I saw of him a couple of days ago was just normal, everyday McCain – but it’s not. A man with a steady flow of that kind of charisma, eloquence and self-deferential wit needs to be in the White House. But there are no comers, are there? Maybe Ron Paul is, but he dropped out because – and Obamamaniacs, take note – he wanted to put his money to better use. McCain more and more seems like a grumpy old man, sniping at a candidate who’s about to give him a whuppin’. And who probably followed some bad advice on the way to that whuppin’.
(Heh. Can’t you imagine the conversation ‘twixt Palin and McCain? “Sarah, really, just drop out. Please. We goofed.” “Uh-uh, no way John. I’m going places.””But Sarah, you can’t see Russia from Pennsylvania Avenue.” “Nope, and I can’t see that many stars as I would in Alaska, either. But I will see one in Washington; My own. Rapidly ascending.” “Will you at least make fun of yourself on SNL?” “Nope. Ain’t gonnadoit.. wouldn’t be prudent.”)
The truth of the matter is, it’s the bulk of Obama’s frenzied fans that turn my stomach sour, not so much the man himself. Obama just doesn’t seem ready yet – but Obamamania? When I started on this blog, the insults and outrageous assumptions about me came flying! Now I’m just ignored – as this piece may surely be as well. Obamamaniacs ignore the gaffs their man makes, as well. They share the Bush mentality: if you’re not with us, you’re against us. Here is a short list of words I’ve read and heard to describe people who questioned Obama and his campaign: “racist,” “bigoted,” “lacking in mental acuity,” Republican,” “conservative,” “backwood,” “blind,” “Bush fans,” “fearmongers,” “traitorous,” “of a certain ilk,” “doltish.” Never any credit for a person simply thinking independently.
Have people on the other side been just as bad? “You betcha,” he said with a wink. But I thought this was the Season of Change. To tell you the truth, all I see is a mentality of “It’s Payback Time!” And to go further into the truth, I’ve been facing and fighting against that sort of inane mindset all of my life. I’ve often been ridiculed and ostracized because I elect to go my own way, and can just as easily criticize the teams on both ends of the field. This is why I have taken such exception when so many smug doofi got together to beat up on McCain and Palin not on the issues – but on insubstantial trivia, making full use of the words I listed above and many others.
And whereas McCain has quieted the few bigots in his assembly crowds, Obama has never done the same to his supporters. He believes the lies and taunts they come up with. Lord knows McCain should have done the same to his campaign management, that Palin should have done the same herself.
But I’ve been in McCain’s position, ostracized and shouted down by bullies. So yeah, he’s had my sympathy. I still think he’s a decent man – despite every show and magazine in the country talking potshots at him. I still think Obama’s a decent person. But neither one deserves the White House now.
So whom do I vote for? I must admit I know precious little of Chuck Baldwin. I know Ron Paul says to support him, but I would have had to have known this guy for at least a year before I’d consider anything so drastic. But after much consideration, I decided to vote for him anyway. Why? I know he can’t win. My vote will say there’s more than one choice between two candidates – that I don’t have to settle for the same old distortion the media and the public forcefeed me every 4 years. There are options, other viable candidates. And what Paul and presumably Baldwin have to say makes more sense than the clueless rhetoric coming from the Obama and McCain camps.
Hey, Obama is for universal healthcare. I fully support this. McCain wants to walk softly and carry a big stick. I’m for that, too. But after waiting a year for either one of these guys to deliver the knockout punch and fully sway me, I know now it ain’t coming.
So to all you self-congratulatory, liberal elite out there, enjoy the party. And get ready for what’s to come. Obama’s going to be breaking far more promises soon, and there’s many tough choices that will have to be made. I pray that we in this country can finally unite and emerge victorious. But we love to pick sides – and the way things have been going in this country, I have my doubts.
