First of all, this is my first post on this weblog, and instead of singing songs of praise to the first amendment or the ability of man to think, I'm ranting. But I couldn't help myself. This election is too precious of a human nature specimen to go un-commentated.
I'm just trying to rack my brain in order to figure out what has become of the modern person, when an "honorable" candidate in an election commits such fallacies, misnomers, and blatant slanders. These recent ads and libels slewed by the McCain campaign make me physically upset. Not because they're smearing "my boy Obama," or anything like that. I'm as aware as the next person that anyone who puts themselves into the spotlight is going to have to deal with this crap. It's the fact that the McCain campaign assumes, time and time again, that the American people are stupid enough to swallow this malarkey. They give people absolutely no credit and trust not in those who think for themselves and form rational opinions, basing their opinions on those things called "facts" and "reality." I don't know, perhaps the campaign is right, and this country will disappoint me once again. I hear London is nice this time of century.
The consistent depiction of Obama's "connections" as displays of his character and "American-ness" is ludicrous - whether it's by "Fair and Balanced in the GOPocket" Fox News, through Sarah Palin's nonsensical ravings ("John is a maverick, Moscow is in my backyard, oh yeah John is a maverick"), or by John McCain himself.
The fact is that Bill Ayers was Obama's neighbor when he was 8 years old - guess that means Obama is a terrorist sympathizer. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be judged based on who lived down the street from me on 8th Street in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. Also, in the latest McCain ad blunder, McCain implicitly and racist-ly suggests that Obama is connected with a former CEO of Fannie Mae (a black man), and thus making him a posterchild for Wall Street greed and excess - which makes NO SENSE! McCain also likes to tell the American people that he led the march to the financial bailout, and that is simply not true. There's no other way I could say it - NOT TRUE! I could probably base a true-false test for history and political science students on the statements made by the McCain campaign.
I guess in the end, I shouldn't be surprised. McCain and his campaign are groping for something (anything) that will gain them numbers in the polls. Maybe they wised up and tailored themselves to the racist and ignorant base that made the GOP powerful. (It's a grand old party, indeed.) Plus, this whole "put people down to raise yourself up" thing has been quite the trend in American society. I suppose that McCain is really just an 8-year-old boy telling another popular 8-year-old boy that he smells like tuna fish. Ewwwwwwww.
This rant was written angrily, nonpartisanly, and clearly by Ryan, not necessarily a liberal and definitely not a conservative - just one who thinks the world is slightly more important than our our own ethnocentric, jingoist interests lead us to believe. Empires crumble all the time. As Kurt Vonnegut once said, "So it goes." It happens. Maybe we ought to start thinking of what we'll do when that happens. But then again...
maybe I'm naive. :)
Do yourself a favor, read this:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/10/07/republican_smear_tactics/index.html
A wonderful description of the utter nonsensical nature of the world of politics in our country. Bravo!
ReplyDeleteI speak for the world when I say that I cannot wait until Obama wins the election as I believe he will unless something freak occurs that makes that not possible.
I started my own blog haha as the first post will be up shortly.
http://livingawarewithopeneyes.blogspot.com/
Keep up the writing as the comments will hopefully flood in.
I'm a fan of this blog and specifically your second paragraph. It's funny that you talk about McCain's ads. He used an attack ad a while ago, one of the first, and everyone thought Obama should have responded with an attack ad. Even his supporters wanted to see him approve a message of garbage to get back at McCain. I actually wrote an email to whoever gets the emails on the Obama campaign and told them almost exactly what you said.
ReplyDeleteAll I hear when those ads come on is, 'your an an american idiot(Not the Green Day song)you can't think for yourself listen to my propoganda.' I honestly haven't heard one ad from Obama that irrelevantly or personally attacks John McCain. This is why I support the Barack. Not because he has stellar political interests or because he's going to save our economy (although I think he is fully capable) it's because he's a stellar thinker. He has a mind that's clear and level and he knows how to use it. How many times has he stumbled through a speech or lied about important facts? Zero by my last count. Change is in the air. Like the biting air of autumn nipping at your ass.
Keep up the good work. I enjoy responding to your 'rants' or whatever you want to call them. They make me think too.
For the record: I would like to take credit here for coining the term 'The Barack', Feel free to use it at your discretion.
Ryan! I like your blog.
ReplyDeleteAs for the last debate, I thought everyone might enjoy this gem:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3091/2909496470_d751e8a3dc.jpg?v=0
The selection of Palin as the republican VP candidate was McCain's early Christmas present to Barack; the ridiculous slander the McCain campaign is producing will backfire as well. We must pray that the American public is smarter than McCain believes they are.