8 posts tagged “election '08”

Did that seriously happen???

Still processing. Still feeling elated and like this is all too surreal. I guess those eight years were longer and harder on my psyche than I originally presumed. I never thought I would take an election so personally, or feel such happiness upon the election of a president in my country. And I certainly never thought that I would see such exuberance and utter joyfulness among my fellow Americans and our friends throughout the world over a presidential election.

Still trying to thread together the thoughts jangling around and jumbled in my head. Suffice it to say, today is a very happy day...for all Americans.

It's gettin' down to it :)

Today is a PROUD day, my fellow Ohioans!

Change

No matter how many times I said was "over" this election, here I am...picking my fingernails, obsessively watching and reading the news even though it's too early for anything to be reported, and...waiting.

Waiting for change. Waiting for history to be made. Waiting to reject the politics of fear, cynicism and hate cultivated by detractors. Waiting to be proud of my country today. 

Waiting.   

Bursting with hope, checkered with nerve-wracking anxiety.

Come on, America! Do us proud!

"It's not so much that I'm looking forward to the end of Palin shrieking about Democrats who 'pal around with terrorists.' I am. Very much so. Or her ham-fisted declarations about which parts of America are more patriotic. It's not so much that I'm looking forward to the end of the red scare hysteria she's whipping up when she tells her Audience the Stupid that somehow a vote for the Democratic ticket is a vote for communism. More than Palin herself, I'm looking forward to the end of an era in which the...relatively small pockets of bigots and witch hunters -- have enjoyed undeserved attention and disproportionate sway over American politics and policy." ~Bob Cesca

I couldn't have put this better myself. As I've tried to sort out in weeks past why I am by turns manically tearful and prone to childlike giggling when I think about how anxious I am to retire the Bush administration, it was hard to make heads or tails of it with the political maelstrom surrounding this election. Do I support Obama's tax policies? What do I think about his support of the bailout? What's irking me so much about the Sarah Palin circus? These questions have been sponging up so much grey matter in my brain recently that I haven't had proper time to sort out why the last eight years have ground me down so much, why they've burdened my brain and hardened my heart so badly against politics. Answering that question is important, because it's inextricably linked to why Obama is so attractive to me, and millions of other voters. He's obviously touching a chord in us, quenching a thirst for more than just intelligent dialog (which believe me, I'm starving for), appealing to something more substantive in millions of Americans. There's also a reason "hope" has become such a powerful word in his arsenal of stump speeches.

As I read this op ed piece by Cesca today, I thought yes! this is it! All along I had known, I was cognizant of just how much the infusion of religion into politics had bothered me with the rise of the Bush administration in the past eight years. I'm not talking about the kind of religion that leads a president to say "God Bless America" or the fact that "In God We Trust" graces our now devalued nickels and dimes. I'm talking about the kind of religion that stifles progress, oppresses reason and rational thought, considers homosexuals to be the scourge of the earth eating away at the fabric of our society, regards abortion to be the overriding and all-important factor in electing public officials (instead of say, economic policy), and retards science and the arts to continue confining this country to an archaic worldview. I am not saying here that this is what religion represents. I'm saying that this is the religion that the Bush administration invited into our world and our homes, and the reason so many of us now regard the Republican party and the extremist evangelicals as one in the same. I have many friends who still believe heart and soul in the concept of God and the words of the Bible. They are good people, who use religion to frame the core moral values of their home and family life, but separate their religion from the operation of the body politic. This, in my opinion, is religion operating at its finest, and absolutely embodies the concept of separation of church and state. There is a reason that the founding fathers strove so vehemently to separate the operations of the state from religion, even though so many Americans inexplicably fall back on the "values of the founding fathers" as justification for the very opposite of what those founders intended.

Religion, when it strays into extremism, is responsible for an astonishing amount of the atrocity in the history of the world. There's a reason they were called the Dark Ages, folks. No one religion can be held up as the biggest offender either, because any faith can turn into zealotry when interpreted rigidly. So, when Karl Rove made the ingenious decision to court evangelicals to win the race in 2000, he sold the Republican Party's soul part and parcel to a certain kind of politics. It hasn't been fair to the moderate Republicans that comprise much of the party, nor has it been fair to people like many of my friends: faithful believers who now find themselves identified with bible-beating, narrow minded intolerants. Bush has, for better or worse, been married to that group, and they came to call quickly after 2000, expecting their due from a president they elected. And since that time, it has bothered me, frustrated me and enraged me that such issues have become the American paradigm. We were a country side tracked with arguments about whether a fertilized egg can be granted "human status" (which is ironically on the ballot in Colorado this year) or whether we can dub the union of gay couples unconstitutional, or whether English can be declared the official language in the Constitution. And while we were arguing over this, wars ensued and over 4,000 American troops died. The financial markets operated in blissful no-regulation land and crashed the U.S. economy. People have lost their homes. Americans continue to wallow in third world health coverage policies. Schools are unconstitutionally underfunded. I don't suggest that a fixation with religious issues caused these crises, simply that their prominence in the American conversation detracts from what we're really here to do: run a nation. Some debates are meant to be had at the kitchen table, and some are meant to be had on Capitol Hill by those running our nation.

And, so...I guess when reading Cesca today, I understood better my own feelings of frustration, disappointment and embarrassment over the state of American politics in the last decade. I don't presume to put my thoughts into anyone else's mouth, but I also understood why millions of Americans, and those around the rest of the world wait eagerly, and hope that Barack assumes the mantle of leadership in this nation. It's time to talk about health care. It's time to talk about education. It's time to talk about the economy. And it's time to send intolerance, hate, and ignorace (and its trumped up rhetoric, a la Sarah Palin) back home where it belongs. Or as Cesca put it:

 "To be sure, if Senator Obama wins, we'll be hearing from these knee-jerk wackaloons quite a bit. Hell, Sarah Palin might try to run for president in four years. Nevertheless, we have a chance to tell the Sarah Palin's of the world that there's no room in American politics for fire-eaters who stoke archaic prejudices and fears rather than ameliorating them. We have a chance to tell them that not only doesn't it work anymore, but that it actually exacerbates electoral failure."

And so, yes, despite the disgruntled mocking of that word among pundits and detractors--I hope. I hope for a return to my vision of America, one that resonates with reason and rationality, and one that brings divorce of religion from the dialog of politics. And I hope enough like minded individuals join me in the polls on Tuesday because that's their vision of America too.

I find it absolutely stunning that Sarah Palin has charged $150,000 in clothing on the RNC's dime in the past six weeks. What, you ask, does buying clothes have to do with the current election?

A lot, when the subject in question has made every effort to ingratiate herself to the American public and hurting middle and lower classes by shouting at every turn, I'm just like you! Right, because we all outfit ourselves at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue in the middle of a recession. And nothing says small town, middle class like a pair of $300 pumps. Is this an example the much touted "small town values" we've had crammed down our throat for weeks past?

A lot when said candidate has classified herself as a "maverick," "reformer," and spending conservative cognizant of America's current troubled economic climate, and ready to take on the wastefulness of "big government" in Washington. How exactly can you teach big government about fiscal discipline when you exercise a complete lack of it yourself? $75,000 at Neiman Marcus and $50,000 at Saks? Seriously.

A lot, when John Edwards, bastion of the middle class, got lambasted for a $400 haircut that clearly demonstrated he was not. middle. class. It's all about appearances at this stage of the game, and the message you send to the American public about how well you relate to their needs. $400 haircuts and shopping sprees illuminate an utter lack of awareness on many levels. This is what I mean I say Sarah Palin clearly does not get it. The idea of this woman being number two is scary for many, many reasons, the irony of her hypocrisy being completely lost on her just one.

Quote of the Day:

"He looked like Captain Ahab, again and again going after Moby Dick. Or an animal caught in a bear trap. He even seemed pissed at Joe the Plumber." ~John Cusack

My sentiments exactly. What exactly is John McCain's problem? I never took him to be such a pissy old man. He is not the debater I thought he would be. It's been difficult watching him debate and focusing on the content of any responses he provides, because his irritation is so palpable and painful, it sort of overwhelms me. The eye rolling, the pissy snorts and laughs, the interrupting...I really didn't peg John McCain to be so...I don't know, not in control of his emotions? The captain Ahab comment says it all for me. There was something very maniacally driven and robotic about his persistent angry jackhammering at Obama with sound bytes seemingly grasped right out of thin air. The Ayers and ACORN nonsense (note to McCain: garbage comes up like this in every single election, and never makes or breaks an election. Remember it's the economy, stupid?? Try to stay focused on what we REALLY care about. The rest is a distraction...or is that the point?). The re-emergence in this debate of the $3 million dollar projector (yawn). The single-minded fixation on Joe the freaking plumber. The utterly ridiculous and persistent insistence on McCain's part that Obama repudiate comments made by random people not associated in any way with his campaign, while failing to note the irony of his running mate's ongoing character assassination of Obama. The inexplicable shout out to special needs parents...yet again (when people say Sarah Palin's exploitation of her child is appalling, this is what they're talking about. Oh, and John? He has Down syndrome, not autism).

It was all so grating and forced. And somehow desperate. And somebody should tell John McCain how Moby Dick ended.

I voted last week. So did my husband. I can't describe how good it felt to circle the box for Obama, and to be able to almost taste the end of the most incompetent administration I hope to ever see in my lifetime.

I also can't say how pleased I was that some walls of obstruction concerning voting are coming down in Ohio, compliments of new rules allowing Ohio voters to cast absentee ballots without giving any explanation, and also rules that allow same day voter registration and voting during the first week of October. I didn't plan to vote that day. You see, when we made our recent move, we moved into a new county. In the past, I would have gone to my old polling place and simply cast the ballot there or filed an absentee ballot if I couldn't file an address change fast enough. But knowing how important this election is, and also knowing that there are some scams to disqualify votes going on in counties that vote heavily democratic in Ohio (similar to the last two federal elections, which then handed Dubya the vote here by a mere 100,000 votes or so), I wasn't about to have my vote taken away by loopholes and shady schemes. My first stop was the Warren county Board of Elections website, where I tried in vain to find a change of address form online. The website was hopelessly complicated, so I called the Board of Elections, only to find that they do not allow the forms to be posted on the website. You must come to the Board of Elections in person. Hmm. I find that VERY voter-unfriendly. Strike one. I then ask where the Board of Elections is located, only to find that it's 35 minutes away, in a little town called Lebanon, Ohio. And they are only open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Strike two. I couldn't help but think, who has the free time and extra gas money to run this ridiculous errand? Why on earth don't they have what I need available online or at the local library? It seems unnecessarily difficult.

What ended up happening is that hubby had to ask his boss for time off in the middle of the day to drive a half hour away to fill out voting forms with me and a baby on board. How lucky for us that we have the kind of jobs where our superiors understand and support the right to vote. I couldn't help but wonder as we made the country drive to Lebanon, Ohio in the middle of a Friday afternoon, how many people would have the same luxury? I'm sure every boss out there would allow their employees time off in the middle of the work day, right?

Once we got there, I was extremely pleased to find out that we could update our address and cast our ballot on the same day...thanks to a new rule that creates overlap in the last week of voter registration and the first week of early voting. It was convenient, it was simple, and it was my right. It made the total inconvenience of being forced to drive to the Board of Elections during the workweek more bearable. I was really impressed that Ohio is getting on board with making voting easier for us. Shouldn't that be what it's all about? 

Imagine then, my surprise, as I left with my shiny "I voted!" sticker that day, only to find out about the rather vocal backlash in Ohio against the same day voter registration and voting provision. I've seen a lot of nasty news segments and blog traffic about the "nonsense" surrounding same day registration and voting and absentee balloting without a good reason. Umm, help me here, but I'm having a hard time figuring this one out. I suppose the logic goes something like this: people might be able to come in and scam the system, filing a false address and casting a ballot before it can be verified. Except that to vote last week, I had to do the same thing I do every time I vote: I had to provide my driver's license, and since it had my old address listed on it, I had to provide utility bills showing the new address. Problem solved! Right?

Not so much. Apparently, this is not enough for naysayers. If I've proved that I live in the county I'm voting in, what's the problem then? I tend to think that voting should be as convenient and easy as possible. After all, it's not like voters are coming out in droves in the United States--we have one of the lowest voting rates of any industrialized nation. So shouldn't we be doing whatever possible to encourage citizens to get out there and exercise their right to vote? I suppose not, if you don't like the way they'll vote. Let me think about this: who is hardest hit by making voting exceptionally difficult to execute? Likely that would be socioeconomically challenged voters, voters who rely on public transportation, voters who can't afford time or resources for multiple trips to register and vote, or voters who work in industries unforgiving to time off to vote or register...service, retail, or shift workers. And how do those workers typically tend to vote? Kind of a no-brainer.

Even if you could find the time and money to make a trip to the Board of Elections to register, can you afford hours off on election day to vote? in 2004, I lived in Clintonville, Ohio, a densely populated and highly liberal area right down the road from Ohio State University. I was determined to vote for the lackluster John Kerry as, even in '04, I was desperate for a president who could at least construct complete sentences. I waited over FOUR hours in the rain to vote that day, as our polling station mysteriously only had two voting machines for a hugely populated area. The story was the same all over the urban portions of Columbus: people waited as long as nine hours to vote that day. How many people could realistically afford that kind of time off to cast a vote? How many people walked away from the polls that day, unable to spend hours and hours waiting to cast a vote? Who really knows? Could it have changed the outcome of the last two elections? Absolutely. 

When we allow absentee balloting or same day registration and voting, those barriers and obstacles to voting come down. Who wouldn't want that in pursuit of the democratic ideal? I guess the same people who keep sending those pesky letters to impoverished or minority neighborhoods with falsified polling information or claims that voters with outstanding tickets will be arrested at the polls. Probably the same people who are pulling lists of home foreclosures in an effort to nullify votes of those who have been forced out of their homes (and have likely moved out of the neighborhood but may still think they can vote in the old neighborhood). Probably the same people who sent me the "Obama is a terrorist" postcard last week. Kind of scary, isn't it? 

You know, I have started at least three posts in the last week, only to be derailed by the demands of the new, tiny and very demanding boss in my life or my tattered and fragile brain cells actually firing and reminding me of a mile long to do list not gettin' any closer to done. Suffice it to say, I have not managed to post a single thing and have abandoned or lost multiple posts.

They were good posts, too. Like non-Mommy related posts.

Sigh. So tired.

In the meantime, go forth and entertain yourselves with this hilarious segment from Jon Stewart. In my current state of total incoherency, it pretty much sums up everything I'm incapable of saying for myself.