Political Jackass

I’m so sick of the right wing getting a free pass by the media.  They need to be called out on their blatant lies and attacks.  I had to post this because it is very true.  The right are a bunch of hypocrites and it is astounding that this so-called “liberal” media hasn’t called them out on their hypocrisies. This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow nails it right on the head.

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I’ve not blogged about politics for a while, mostly because I’ve been burnt out on the subject since the election.  I get this way after every national election and can’t write about politics for a long time after.  Lately, there have been things that have been bugging me though, so I’m going to go on a little rant.

Republicans
Republicans need to grow up.  I’m so sick of them publicly announcing that they want President Obama to fail.  Seriously.  How patriotic is that?  That is disgusting.  You may not agree with the guy’s policies, but he’s doing what he thinks is best for America and by wishing he fails you are wishing that America fails.  Rush Limbaugh needs to shut the hell up (so does Ann Coulter) and the Republicans actually need to reach out to the other side.  The Dems and Obama have reached out numerous times (even when I wish they hadn’t) but each and every time the hand comes across the aisle the Republicans slap it.  It’s no wonder that the polls are showing that people have a more favorable opinion of the Dems than the Republicans.

Democrats
Grow up.  You are also having problems.  Pay your taxes.  Don’t show up to the big dance with the hot date and then brag the entire time.  Yeah, you have reached across the aisle, but you have done it with a bit of smugness that you don’t really need.  I know, I know, the Republicans were like that when they were in power.  But they aren’t anymore.  There’s a reason for that.  Don’t get to cocky.

President Obama
Mr. President, you’re making some great speeches and getting some things done, but I do have some issues with you.  Stop being so eager to get support from Republicans.  They are just going to burn you.  You’ve gotten a little better lately with not caring what the Republicans think.  You even reversed Bush’s policy on funding for stem cell research, which is a definite “F You” to most Republicans, and that’s good.  Play hardball with them, especially when they aren’t doing anything to give you support and are publicly bashing everything you (and your wife) does.  They aren’t the only ones you need to play hardball with though.  Start playing hardball with Wall Street.  It is time to say no more.  Giving them more and more money isn’t going to help.  They will keep asking for more and more.  Instead, give stop giving to Wall Street and give to the people.  How about a stimulus check please?  Hell, you give me $600-$800, I know I’m going to spend that a lot more wisely than Wall Street bankers.  I’ll do something to stimulate the economy of real people.  Not the economy of corporate jets and retirement packages.

That’s all I got.  It’s a scary time right now and I’m sick of all the right-wing rhetoric being blasted my Limbaugh, Coulter, CNBC, and anyone else who wants to see the President fail.  At least when Bush was in office we didn’t want to see him fail (we knew in the back of our minds that his policies would anyway).

Now that the election has come and gone I think it’s best to leave you with one thought. Obama did it, not on his own. This is a win for the millions and millions who donated money, time, and energy to bring change to this country. Your job isn’t over though. Obama cannot do this alone. You must not give up. Keep participating in government, especially all you first-time voters out there. You can’t just vote for change and expect it to come without any effort. Become involved in your local governments, let your Senators and Representatives, state and national, know your positions on issues. The only way democracy survives is by participating in it. Now that it’s been shown that we can, let’s show them that we will. Participate!

Stories like this is why I think Obama has to, and will, win this election.

There has been a lot of speculation that Barack Obama might win the election due to his better “ground game” and superior campaign organization.

I had the chance to view that organization up close this month when I canvassed for him. I’m not sure I learned much about his chances, but I learned a lot about myself and about this election.

Let me make it clear: I’m pretty conservative. I grew up in the suburbs. I voted for George H.W. Bush twice, and his son once. I was disappointed when Bill Clinton won, and disappointed he couldn’t run again.

I encouraged my son to join the military. I was proud of him in Afghanistan, and happy when he came home, and angry when he was recalled because of the invasion of Iraq. I’m white, 55, I live in the South and I’m definitely going to get a bigger tax bill if Obama wins.

I am the dreaded swing voter.

So you can imagine my surprise when my wife suggested we spend a Saturday morning canvassing for Obama. I have never canvassed for any candidate. But I did, of course, what most middle-aged married men do: what I was told.

At the Obama headquarters, we stood in a group to receive our instructions. I wasn’t the oldest, but close, and the youngest was maybe in high school. I watched a campaign organizer match up a young black man who looked to be college age with a white guy about my age to canvas together. It should not have been a big thing, but the beauty of the image did not escape me.

Instead of walking the tree-lined streets near our home, my wife and I were instructed to canvass a housing project. A middle-aged white couple with clipboards could not look more out of place in this predominantly black neighborhood.

We knocked on doors and voices from behind carefully locked doors shouted, “Who is it?”

“We’re from the Obama campaign,” we’d answer. And just like that doors opened and folks with wide smiles came out on the porch to talk.

Grandmothers kept one hand on their grandchildren and made sure they had all the information they needed for their son or daughter to vote for the first time.

Young people came to the door rubbing sleep from their eyes to find out where they could vote early, to make sure their vote got counted.

We knocked on every door we could find and checked off every name on our list. We did our job, but Obama may not have been the one who got the most out of the day’s work.

I learned in just those three hours that this election is not about what we think of as the “big things.”

It’s not about taxes. I’m pretty sure mine are going to go up no matter who is elected.

It’s not about foreign policy. I think we’ll figure out a way to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan no matter which party controls the White House, mostly because the people who live there don’t want us there anymore.

I don’t see either of the candidates as having all the answers.

I’ve learned that this election is about the heart of America. It’s about the young people who are losing hope and the old people who have been forgotten. It’s about those who have worked all their lives and never fully realized the promise of America, but see that promise for their grandchildren in Barack Obama. The poor see a chance, when they often have few. I saw hope in the eyes and faces in those doorways.

My wife and I went out last weekend to knock on more doors. But this time, not because it was her idea. I don’t know what it’s going to do for the Obama campaign, but it’s doing a lot for me.

Here is a quick thought: Obama is known for being a very powerful speaker able to bring people together and look towards a positive future. McCain and Palin use scare tactics, name-calling, and divisive speeches to get their party riled up. The politics of hate. Is that really what you want? You don’t see people at Obama rallies yelling racial slurs, traitor, kill him, bomb Obama, etc. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what the Republican Party has become.

There is a new ad being put out by the Obama campaign that hits McCain on the economy and Sarah Palin. More specifically, it uses McCain’s own words about how he knows nothing about the economy and how he might have to rely on his Vice President for economic issues. Of course, he said that before picking Sarah Palin as VP. We all know the only thing he can rely on her for is shooting wolf pups from helicopters.

The ad is in McCain’s own words with several quotes about his expertise on economic issues. “I’m going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated.” Then the second: “The issue of economics is not something I’ve understood as well as I should.” And the third: “‘I might have to rely on a vice president that I select’ for expertise on economic issues.” Watch the ad below.

According to latest polling numbers in Ohio, McCain is actually losing ground. He is down two points from Monday and twice as much as it was last week. From CNN:

John McCain does not appear to be making up ground in Ohio, the key battleground state that is crucial to keeping his White House hopes alive.

According to CNN’s latest poll of polls of the state, the Arizona senator now trails Obama by 6 points there, 50 percent to 44 percent. That gap is two points wider than it was Monday and double what it was one week ago.

No Republican has won the presidency without carrying Ohio, and barring a major upset in another big state, the state’s 20 electoral votes are a must win for McCain. The Republican presidential candidate is expected to spend two full days there later this week.

The latest Ohio poll of polls consists of recent surveys from LA Times/Bloomberg (October 25-27), Reuters/Zogby (October 23-26), and CNN/Time/ORC (October 19-21). CNN Poll of Polls do not have a margin of error.

Meanwhile, a new poll of polls in Florida shows a similar story. The Arizona senator trails Obama by 4 points there, 49 percent to 45 percent. That gap is 3 points higher than it was earlier today and is largely due to a newly released survey from LA Times/Bloomberg showing McCain down 7 points in the state. The Florida poll of polls also includes surveys from Suffolk University and Reuters/Zogby.

Hopefully that will widen even further in Obama’s favor before the election. I hope tonight’s 30 minute ad buy by the Obama campaign can help out in some of the areas where the lead by Obama is within the margin of error. I’d really like to see Obama carry Ohio, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Florida, and Virgina to put a nail in McCain’s despicable campaign.

This video sums up why Obama is winning in the polls. He is definitely one of the most inspiring people I’ve seen in my lifetime. He has the ability to inspire others, and that is why he is winning.