I have to admit, it's been hard to write about the campaign. It's all so hideously depressing. In my neighborhood, the upper west side of Manhattan, you now see all these obviously intelligent, spry old people wearing Obama gear -- gimme caps, sweatshirts, buttons -- and looking self-consciously self-satisfied about it. Like they're doing their bit for humankind. One wonders how they can have reached such venerable years without figuring out what Democrats are all about.
The stalwart and irrepressible Mike Flugennock rescued me from my megrims just now with the following:
Oh, God, if you exist, please kill me now. Please call me home. I promise I haven't stolen or murdered or made war or been a moneychanger or any of that shit. I can't stand another day of this. Please, oh please, God, call me home. I promise not to play my bootleg Dead tapes too loud.There's a lot of this stuff going around just now -- moral panic about the possible theft of a meaningless vote. Since it appears that Obama is a shoo-in, and it's gotten pretty difficult to be excited in a positive way about the victor apparent, presumably people need something to get excited about.CODEPINK: Women for PeaceDear Friend,
Four years ago, Americans were swindled by a stolen election that allowed Bush to lead us deeper into disastrous war. Nearly half of the six million American voters living abroad never received their ballots. Registrations were shredded. Faulty voting equipment destroyed about one million ballots--roughly one for every 100 cast.
We have less than two weeks left before this historic election, an enormous opportunity to push to end the war in Iraq and prevent future wars, and we must be prepared to ACT in case it's determined by fraud, not the will of the people. The polls may be looking positive for peace voters, but we can't let ourselves get complacent, and we certainly cannot let history repeat itself!
Comments (3)
I wouldn't characterize this upcoming vote as meaningless. It has some symbolic value. It is a milestone to see a black man ascend to the highest office in a land built on slavery. It is also interesting to see how ineffective McCain's racist attacks have been. We're not closing the book on racism by any means, but it would seem the troglodyte set is shrinking and losing traction in society as a whole.
Obama isn't planning on delivering on the aspirations of the millions of progressives and liberals who will vote for him. Regardless of how much of a pro-war, imperialist, corporate shill he is, one thing is undeniable: he is raising people's expectations. I think that is a precondition for creating a successful independent mass movement capable of achieving real progress. Obama may yet be forced to deliver on people's hopes in spite of himself.
Full disclosure: I already cast my ballot for Nader (I like McKinney, but I dislike how the Green Party has been hijacked by undemocratic, pro-Democrat forces, and thus I refuse to support it any longer).
Posted by Nicholas Hart | October 23, 2008 8:13 PM
Posted on October 23, 2008 20:13
It seems all that matters, in the liberal mindset, at this stage is "spirit". Fact and reality went out the window long ago.
I don't think it matters so much to those retired or nearly retired. But for us younger folk, the future does not look optimistic. Personally, I find it hard not to react bitterly to what I see as an explicit refusal to take responsibility for the society in which we live.
Posted by Peter Ward | October 23, 2008 8:49 PM
Posted on October 23, 2008 20:49
Peace voters? Really...they think Obama will be elected by peace voters?
Hahahahhahhahah
Hey: You should change the authentication codes from Hillary to "Joe"-or maybe "Manchurian Candidate".
Posted by bk | October 28, 2008 7:03 PM
Posted on October 28, 2008 19:03