And Another Thing About The Damned Election...

Today, Christopher Hitchens had an article in Slate Magazine entitled "Vote for Obama. McCain lacks the character and temperament to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace." Not that he has an opinion, mind you. If you're at all familiar with Hitchens, you know that he is a product of English public schools and can't quite shake the influence of Old Blighty. He hasn't been known to be particularly happy with Democrats in recent years and took particular exception to Bill Clinton. So the man is not exactly over the moon about the Democratic party or its candidates.

I certainly have opinions and have no hesitancy in voicing them, but I would never claim to be particularly well versed in the details of current politics and there are absolutely many, many people who could claim to be more educated or more intelligent than I am. Whether you agree with Hitchens or not, the man is obviously erudite and well-educated and well acquainted with both past and present world and U.S. politics. He essentially agrees with what I've been saying, which I based solely on what I could be sure were actual facts as opposed to slander thrown by the opposite number and on what I could observe myself.

Chris Matthews showed a clip from Family Guy on his show today on MSNBC, showing Lois pandering mercilessly to the public after advice to do so, using short sentences and no details, and her horror that it actually proved to be successful in her campaign to win the crowd over. The only real difference between Lois's character and Palin is that Lois is knowingly doing this and horrified that it worked, whereas Palin seems to be doing these things simply because some handler told her to do so. She's not horrified, so much as perplexed. I would be embarrassed to be represented as a woman in the White House by a vice president like Palin. It's not even that her view of the world is diametrically opposed to mine. I could see someone like Christy Todd Whitman, who is dignified, experienced, well-informed and intelligent. I don't agree with her either but at least she wouldn't be an embarrassment.

As for McCain, Hitchens is much crueller in his description than even I have been, but we essentially agree that he is an unacceptable choice. I wouldn't make a claim or even imply that he's senile and physically unprepared for the presidency, but I definitely worry about his impulsiveness and how uninformed and out of touch he seems to be, and that's more than enough to leave no doubt in my mind that it would be a mistake of epic proportions to elect him president and that the American people would suffer the most for such a decision. I can't say that I'm blown away by Obama, and frankly I would have preferred Mrs. Clinton, but I can imagine someone in the White House with his unflappable demeanor and both he and Biden appear to be erudite and well-informed. These are the kind of minds that I would like to be making critical decisions in an uncertain economic climate, and with regard to making positive changes in our educational and health care systems.

What really blows my mind is when I talk to people who still prefer McCain & Palin, despite everything we've seen. I want to know what debates they were watching, because you wouldn't know they were the same ones I saw when they describe them. I worry about evangelicals, who are supposed to be around 25% of the voting population, gaining control of decision-making processes involving science, education, the rights of the individual as regards sexual preferences, marriage and children, and birth control. I don't have to agree with what you want to do with yourself or with others, but it is neither religion's nor government's decision about what you do behind closed doors, with whom, how much, and what way and only you should be able to decide that. And I worry that this campaign and possibly the results of the election could increase an angry and disenfranchised part of the population's fear of Other, which could reinvigorate racism, which never disappeared, especially in some areas of the country, but which at least is less virulent in most places.

Vice Presidential Debate...

Hopefully, you saw it. We had a whisky and Palin night. You can probably figure out where my sympathies lie if you've ever read anything else I've written. I saw it as a bloodbath. Seemed like Palin was great at giving an impression of being folksy, spunky, and just one of us- joe six pack. And winking at the end of sentences, which I find annoying and phony personally. But she didn't answer several questions, which is what she agreed to do before the debate but found difficult to do at the event. She used generalities and faulty logic, while Biden seemed to have facts and figures and specific answers. Granted, both apparently made some mistakes when answering, but at least Biden actually answered all the questions. Palin appeared to string together key phrases from her handlers and hope they made sentences, but when you read her answers, they don't usually parse. Here's what Slate.com has to say.

Well, I can't say it any better than Kitty Burns Florey, so I'm not gonna try. Here's what I'm wondering: I know I have a definite point of view, and I know that others are equally entrenched in the opposite point of view and they're equally sure that McCain/Palin is the only vote that makes sense. That boggles my mind. I keep trying to wrap my head around that, imagining what would lead me to agree with the McCain/Palin ticket if I had different viewpoints, but I just can't seem to get there, however much I try. I'm cynical enough not to believe any politician who wants to get elected, because I'm pretty sure any of them would say or do anything to get there if they've gotten this far.

A truly honest person would get lost in the system and never get to the final two. So I automatically ignore all media ads and all campaign promises as total bullshit. Doesn't matter which party. Listening to these people speak carries a lot more weight for me. I want to know if this person is even remotely coherent, especially under pressure, if they're knowledgeable about economics, science, history, law, education, health care, etc., the things everyone cares about except the top 1-5% of the population who are so wealthy that few of these topics even touch their lives. I want to be able to imagine this person successfully representing America in international diplomatic situations which require tact, dignity, intelligence and charm to win over world leaders and encourage them to work with our government for the betterment of all.

We need someone who will lead the world with our attempts to combat global warming and other environmental issues;encourage private sector and government research programs involved in finding,using and implementing alternative fuel sources to oil; who will give incentive to residents and world citizens to develop new businesses and employment opportunities right here; and increase U.S. presence in the fields of science, industry and education and bring us and keep us in the forefront of the latest research in cutting edge fields.

Given the purported attitudes and beliefs of McCain/Palin, I cannot imagine that these things would be as likely under their leadership, given what I've seen so far. I'm not entirely convinced of it with Obama either, but at least it seems possible.

Unlike in other elections, it seems to me that the vice presidential candidates carry a little more weight than usual (usually being none). However ugly the thought, we have to consider that McCain already looks tired and irritable, is aging and has pre-existing health issues, so Palin might very well end up in charge. And for a certain Stone Age element of our population, the thought of a person of color ending up in charge of the U.S. is simply impossible. Some people don't even consciously understand or acknowledge their uneasiness with this, and others are conscious of prejudice/bigotry/racism but are equally uncomfortable with saying this directly (and well they should be!) and make up reasons to tell themselves or others why they can't vote for Obama. If Obama should get elected, there exists the very real possibility that some part of this element may actively try to harm him while he's in office, in which case Biden would be called to take his place. He, at least, knows and understands what the office of Vice President of the United States entails and the limited power it entails. Tell Palin it's a lot like being the runner-up of a beauty pageant- you don't actually do much except give some advice, support the president, and wave a lot, unless something goes wrong with the winner. Understand now?