Alaska...

Alaska and it's 3 electoral college votes are now center stage. I'm not really sure how to take that in light of the electrifying Democratic convention. Even I have to concede I was fascinated with the convention, and I am a Libertarian, and don't even consider myself to be a democrat (odd contradiction I know). Like probably 99% of the other people watching the political scene I figured that McCain would ask Joe Lieberman to run with him, and maybe he did and Joe refused, who knows? I'm not sure I'd run with McCain either were I in the position of Joe Lieberman. Neither here nor there I suppose, we will never know how Sarah Palin was the one picked for the ticket. It does seem bizarre though to pick someone from Alaska, I mean 3 electoral votes isn't much, and she's so unknown I doubt she can help with a lot of things like independent voters etc. Course, I am an internationalist, and I thank God every day that I am an internationalist and I don't need to worry about these pesky domestic political issues.

I think the choice of Sarah Palin is an interesting choice, and I am rather intrigued by this choice for a number of reasons. First, I am intrigued because true to form the Feminist backlash has begun. I find it intriguing that the same women that wanted to have Hillary Clinton in the White house (I am still confused, someone please tell me what qualified Hillary for the presidency? Oh right she was married to the president...hmmmm...I am so not buying that snake oil.) are insulted by the choice of Palin. What's wrong with the choice of Palin? She seems like a decent person to me, I mean the whole thing is bizarre because she isn't on the same name recognition level with Mit Romney, but then again plenty of people would fit that bill. Palin helps to score McCain points with the Republican base that he is having so much trouble keeping up with. It also makes him look really good to the public, because now he too can talk about making history, especially if by some weird twist of fate he manages to pull out a victory (I'm not going to hold my breath and expect that to happen).

Palin, I think also causes another interesting twist. Palin forces women to look at their motivations for voting. I think this is a fundamental problem with US politics. The feminists are always about electing women, but only THEIR own women. A woman like myself, or like Elizabeth Dole is frowned upon by the "feminists" and now we have women saying it is insulting that Palin was chosen. Women are 51% of the population, does it really matter how insulting it is? Some women will vote for McCain and some will vote for Obama it is just the way it is. When you are more than half the population you're going to vote in different ways. Course men don't vote uniformly either, and if they did I have had a number of men tell me how Palin is really good looking and they hope she becomes V.P. So clearly we know how that'd turn out. This brings up another point, are these women insulted because she is a beautiful woman? What if she were ugly would it matter so much? Just like would Obama be a rock star if he were White?

Another interesting thing about this choice is that it's ALASKA. I mean how many Americans can find Alaska on the map? I doubt many people outside of Alaska really know where it is. I applied for a few jobs up in Alaska, I thought it might be fun to live there, and they have a shortage of women up there, and a large Russian influence. Alaska is now important for the first time in the history of this country. I mean sure it is important for all the resources we robbed the Russians of when we bought it, but it's also now important because it is now the home state of a possible V.P. of the U.S. and for the first time ever. I can't recall one president of vice president that was from Alaska, can you? I wonder what it must feel like for the Alaskans right now, I've been trying to get in contact with a few Alaskans I know, but haven't gotten through to them.

I think it's both brilliant and risky to choose Palin, and even though I will most likely not vote for McCain, because I plan to vote Libertarian. I think it will be interesting to see what this roll of the dice brings not only to McCain's campaign but to elections and politics in the future as well. This election has been a historical one for sure, and with the exception of my thoughts on Lieberman I have been right in all my analysis of it. Oh and by the way the 88th anniversary of women getting the right to vote that the Democrats were carrying on about, that was under a Republican Congress...so I guess the Dems can't say they are the progressive party on that end of things.

I'd like to thank McCain for the choice of Palin, I find it to be an interesting one and as I said I am fascinated by it for a lot of reasons. I'd like to thank Gov. Palin for accepting the nomination, I think it was courageous on her part and I also think it'll make things a lot more interesting.

May the best ticket win, let the games begin!

Demagoges

The Democrats are having their convention this week, and it's making me sick. I mean not only am I sick with a cold, or sick because this is my 1 year anniversary of not being able to see my kids, or a whole bunch of other things, but it seems to me that the Democrats are more hypocritical than in previous years. The Democrats are the "party of the people" yet Nancy Pelosi REFUSED to call a special session of the House in order to address the problem of people losing their houses. The Democrats are the party of the people, yet they don't care about the people. Hillary Clinton thought this was her turn and that she would be president, and she is just plain mean spirited, ungracious, and the Clintons together are BITCHY about the situation with Obama. Obama, who is the candidate that was chosen to be sacrificed so that the Clintons could maintain their stranglehold on the party came out in the end and beat the Clinton machine, and yet he is the one being vilified by the Clintons, why didn't he ask her advice on the VP, etc. I mean really, if I lose a race am I required to be asked by the winner about things? Clearly the people have spoken, and Hillary has no more experience than Obama does. Bill Clinton should really get out of the whole scene, frankly so many of these people are washed up it's not even funny.

They're not attacking McCain nor are the Republicans defending McCain. In part this is because it's a Democrat year, and as such mostly Democrats will be elected, but also it is because this is a Dole vs. Clinton rematch with Clinton being played by Obama and Dole being played by McCain. Neither of these candidates really wants a major contest in terms of mudslinging etc, but McCain can't afford such a contest because he doesn't know how to compete with Obama. Obama is competing on a new playing field, he's using the internet to his advantage and doing a whole bunch of other things in an attempt to improve his competitiveness, including the text message announcement of Joe Biden. McCain, has no idea how to compete in this context and the Republican machine doesn't know how to compete this way because they haven't put the effort into learning how to do these things.

Hillary's speech last night was I think a poor attempt at supporting Obama, and she is setting the stage for a hopefully successful campagin in 2012. I think she will continue to be a thorn in the Democrat party side until she is crowned the imperial ruler for all time. This is of course a very sad situation and I feel badly for Obama, Clinton, and my country. This is the ONLY post I will do with the Clintons in it because I frankly want them all to be out of the news and my life. The whole thing with Chelsea being front and center all the time makes me ill as well.

You Can Torment the Bear as Long as You Stay in Your Own House....

So the Russian proverb goes. This is evident in what is happening with Russia, Georgia, and perhaps Poland will be next if I am to believe the articles in the news that I've seen today. It's ridiculous of course that Russia would go after Poland, but apparently Russia has threatened to do this. I am sure there are a number of reasons for this, but I don't care to give an opinion on the subject, other than to say it would be ridiculous to go after Poland.

Russians have lived by this proverb for centuries at the very least, and I have lived by it in my own life as well. It's because I love this saying, I think it is great. I think it is also very true, if you think about bears and the nature of them. Consequently this can be said of bears as well, they can torment things as long as they stay in their own house.

Political Change?

What does this ad tells us about the current campaign? My dear friend at The Valley said to me a while back he was afraid that we would have a Dole vs Clinton rematch this election. Another wise man in my life said no, this is Dole vs Kennedy. All I can say, is it is Dole vs someone, anyone and this is a strange election on a number of levels.

First of all, studies have shown over and over again that the American public, and specifically the segment of the population that votes, doesn't like negative ads. People of course still run them, because they like to use out of date strategies etc. They also don't know how to run a non-negative campaign and I commend Obama for the way he has conducted his campaign thus far, and for the way he has dealt with this ad, asking if this is the best McCain can do etc. I think this is the better approach and in the end it will bring him more credibility and probably more votes with the public.

This is also a strange campaign because I can't really remember a time in history when people were comparing people to celebrities in the manner that is being done during this current campaign. Aside from the "Gumby guy" from Mass. phenomenon: Dukakis, Kerry, Romney, etc. that is always kind of a strange thing, doesn't that state have non-gumby characters?

Being an internationalist I never really give in depth commentary on elections in the US, but in the absence of my darling I need to make a commentary that he'd be proud of.

This campaign seems to be running the gambit when it comes to new/change and also when it comes to the same old shit different day, and everything in between. For example this McCain ad is both same shit different day, and new. I can't remember the last time these two celebrities were used in an ad can you?

Also, the internet is much more involved in this election than in previous campaigns. Obama has the advantage on this end compared to any of the other candidates. Hopefully, his campaign won't be hurt by the Edwards fiasco. What a waste of time and energy that is.

This campaign is always coming up with ways to make my stomach turn, and I am a political scientist.

Responsibility

It seems in this day and age there is a lack of responsibility, both personal and societal. I find this to be a disturbing trend and I don't know what to do about the situation. I can't really control societal trends, I can only control what I do, but I am heartened by the fact that my beloved one recognizes he needs to take responsibility for some of the situations in his life right now. It gives me hope for the future of humanity that at least one individual sees these things.

I am disheartened by the activities of former communities of mine. I went to a meeting at a place I left last year and I realized how much these people are on crack etc. It just blew my mind how irresponsible they were behaving and how bad the planning is there. Thankfully I no longer need to trouble myself with these events. I am heartened that my attempt to take responsibility at this meeting was recognized by a woman who is not far from death's door.

I am also disheartened by the idea that people are still trying to run my life. How long must I endure this? How long must I sing the same songs of people trying to run my life etc? I am trying not to be pissed off about the situation, but it really makes me crazy that no one wants to take responsibility for what they did, but they want to run my life still.

I think the attitude is that I am the idiot child incapable of responsibility because then it makes them feel powerful etc. My life however, just like yours is not for anyone to power play with. It is just very sad that people can't just live in peace with each other.