Long Time Gone

Okay, it’s been a while. I had only been joking with the “now that Obama won, what is there to write about” statement, I didn’t mean to be gone so long. There’s always something to write about. There’s always something to get surly about. I’m not surly right now, I’m just saying. Right now, I’m very hung over. Booh. I had to write something though and this is it. I’m watching television, stalking people on facebook and just trying to feel better. I am in no shape to talk bailouts. I am in no shape to talk about anything at all, I just wanted to write. No one reads this anyway.

A Win For Everyone

I always find it difficult to write in times of pure joy unless baseball is involved.  My posts are always prompted by anger and frustration and anxiety.  But not today.  Today, I write with pride and hope and that’s not easy considering how surly I am.  Barack Obama will be the next President of The United States of America and that is a euphoric feeling. (Maybe my computer will stop spellchecking his name.)  I haven’t backed a winner since 1996.  Bill Clinton was my first vote and just when I thought I couldn’t love anyone as much as I love Bill Clinton, along comes Barack Obama, with his hope and his message of change and I love him.  Winning is a good feeling, I had almost forgotten how good it felt.  But Obama didn’t just win, I didn’t just win, we all win with this election result.  We made history, we showed that we could look past the color of someone’s skin and make them our next president.  We showed ourselves that talk of change is not just empty sentiment and we showed the world that we can change, we want it and we deserve it!  We also showed that we want to progress into the future, and not live in the past.  We want to live together, work together regardless of belief structure, for the better of this nation and that is beautiful.  I may start crying again.  We did it!  Now what am I going to write about?

Vote For Barack, Vote For America!

This is just me saying that first thing tomorrow morning, I am going to wake up, jump out of bed and walk down the street to cast my vote for Barack Obama.  I have tried very hard not to get my hopes up, but now I’ve found that it is impossible, my hopes are up, way up!  Barack Obama needs to win tomorrow, I need it.  That is all.  I am voting, and I will sleep the light sleep of children waiting for Christmas morning, for I can’t wait.  I will vote.  I am voting for Barack Obama and I want him to win!

I’m Un-American, Really?!

The GOP has turned yet another corner, and this one’s a doozy.  Apparently, I am unpatriotic and disloyal.  The reason:  I live in New York and I’m a liberal.  That’s it.  The only criteria for this new and outrageous bias is being a city slicker and having leftist views.  According to vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, the small town people have the patent on being American and patriotic.  Us big city folk are out on our collective behinds. Now the trend has been set and it’s not only the McCain campaign questioning the patriotism of some Americans, it seems like the entire Republican party.  They are discounting millions of Americans and setting us all up for a fall.  

Just to set the record straight, I was born in this country, in New Jersey to be exact.  Although that’s not a patriotism requirement, look at Republican Governor, Arnold Schwartzenegger.  But, I attended public school, was baptized and confirmed in the Catholic church, my family was middle class.  I had two working parents and they had three children.  My father fought in Vietnam, his father was a veteran of World War II and I have always exercised my right as a citizen of the United States of America to vote in every election.  But apparently I have been a traitor from within, for I am a Democrat and a liberal.  As long as I can remember I have been for a woman’s right to choose, for affordable healthcare, for basic human rights , but mostly I have been for my country.  To say that I am offended by this new breed of hate and bigotry that is running through the GOP, is putting it mildly.  I am livid!  I am an American!  How dare you say otherwise!

I live in New York now, in Brooklyn to be exact.  When I walk down the street, people say hi to each other.  When I go into one of the delis in my neighborhood, I stop and chat with the people who work there.  When I slipped and fell on the ice last winter, three people stopped to make sure that I was all right.  It’s a myth that people in New York are selfish and apathetic.  I haven’t seen that at all. That’s not the New York I know.  What I have seen is a caring and cooperative community.  Some would call it a small town mentality.  I would call it simple humanity, evident everywhere in this great country except at McCain/Palin rallies.  So, to all of you who are spewing hate, do not dare call me or my millions of neighbors unpatriotic.  We are America.  You should be so lucky.

You Call Me Liberal Like It’s A Bad Thing

Someone seriously needs to explain to me what is so bad about being a liberal.  No, really.  You need to tell me why I’m wrong.  The word liberal has positive connotation.  It’s actual definition is:  broad minded; especially:  not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy or other tradition forms.  To me, and maybe it’s because I’m a liberal, that sounds terrific.  Broad minded, isn’t that what we all strive to be?  Accepting of others, caring, generous.  When did these words ever describe the devil?  But to conservatives all over this country, liberal is another word for bad.  I think the liberals, the progressives, will be the ones to save this country.  I am proud to count myself among them.  The conservatives want to go backwards to some imaginary golden era, the 50’s of their minds.  But the 1950’s weren’t all rainbows and lollipops, they were hard and repressed and wrought with fear, not that dissimilar to the present we currently find ourselves in, which is run by conservatives.  The faceless communists of the 50’s have been replaced by faceless Islama-fascists of the now.  The definition of conservative is tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions or institutions. In other words, living in the past.  We should be moving forward, forward to greatness, not backwards.  The liberals will deliver us to the future, the conservatives are content to wander around in the past.  So, liberal is not a bad word, I’d rather live in the future than in the past.

Talking Points To Nowhere

Okay, this is going to be brief because I’m tired but more than that, I’m angry.  Sarah Palin didn’t win the debate, she didn’t even come close.  First, you can’t win a debate when you don’t answer questions.  You can’t only answer questions you’ve posed to yourself and then only supply talking points from your countless speeches as answers.  This is unacceptable.  What is more unacceptable is the pseudo folksy vernacular that is pure pander.  Small town folk aren’t better than city folk and why am I saying folk so much?  We’re all part of this country and I would like someone to speak to me in a grown up style, which is what Joe Biden did last night.  Sarah, just answer the question and, for the love of god, try and annunciate.  When did this become acceptable from Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates not to pronounce words fully and to only use contractions and slang?  Don’t we already have a guy who doesn’t speak our language well? And lastly, remaining upright and not drooling does not make you the winner of the debate.  Just because you got a little sassy, you didn’t debate, you gave a speech.  You didn’t hold your own, Joe Biden mopped the floor with you and you are not a breath of fresh air,  Barack Obama is.

Don’t Know Much About The Economy

I am not economically savvy.  My own financial shenanigans should be evidence of that statement.  But, I think that I’m starting to understand a little bit more than I thought I did and boy, does my brain hurt.  This is my understanding, we, the taxpayers, are going to “donate” $700 billion to the Wall St. bailout.  Yep.  And then what?  Is this money just going to go back into the pockets of the people who frivolously misspent already?  And what about the taxpayers, i.e. me?  We just hand over this money, to avoid an “economic collapse” and then it’s Christmas time on Wall St., they get a blank slate, a do-over which is more than the average American is getting.  Can’t we attach strings to this $700 billion?  For instance, it’s not a gift, it’s a loan, and we, the American people, want to be paid back.  We will be shareholders.  We get to share in the future profits.  Also, no more fat cats making millions in bonuses and they should also take a pay cut.  They fucked up, they ran their businesses into the ground with their corporate greed, they don’t get to squander our money!  Okay, bail them out, if you think that there is no other way, but I want my money back!  I don’t make millions of dollars.   I just work and try to save.  I’m not paying you all to continue being wealthy.  So, like I said, I don’t know much about the economy, but I think that this bail out should be a loan, and the American people need to be repaid.  Thank you.

Lipstick On A… Liar?

The continuous flow of manufactured outrage from the GOP is laughable.  Ooh, the tough guys are so sensitive.  Regarding the McCain for Change platform, Senator Obama used the phrase “you can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”  The Republicans rushed to point out that their VP candidate wears lipstick, in fact it’s the only difference between her and pitbulls.  Now the surrogates are saying that Obama meant this statement as a stab at their female VP and women everywhere.  Obama called Palin a pig, the surrogates cry.  Only he didn’t, he was alluding to  McCain trying to pass something off as something it’s not, i.e. his campaign as the candidate for change.  But the republicans have their collective panties in a bunch and they have no plans on unbunching them.  Oh, was that a sexist remark?  Is Palin going to cry?  Uh-Oh, was that sexist?  No, the answer is no!  I’m a woman!  I saw sexism rear it’s ugly head during Hillary’s campaign coming from the media and the media alone.  Chris Matthews, I’m looking at you, (Chris and I have since made up.)   I have never heard Barack Obama make a sexist remark or treat Hillary in a sexist way.  The problems that the sane women who supported Hillary had with sexism was from the media, never from Obama.  GOP, if you want to go there, you’re going to have to give me examples of Obama’s sexism towards Hillary.  Although, I’m starting to believe that you think simply running against a woman and questioning her policies is sexism.  And, THAT is sexist.  You can’t call foul for requesting information, you can’t tell the media that they can only interview that VP candidate with “deference”.  Why is she so special?  Why does she get the kid gloves?   Is it because she’s a woman?  Well, THAT is sexism.  I call shenanigans on the GOP, John McCain and Sarah Palin.  I call sexism on you all.  Now, let’s move on and get back to the issues.

Wake Me From This Nightmare!

McCain is ahead in the polls!  This has got to be a nightmare, only I’m fully clothed and not at work.  So, the only other explanation is that more than half this country just ate a big bowl of stupid.  Ugh… I’m totally stressed out by this.  Really?  McCain?  Have you all been in a coma for the last eight years?  He’s with Bush!  He’s for what Bush is for!  His healthcare plan is don’t get sick.  How is that even a possibility when the corporations are free to poison us and our environment?  And Palin?  Really?  She’s worse!  She’s looking to teach creationism!  In schools!  What?!  She’s for teaching abstinence, and that appears to be really working for her personally.  They both want to overturn Roe v. Wade!  Yeah, let’s go back to back alley abortions.  Please, can we?  And while we’re at it, take away my right to vote and make me cover myself from head to toe.  Bring back shame for simply being a woman and having (GASP!) woman parts.  Gross!  I can’t believe this is a close race.  I just can’t believe it.  What’s wrong with you people?  Are you all rich?  I don’t think so.  Have the Republicans actually convinced you that the last eight years were caused by the Democrats?  That Bush 2 is one of my kind?  A liberal, democrat that fucked everything up?  Have you forgotten Katrina, Iraq, Alberto Gonzalez, Guantanamo, Torture Gate, Abu Grahib?  Bush is not one of my kind, he’s McCain’s kind and if McCain wins and we can look forward to more war (ahem… Iran) and backwards for women’s rights.  We can expect the economy to continue it’s downward spiral.  We won’t be able to come back from another Republican reign of terror.  The freedom and liberty that the founding fathers fought for will be one step closer to being extinguished by the far right Christian agenda.  If McCain wins, can New York secede?  Or do I need to start apartment hunting in Canada?

I Do Not Think This Word Means What You Think It Means

Maverick, I have heard the republican pundits say this word over and over again, referring to John McCain.  Only I do not think this word means what they think it means, to borrow a phrase from The Princess Bride, because a maverick, by definition, is an independent person who does not follow the group.  The John McCain that I know is a cookie cutter republican.  He’s from the same mold as Cheney and the Bushes.  Every stance he takes, be it abortion, the war in Iraq, the economy, it’s the same exact policies that have been in place for the last eight years.  He’s in the lobbyists pockets.  He’s a friend of big oil.  He’s out of touch… well, he’s out of touch with me and people like me, but he’s very in touch with the failed Bush policies.   I don’t remember John McCain from 2000, a time when he apparently earned his maverick handle, I was young, self involved and often lying in a pool of my own vomit. I really wasn’t paying attention. But I’m paying attention now and when I hear someone exclaim what a maverick McCain is, I want to buy them a dictionary because they definitely have no clue what that word means.