Saturday, October 25, 2008

Dethpicable!!!!

The presidential campaign is soOOOO ugly, the latest nastiness being: suggestions that those who support Obama aren't "real Americans." It's happening on TV--and right in my front yard.

I live in a battleground state, North Carolina, and politics is local here in a rash of Obama yard sign thefts. I walked out this morning and where my sign stood, a skeleton of a metal frame. All up and down the street: McCain signs intact, Obama signs vandalized or disappeared.
The policeman I called said this has been going on up and down nearby neighborhoods; one witness near me saw a "group of early-20s youths in a white SUV." They screamed obscenities at her 9-year-old son. The white SUV was also spotted out on Concord Rd., which leads from here into town.
Where will this lead at Halloween? Four years ago, Kerry supporters were cursed on that holiday.

Real Americans know about the first amendment (and as my son-in-law, whose sign also got lifted, commented "and the SECOND"!) He just became a citizen October 3rd, was sworn in in Greensboro and registered to vote. A couple weeks later he got a letter saying he's not eligible because of a problem with his documents. I don't know what he's done about his voter registration, but Lester showed me his new homemade yard sign: "You can steal as my signs, but you're done stealing elections!" I only hope he's right.

This would all seem like high-jinks if it weren't for the context of jingoism, voter fraud, and stirring the potential for violence.

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

Haven't Posted Much

I haven't posted much lately--for one thing, I've been posting over on Obama's blog a bit. For another, is obsessing about the economy and about politics that bloggable any more?
I watch all the political debates, including tonight. Beyond what was so carefully said, only two observations:
1) viscerally, it was much the old 20th-century bear who still has a half a dance left in him versus the new young champion.
2) I caught Bill Bennett (you know, former Education Secretary neo-con Gingrichian infuriating right-winger) on CNN, saying, McCain "did fine but he didn't do fine enough."

For another thing, sometimes it's a long time between clever wise drollness.

Love to all.