Obey Obama

You’re right, Dubya was pretty damn liberal… with raiding our treasury, waging illegal wars, sending our troops in harms way and then shafting them when they got back home while also ripping off the state of California during the energy crisis, neglecting our domestic infrastructures (just think Hurricane Katrina), subverting serious mandates regarding climate change issues, eroding the middle class, diminishing our basic civil rights and allowing banks to trick people into going in over their heads with shady sub-prime mortgages. Yeah, I agree, his administration was real “liberal”.

As for Colin Powell, if he had any integrity when it counted most he could have changed the entire course of history these last 7+ years BY HIMSELF had he choose not to give a speech at the U.N. justifying claims that Iraq had any WMD’s, especially when he himself wasn’t convinced of those “facts” or any tenuious links between Saddam’s government and the 9/11 attacks. I used to like Powell, but after that debacle he lost all my respect for foolishly allowing himself to be a tool of the neo-cons.

I WILL NOT VOTE REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT IN THE 2008 U.S. ELECTION. PUNTO.

Sorry, I should have made that explicitly clear above, but I didn’t.

(and no, I’m not voting for Ralph Nader either)

My “plug” for Obama was to state the fact that out of the three “viable” Repub-ocrats remaining I can tolerate him the most, since there is the slim chance he can still do some good things for the country despite some of his political affiliations. The other two are bought through & through by corporate interests and the rich elite, so there’s no question in my mind that they won’t improve anything regarding the sorry state of affairs we as a country are in right now.

With all that said, I don’t know yet who I will vote for in the upcoming circus of national elections, but in due time I will identify a candidate worthy of my vote who is mostly reflective of my values for a truly just society, cares more about the needs of our children, seniors, veterans, and poor over the grossly inhumane profits generated from warmongering, and holds a vision for a non-imperialist and vigilantly democratic USA.

Sadly, no one in either the GOP or DNP camps can claim that in substance at the moment and I really don’t care to acquest my “vote” just because the Jackass & Elephant candidates get most of the airtime by a sold out media jockeying for post-election favors.

“But dude, then you’re just throwing away your vote by not choosing either of the two “most realistic” campaigns for the presidency!?”

Wow. This is the most stupid rationalization I have ever heard. Just because two so-so candidates are getting most of the attention doesn’t mean that a) I, or anyone else, has to vote for them and b) nor does it invalidate my choice; I vote for the candidate I think is best, not because “ooh, they have the most ‘realistic’ chance to win.” — it isn’t about getting on the bandwagon to vote for the media hyped projected “winner”, but rather voting for the candidate the represents what I truly believe in. Why has that simple principle become a problem nowadays? Why have people become too scared to vote for who they REALLY want? Even if they are a longshot, so what?

Just because you get a watered down version of ‘breaking through the glass ceiling’ and ‘racial equality’ in both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama respectively doesn’t mean you have to accept it, nor think “that’s as good as we’re ever going to get” when WE CAN & DESERVE to have better leadership. Regardless of who actually wins the election IT’S US, THE PEOPLE who force real & tangible social change in this country and that’s how it’s always been. Just pick up any book on REAL HISTORY, not that sanitized garbage they force feed us as kids, and you’ll see for yourself that an actively informed and engaged public is what best keeps the gov’t in check. Instead, it’s the other way around with scares of a “terror-this” and “terror-that”, and a stupid color coded chart to drive home how easily spooked we are today.

“But sweetie, change doesn’t happen overnight… you have to give it time, things take time.”

I agree, change doesn’t happen overnight. Yet that still shouldn’t stop us from trying. Especially now when it’s becoming clear that time is no longer the commodity it once was; the longer we wait to actually do something about the things we care most about then the harder and more irreversible it becomes to correct, if at all. We really are headed on a disastrous course at the moment and yes, it’s that serious so please wake up and do your part because freedom is never truly “free”.

One of my uncles doesn’t even vote because he’s so pissed off at what a scam it has become, and in many ways I don’t blame him for feeling that way. But I still chose to vote, because I still believe that a true democracy is achievable for the United States and that it must be real if this country is to survive. Yes, SURVIVE! But for that to be realized, I want my vote to support a candidate that I feel will stand up for that real democracy. You see, if more of us voted with that in mind then real change can actually take place. But how can that real change happen if we just continue to check off the boxes on those pre-set multiple choice ballots that’s offered to us all the time?

Think about that.

i tried to read everything you say, but the violins wouldnt let me concentrate.

ouch!

A lot of the coverage here has been anti-Clinton. Some of which I can see their point of (e.g. US presidency seems to be very good at keeping it in the family) but much of it seems very misogynistic.

C.f.: http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2008/02/more_hillary_ba