The Choices We Have

Damn depressing it is. It struck me this morning on the ride into work.

Sweetie is my chauffeur right now until the Cymbalta withdrawal wanes. Anyhoo…he still listens to Air America on XM and at that time of the morning it’s The Bill Press Show. Being as I’d sworn off AA months ago before Bill Press showed up on Air America, I hadn’t been, um, graced with his repartee. Aside from the typical morning zoo guy sniggering (gag), he touted his 101 reasons to vote AGAINST John McCain.   Again…um…how about 101 reasons to vote FOR Barack Obama? Or is that list too hard to compile?

And it came to me in a blinding flash (or maybe it was a Brain Zap). Either way, I got to thinking:  We PUMAs are often accused of being “angry” and it hit me: “Hell, yeah! I AM angry.” Not because Hillary isn’t our nominee (okay…that’s part of it). No. What really pisses me off is the choices I am left with and what got us here. First, some of the candidates…

Bob Barr – Libertarian. Oh. My. Gawd.  He’s right on civil liberties. Stone cold wrong on everything else. Aside from stealing Hillary’s “in it to win it” line in his video, a quick look at his Issues page sends me screaming in the other direction. I mean, seriously, WTF?

Government limits individual actions and choices, from the way in which we educate our children to the food that we eat, from the type of light bulbs that illuminate our living rooms to the benefits that we receive for working. It is time to again trust individuals to make their own decisions. At the core of libertarianism is a trust in and respect for the personal choices of every individual. All Americans should be free to decide what is best for themselves and their families. At the same time, they must bear personal responsibility for the consequences of the decisions that they make, whether those decisions prove to be good or bad.

Ralph Nader This time running as an “Independent” Seriously past his “use by” date, doncha think? And aside from his vanity candidacy every four years, what exactly has he done to stem the tide of the neocon machine?  Been on a lot of talk shows, I guess. Anything else would get his hands dirty I suppose.

Cynthia McKinney – Green Party – While I am very much aligned with the Green Party platform, I just don’t think she’s the one who should be its figurehead. Really, does her web site look like she’s a serious contender? And, I think it’s odd that the Green Party thinks it’s just fine to let some one run on their ballot line who doesn’t even have to register as a Green (yeah, Ralph, I’m talking about you). Has Cynthia made the leap?

Alan Keyes – Constitution Party – Wrong On Everything

John McCain - Republican – Ugh. If he were still the same McCain of 2000, before he got slapped around by GWB, I might, maybe, in some alternate universe, consider voting for him. Today? No. He’s proven to me that he’ll pander with the best of them.

Which leads me to…Barack Obama. Well, y’all know how I feel about him, and if you don’t, take some time out and peruse the archives. Hell, his activities in the last couple of weeks (FISA, campaign reform, faith-based initiatives) would have turned me against him, and that doesn’t even take into consideration all that came before. And please, could they at least lose the “halo” shots? They were creepy when the neocons did it with GWB, and it’s doubly creepy that the Democrats are doing the same thing with BO.

And beyond all of this, I am furious at our so-called media who will do anything but cover the issues. Those buffoons who will take one snippet of an interview and use it to play “lets you and him fight.”  And to top it off, the candidates take the bait. Every. Fucking. Time.  This latest flap over who is more “patriotic” makes me want to hurl.

So yeah. I’m pissed.

Time for bed. ‘Nite all.