I’ll spare the typical preface of “he’s a hero and honorable and has served the country for 800 years” bit because we all know I’m not questioning that. I’m not upset at McCain’s record, I’m upset at McCain NOW. More accurately I’m upset at people who believe everything he says. Much of his candidacy has been based in lies (especially the past few weeks); all this after a pledge to rise above the Republican playbook, to run a clean campaign, and a previous record of honest leadership. He is using trick tactics to try to win the election. I was listening to The New Yorker’s election podcast the other day and someone was drawing a metaphor between the economy/stocks and McCain/Obama. Obama being the long term investment, his campaing being carefully calculated months in advance. McCain being the ultimate day trader only looking for the buy/sell of the day. I’ll just start with a few weeks ago…Sarah Palin. Who?! For someone who’s main attack on his opponent for the entire campaign has been Experience, to appoint someone with even less experience and more controversial views just because she will shock and awe the American people is a pretty backwards move. I was never the biggest fan of Hillary but at least she earned the right to be center stage and had to fight to get there. Palin had no struggle, no tests, and seemingly no vetting, before being thrust into the limelight on America’s Next Top President. I have no problem with women in seats of power, or women in politics — but I do think anyone who is in that short list should at least have the capacity to answer a few questions with Katie Couric before being considered a viable candidate to run the country. People make the same case against Obama — “he has the same or less experience than Palin…” — The past 18 months have been a constant uphill battle for Obama and he has prevailed at every step. Beating the strongest political machine of modern history (The Clintons) along with other “seasoned veterans of Washington” is proof of his political chops and I think his ability to lead. He’s got a movement behind him and I don’t think much can stop that. And contrary to conservative attacks many of those people can actually think for themselves. Remember… “You may fool all the people some of the time, you can even fool some of the people all of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all the time.”

I’m fed up,

and thrilled

….at the same time.

I’m fed up with America.

I won’t pretend to understand the ins and outs of lobbyists, special interests, earmarks, or the “old Boy’s network”… But it’s pretty obvious that something isn’t right. When people get paid (a lot of money) to hinder the process and lobby for interests that are the opposite of helpful to the American people – something is wrong. When a president is allowed to wage war unilaterally by ‘duping’ the public and the government into supporting it with fear mongering and lies – something is wrong. When a majority of that same public didn’t even vote for the sitting president – something is wrong. When human rights advances are rolled back for criminal captives and women and minorities something is wrong. When that president and his band of merry men can’t acknowledge their own humanity or claim blame for their failed economic, foreign, and domestic policies – something is wrong. But what I’m more fed up about is people’s apathy and acceptance of these wrongs as the norm. People need to wake up.