Not a "likely" voter

I have a confession to make. I did not vote in the last Presidential election. Truth be told I didn't vote in the last two elections. When Perot was running and made it look like he might let George I beat Clinton, I voted then. I really had no fears that Dole would do any damage. This last time? Really I just didn't care. A whole campaign of watching Al Gore and George II and I just couldn't bring myself to vote for either of them. Why would I? Neither of them could even hold my attention let alone capture my imagination or provide even the slightest inspiration. They just sucked.

George Carlin used to have a bit about the people that get elected in this country. It went that people are always disappointed in those that run for office and wonder where the good candidates are. His point being that what we get, those really are the best there are at any given time. Well, last time our best just sucked.

In the election that ended too close to call it turns out my particular Gore vote would not have mattered. Al Gore took PA by a slim margin, but he did take it. I can't help but wonder how many other people there are across the country that felt the same way I did. How many of them happen to live in say, Tennessee, or maybe Florida. Although my disenchanted non-vote didn't turn out to matter, I am certain there were many that did.

I know for my part I am not going to do that again.

All the election discourse of late has really been making me ill. I think the candidates are mounting lazy campaigns and the mainstream media is being even lazier in covering them. Somehow, both sides have managed to structure things so that not one significant concept gets discussed. I can't help but think that this is specifically designed to ward off intelligent voters. If they never really talk substantively, then the educated electorate becomes bored and doesn't pay attention. Once those thinking people are distracted they can win on their base with lightening rod issues: the war, gay marriage, guns, abortion, 9/11, terrorism...

Ugh, I'm moving to Australia.

Can I tell you something? Anything related to 9/11 would have happened and would have happened with similar success regardless of who was commander in chief. The shock of the event was too great for even the most reluctant leader to let the Taliban and Al Queda off with no retribution. As far as the election, the war on terror is pretty much a moot point.

Would we have gone to war in Iraq? Probably not. But the if we did or if we didn't argument here is sticky because it in all likelihood was the right thing to do. The argument that we went about it in the wrong way has real teeth. Unfortunately that does not soundbite very well, and requires people to actually think rather than simply froth.

All of these front and center issues just muddy the water in my opinion. Americans have very little memory. Donald Rumsfeld spent his entire tenure within the Bush administration up until 9/11 waging war against the Pentagon. He was the biggest force for downsizing our military there was. The Bush defense team wanted to run the military like a corporation. Now they strut like they have worn six-shooters their entire term. Where are the people with the memory to call them on this.

One of the other blogs I read from time to time has an encyclopedia of things like this if you're interested:

http://happyb8888.blogspot.com/

In the end though, I think even reversals like this are not the true story. The true story is that George W Bush and his people are jerks. Just pricks. They don't for two minutes care about you or me and they don't think we will do anything about them. In fact, they will lie to you to your face just to get you to lean toward believing what they want. The whole run up to the Iraq war they just kept getting more and more desperate with what they chose to use as their party line to the point that I was absolutely sure that it was more a case that they were simply going to keep talking until we agreed or got bored, but they had clearly already made up their minds and were going to get it done; with or without the US public, with or without world consensus, and with or without congress.

But even without thinking about any of the hot buttons or issues from today's news, and without re-arguing the results of the last election there are plenty of reasons to remember that this group should be sent packing. Environment, Education, Taxes, Corporate Crime - all pre 9/11 issues, all very much still an issue, and all being totally drowned out by noise issues.

And even if John Kerry can't command attention, imagination, or inspiration the non-noise issues can and should rally you. Things like the war, terrorism, gay marriage, gun control, and abortion are really too evenly split among Americans to really make any headway regardless of leadership. In many ways they are "President Proof." True, with a perfect storm of political maneuvering one of these issues could be horribly compromised. But really they are all very much stalemated. The other issues, ones that people don't shout about or print signs or bumper stickers, they can be changed without much fanfare and the current administration has moved those agendas along way too far, way too quietly, and with way too little resistance.

Who cares where John Kerry was that Christmas? I care that US education is a shambles.

Who cares if George II showed up for military service? I care that the gap between the wealthy and the middle class is expanding.

Who cares about Iraq? I care that energy corporations wrote American energy policy.

Don't be distracted by the noise. See these insider corporate jerks for who they are and get out and vote Democratic. The incumbent administration has had their turn at the trough. And if you, like me, have become an "unlikely" voter then this November make the change with me and make your vote count.