Here's a really wonderful email I received today:
So how does our election look from over there? I watched Biden and Palin last night and thought it was the most lopsided victory I've ever seen in these debates, with Biden the obvious winner. He was better than Obama, with tight, reasoned arguments, all the facts, some nuance and style, while Palin showed she was an average person new to these issues. What stunned me was that the press almost universally reported that Palin held her own, this based on the fact that she was folksy and she never once said "I'll get back to you on that". I thought of the debate as a job interview, and in that light, it wasn't even close.
A normal curve would suggest there are many near average people in the country, and the reporters felt the normals would feel kinship with Sarah (she's just like us, she doesn't follow these issues, she's got hockey practice to worry about!). I rarely give the American people credit for their intelligence, but I believe that some normal people will conclude not only that this woman would be a bigger disaster than George Bush for president but that McCain has his head up his ass for picking her (especially because his chance of death in the next four years is significant)How about there?
Here's my response:
Did you see Jon Stewart interview Bill Maher last night? Maher spoke about there being two Americas. The second being the United States of Stupid. There is the east and west coast america, looking a lot like Europe, and the second redneck america, strangling the first and voting for Bush. He said that even the stupid people were starting to see that Sarah Palin was stupid, which is promising.
"They, " meaning my very limited sample, think that McCain is the second baboon in the race, with Bush the first baboon - but also, at the same time, knowing that Bush and McCain are monkeys. "They" would love to see Borat interview Bush. "They" ask, would Bush wear a mankini? And this quote, I love, "This is so hypocrite."
Here's what folks are saying here: "I see Obama as talking with everyone, interested in all kinds of people - the first politician in the U.S., as trying to communicate with the people. He says what he feels. Seeing the candidates next to each other - Oboma is a person who says what he feels and Mcain is a puppet of the Republican party.
Choice is clear - every country in the EU goes for Obama except the Czech republic goes for neocon morons -
Bush has fucked up. That's the bottom line. Everybody knows this in Europe, and everyone is happy to see Bush and the Republicans leave. The golf war is the second Vietman. And now the bail-out is suspect. They think, and this is a quote, "He's a baboon with a big asshole who should be fucked by a horse."
"This is a man who has shown himself to be singularly uncultured and shown himself to be untrustworthy from any international, clever, educated, or any perspective. He should never have become president for the second time or for that matter the first time. And, he is a pussy. What a fuck-fuck- fuck - up. No one understands how the people continue to vote for the republicans. They don't understand the gun-toting, religiosity of the middle American strong belief mindset. Liberal here is so different from that of the U.S."
"If you were very angry, and had a gun, you shoot it. That's the big problem here. If you are raised in Texan culture - and you are 16 years old, and you are upset by whatever, then something snaps and you have a weapon, you have power, and you will use it. this is a parable for America. The Republican party encourages this mindset. Sara Palin likes to hunt, and this is horrible. What is needed, is a different point. Eskimos need to hunt, but we have enough chickens. If you are breeding animals, why hunt? This country makes you puke. No, but it's true. They are fucking up the whole world economy and ecology, and they don't care at all. It's incredible, and it is amazing. How can you bring your own country to this distress? It is incredible. How is it possible, where your own country acts like a clown under the supervision of this politics. How could they play with this power, with such confidence?"
"Palin looks like a horse dropping with a small American flag in it. With a cherry on top, to make it adorable. No but it is true. The only thing she cares about is herself, and she is using the flag to push herself upon the American people."
How's that for an honest, complete, and thorough response?
Comments please, no one has commented for far too long.
7 comments:
k1I watched the debates too, E-man as I suppose a lot of the nation did. I recognized in Palin a very coached and practiced debater. I was not foled by this at all. I kow she had spent the last days rehearsing each answer (read = talking point) over and over. As a public figure she strikes me as a potential great PTA chief somewhere in rural america but NOT the VP of the USA. Reading your response to the email you recieved it is clear to me that the US has become not respected in the international community and I do not believe that the Mcain/Palin ticket will do anything to change that. I do believe that the Obama/Biden ticket will and I also believe that tey wil win tis election. I find it pitiful that there are so many STUPID people in this country that we could have elected GW even once. I really want to move to Europe and live with the european liberals. But there are downsides to that too, taxes, cost of living, etc. So, Palin performed what she rehearsed and that as I said coud fly in the PTA but not Washington.
I watched the debates too, E-man as I suppose a lot of the nation did. I recognized in Palin a very coached and practiced debater. I was not foled by this at all. I kow she had spent the last days rehearsing each answer (read = talking point) over and over. As a public figure she strikes me as a potential great PTA chief somewhere in rural america but NOT the VP of the USA. Reading your response to the email you recieved it is clear to me that the US has become not respected in the international community and I do not believe that the Mcain/Palin ticket will do anything to change that. I do believe that the Obama/Biden ticket will and I also believe that tey wil win tis election. I find it pitiful that there are so many STUPID people in this country that we could have elected GW even once. I really want to move to Europe and live with the european liberals. But there are downsides to that too, taxes, cost of living, etc. So, Palin performed what she rehearsed and that as I said coud fly in the PTA but not Washington.
I was able to watch some of the debate and I wanted to continually heave when Palin kept saying, "Bless their hearts." As your friend lecky said, she would make a great PTA chief! I agree. VP of the US--God help us. Palin, just like many other republicans, know how to appeal to the heart, which is how our stupid country votes. Democrats haven't understood this and actually think they can appeal to the intellect first..never works. Of course people love the tv newscaster gone good-for-nothing governor---she appeals to the heart of this damn country. We are not an intelligent country and until we have a mandated breeding policy, no politician will do it for me!
Thank you Lecky and Nicole for commenting! Go Obama.
So, if I understand correctly, it was one of your European friends who said about Bush, "He's a baboon with a big asshole who should be fucked by a horse."
Then this European goes on to say, "This is a man who has shown himself to be singularly uncultured."
Right, the Europeans are so "cultured" that they easily say someone should be fucked by a horse. That'll teach us "uncultured" Americans how to behave like proper human beings.
And Lecky, my dear boy, do you really want to live with the people who brought us World War I, Marxism, Communism and Fascism along with hundreds of millions killed by these ideologies? Sure, America is not innocent of taking civilian lives either but Europe runs close to Stalin and Mao.
Fantastic, MarkN. I knew I could count on you for insightful and thoughtful counterpoint. In defense of my urbane friend, if this is an excuse, is that this slightly (?!) irreverent comment was made after several bottles of wine were consumed (surprise, surprise) and was meant as a 'gotcha, shocker throw-away line. He's a sweetheart, through and through.
Let's not forget that Florida, governed by yet another Bush, Jed (where do they all come from?) gave the first election to W. in the courts. Remember chads and the lawsuits and not knowing who won the election for a few weeks? Gore did, and Rove & Co. finessed it in the courts.
W. is less popular than Nixon right before he would have been impeached, had he not resigned. The American public has had it with this administration, and showed it in the last election. Remember this election (Bush vs. Kerry) was won in the Electoral College?
My home town, St. Paul, MN just hosted the Republican National Convention last month. What a fiasco! Our hockey rink, XCel Center, was fenced in, creating a "security perimeter" right in the heart of St. Paul. What a sight! Police in full riot gear patrolling a fence, and arresting hundreds of protesters for a grand finale (herded 500+ people onto a freeway overpass and arrested them all, including journalists representing ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, NPR, Democracy Now, Amnesty International, etc. etc. etc.) The lawsuits will continue for years.
My favorite e-cartoon of this election is:
"photo of Obama, text Obama/Biden
photo of McCain, text McCain/Palin
painting "The Scream", text None
of the Above, Thank you"
That's the news from the northern center of America, where we are so sick of George W. we'd like to waterboard him, but realize we'd have to live with ourselves the rest of our lives if we resorted to tactics authorized under his administration.
Post a Comment