[tommynomad]

Does anyone else feel that this election is like a massive confrontation against the racism remaining in the US? Maybe this is what we need to move forward a little more in that area.

I think that's the answer that people who say all that crap about Obama need to hear:

"That's no more true than some people asserting that everyone who votes against Obama is doing so because they're stupid and only bigoted against black people. You aren't, are you? You have real, political reasons for voting for McCain, right? Even John McCain says Obama is a decent, hardworking American who just happens to have different ideas from me about governement policy."

It might not change their vote, but it might just shut them up, or dear Maude" make them think!

[jsmith]

People around me are making statements such as "I'm really afraid of what will happen if Obama is elected" "I can't believe people would vote for him, if they knew his background they would think better of it"
These people haven't even been paying attention. They haven't been watching the debates, they haven't been watching the news, they haven't done any research. NOTHING. And yet they're saying these things. It blows my mind. All they're hearing is what other McCain supporters are saying.
On top of that, someone overheard me clearing up the "Obama's a muslim" thing, in which I mentioned his father was muslim and his mother was an atheist (she was, right?), and said something like "now that's really scary. We don't need someone like that in office." WTF? What do his parents' beliefs have to do with it? And what's more, there's nothing wrong with being a muslim or an atheist. Can't convince people around me of that, though. I'll tell you, this is really trying, being around people who think there's something wrong with me simply because of what I believe or don't believe. There is not a single person around me who I can identify with. Maybe I need to move to Austin
And I think I went off topic a bit, lol.
roseviolet: pure, festering hatred is exactly what I'm seeing every time the issue of this election comes up. I'm really starting to feel that Obama will win the race (I may be a bit premature on that, but I'm definitely feeling it), and I'm hoping against hope that this hatred will die out.
Does anyone else feel that this election is like a massive confrontation against the racism remaining in the US? Maybe this is what we need to move forward a little more in that area.

[roseviolet]

Not to worry, Anarch. You honestly did represent a lot of the thoughts I've had. I think the message that has been sent out by the McCain campaign - especially at Palin's rallies and in those fear-mongering robocalls - has been absolutely deplorable and inexcusable. I am heart-sick over the pure, festering hatred that is breeding out there, but I'm even more disgusted that the McCain campaign is milking it. It's disgusting & shameful. I've heard of so so many terrible acts by McCain supporters in recent weeks. Many incidents happened here in my state (the dead bear with the Obama signs around his neck, the cars with Obama stickers that had their tires slashed, protesters at polling places who yell that Obama is a drug addict and a murderer, and even a person running for the House of Representatives who said at a rally that Liberals are Anti-American). I honestly do not believe that the McCain campaign has orchestrated these actions, but I also feel that they're reaping what they've sewn. It's all so overwhelming that the deplorable actions of Ashley Todd are just one more link in the chain. Just another gaffe in a long series of gaffes.

Christ, I am going to be sooooooooo damn glad when this is all over. Something tells me we're going to go through more alcohol than usual in our house during the first week of November.

In happier news, there are a lot of great early-voting stories out there. My experience as an early voter was really wonderful & I plan on doing it from now on. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear, just so happy to be there. Granted, people in NC tend to be pretty friendly as it is, but this was a step beyond that. Everyone was just so cordial and lovely and you could tell that we were all excited to be there. I voted for Obama purely because of his stance on the issues, but I must admit that it was a real thrill to stand in that booth, look at that ballot, and really realize how momentous an occasion this is. I was so so careful when I filled in that oval on my ballot! I was so careful to fill it in completely and not stray outside the line. I wanted there to be no doubt whatsoever who got my vote. As I left, I noticed a young woman posing for a photo, proudly displaying her "I Voted Today" sticker. She looked about 20 years old. I think the woman taking her picture may have been her grandmother. You should have seen the smiles on their faces! It was really beautiful.

[anarch]

roseviolet, I wouldn't hold the McPalin campaign accountable for the bizarro actions of one person either, if they hadn't been egging on xenophobia and bigoted stereotypes at their own rallies and in their own robocalls (not to mention never speaking out against various hateful GOP-sanctioned flyers, mailers, etc) but they have. They're in the highest leadership positions of their party, so their words and conduct set the tone for their followers for what goals are appropriate to shoot for, and which means to reach those goals are acceptable and which are not. They've set their bar so low that they'll need a jackhammer to dig it out. McCain has publicly repudiated the xenophobia once ("Obama's not an Arab" - as if Arabs = indecent), perhaps twice - anybody got other examples?

By contrast, the Obama-Biden campaign's "negativity" consists of attacking McCain on the issues, which is standard. OK, there were some ads attacking McCain for being technologically inept and for being erratic, but anything else aside from that? Certainly nothing that could be seen as stirring up emotions against entire groups of people, unlike "pal'ing around with terrorists" or "worked closely with a domestic terrorist". The most negativity there's been at Obama-Biden rallies has been "Booo!"ing. (I've actually been having to explain to some well-meaning people that "Boo!" is not equivalent in negativity to "Terrorist!") So if there were some isolated incident of an Obama supporter physically attacking a McCain supporter, the Obama campaign has done nothing to make anybody think such behaviour would, or could ever possibly be, justified or tolerated. The McPalin campaign, though? As far as I'm concerned, re Todd, various "Obama hanged in effigy" incidences, the Afr-Am sound guy incurring a "racial epithet," the black bear killed and wrapped in Obama signs, etc... McPalin are reaping what they've sown.

Apologies if I've misinterpreted what you've written. I'm feeling stabby (great word) myself these days, and certainly would regret making you feel stabbier than you already are! I've just had a few too many skirmishes with people who think Obama and McCain are "putting each other down" and think badly of both of them for it. It's frustrating, the idea that I have to explain that Obama's attacks are standard political discourse and McCain's are reprehensible race-baiting plus religious/cultural bigotry (among other distortions and outright lying). I'm practicing, though.

Latest Palin attempt to sound intelligent, humane, and ready to govern:
"The Republican Vice-Presidential candidate gave her first major policy address, and it focused on the issues facing families of children with special needs. . . . We in the disability rights movement have been fighting for decades to be seen and treated as full human beings; we have fought to make people understand that just because we have unconventional bodies, we are essentially—in the things that matter—just like everyone else. Palin, however, pushed the human-interest angle, gushing about how "blessed" families are to have such "special" children. The "Inspirational Gimp" and the "Blessed Gimp" are stereotypes whose time is long gone, thankfully. But Sarah Palin seems determined to resurrect them."

Palin opposes tax to help developmentally disabled

"the candidate for the second highest position in the free world uttered a single phrase today that could utterly destroy the progress of medicine and scientific understanding. . . :

"You've heard about some of these pet projects they really don't make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not." "

(Yeah, the earmark for "fruit flies" and "France" wasn't about autism research, it was about agricultural research into dealing with pests (olive fruit flies) in California, but she hardly differentiates between the two, does she? She just invites her audience to laugh at the ridiculous idea that fruit fly research [cue incredulous laughter] conducted in Paris, France [cue more incredulous laughter] could possibly deserve funding.)

I hope a reporter follows up and gets McPalin to try to defend that statement:

"Research like this, which has kept the GNP up by more than a billion, wouldeven at a tax rate of 1 percent, give the government back at least $10 million in revenue, which seems like a worthwhile investment of around $500 thousand dollars."

Back to feel-good stories:
The Obamas discuss dressing on a budget

photo series of McCain vs Obama post-debate hugs - check out Cindy McCain's expression when she sees that the Obamas are still hugging!

Toilet humour: The Palin Talking Point Generator

Stories about early voting

[jsmith]

Hmph. So much for an across-the-board freeze on spending...

[roseviolet]

Faerietails, I'd heard about the make-up artist, but not about the hairdresser. So they spent $33,000 in 2 weeks just to prettify Palin's head?! Holy crap.

I've read a ton about the Ashley Todd fiasco in the last two days. Personally, I refuse to allow the actions of one, random, nutjob to represent an entire campaign. If her story had been true, I wouldn't have believed that her attacker represented all Obama supporters. Now that we know she made the whole thing up, I don't believe that she represents all McCain supporters. Nevertheless, it's been interesting to see how others have responded to the mess ... especially the Executive Vice President of Fox News (note: he wrote this before Todd admitted to falsifying the attack).

"If the incident turns out to be a hoax, Senator McCain’s quest for the presidency is over, forever linked to race-baiting."

As usual, I don't agree with the guy from Fox News. Honestly, I think Todd is a minor footnote in the history of this campaign. Just another gaffe is a long series of gaffes. If McCain or Palin themselves had tried to pull off this sort of thing, it certainly would have been political suicide. As it is, it's just another stupid person doing stupid things to get attention. Unfortunately, we've got a rather large supply of people like that nowadays.

Don't even get me started on the racial issues involved here. I'm stabby enough as it is. Grrrrrrrrrr. It doesn't help that I just listened to this week's "This American Life" and got to hear about all of the people in Pennsylvania who refuse to vote for Obama just because he's black. It makes me sick to my stomach.

Hey, didn't I already vote? Aren't I supposed to be focusing on the feel-good stories? Here's one for ya: The "Yes We Carve" blog (Obama-themed jack-o-lanterns).

[faerietails]

*smirk*

Who was the highest paid individual in Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign during the first half of October as it headed down the homestretch?

Not Randy Scheunemann, Mr. McCain’s chief foreign policy adviser; not Nicolle Wallace, his senior communications staffer. It was Amy Strozzi, Gov. Sarah Palin’s traveling makeup artist, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night.

Ms. Strozzi, who was nominated for an Emmy award for her makeup work on the television show “So You Think You Can Dance?�, was paid $22,800 for the first two weeks of October alone, according to the records. The campaign categorized Ms. Strozzi’s payment as “Personnel Svc/Equipment.�

In addition, Angela Lew, who is Ms. Palin’s traveling hair stylist, got $10,000 for “Communications Consulting� in the first half of October. [full article at NYT]

not an elitist my ass...

[anarch]

"20 percent of the machines involved in the recounted races lacked paper copies of some of the votes. They weren't lost, technically speaking; Platten could hit "print" and a machine would generate a replacement copy. But she had no way of proving that these replacements were, indeed, what the voters had voted. She could only hope the machines had worked correctly. . . ."

"What's the real point of turning voter-registration shenanigans into"one of the greatest frauds in voter history"? The object here is not criminal indictments. It's to undermine voter confidence in the elections system as a whole. . . . That is the point. It encourages citizens to accede to ever-harsher voter-verification laws—even if they are not needed. It musters support for voter purges that are increasingly draconian. . . ."

Two articles on defending yourself against vote suppression from Jezebel and Yes Magazine

A bit late, but still amusing photoshop image

Also, 82-year-old Helen Philpot is still posting scathingly at maragaretandhelen.com (and she's got stuff at Cafepress now)

[jsmith]

The NYT editorial board is endorsing Obama! Yipee

[girltrouble]

wow... i rate a honey lamb? *blush* i haven't been called that since my first year in high school. and you can ignore everything till the 4th. put your feet up, set a spell

and here is why americans need to fund education at all costs....

[roseviolet]

I voted today! Woo hoo! That means I don't have to watch anymore election coverage, right? Right? Please?

Well, I might continue to pay attention a little bit ... especially the feel-good stuff. For instance, here's a great interview with Barack Obama's sister, Maya. She sounds pretty cool.

I also really enjoyed Barry's recent satellite interview with Ellen DeGeneres. I've never seen a black man do the White Man's Overbite before now. Clearly Michelle is the better dancer. But better than the dancing is (1) a childhood photo of Obama dressed as a pirate for Halloween and (2) hearing what his daughters will be for Halloween this year. It warms the cockles.

[mouse]

i couldn't decide between bringing politics into crimes of fashion, or crimes of fashion into politics, so i'm punishing the both! muahahaha....

anyway, some folks posit that sarah palin's $150K shopping spree was actually absolutely necessary. hee hee....

[roseviolet]

ETA: whew! i was gonna say, rose, what am i, chopped liver?

Honey lamb, you will never be chopped liver to me. Actually, though, my computer was acting funny when I first made that post & it didn't show a lot of responses from earlier in the day. They only popped up a few minutes after I made my post. Maybe Firefox doesn't like my 'puter this week. Crazytown, I tells ya.

Speaking of Crazytown ...

Far too many loonies are getting far too much air time in the media lately. I have seen and heard from so many people who are on the far extremes & who are spewing the most hateful shit (especially the shit about liberals being "Anti-American"). I talked to my mom about this issue this morning (she's a registered Repub) and it's bothering her a lot, too. I will be soooooooooo damn glad when this election is over.

[jsmith]

After that snippet of an interview I saw last night, I'm convinced now more than ever that she doesn't know a thing about national politics. And, she's a bad actress.
Healthcare for 15 people.... spent on clothes.... PATHETIC.

[kari]

Palin - the more I learn about this woman the more I think she's a horrible person. She thinks she's above it all. Can't.Stand.Her.

[girltrouble]

a few of the details on palin's $150,000 clothing spending spree. oh my yes....delicious!


**********************
ok, before i say anything, let me say i am sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo not a tucker carlson fan. watching john stewart cut him to the quick made me orgasmic. i mean, to start out, his name is tucker, for fucksake, but at least he's lost the bow ties.

i say all of this to say i loved reading this post about democrat's pessimism.

*****************

the nyt mag is set to report about the choosing of palin, here is a little snip:

the decision may have been even more impulsive than initially thought. Gov. Sarah Palin, who had never been on the VP shortlist, was advanced at the last minute by Schmidt and Rick Davis, and was picked after a less-than-hour-long chat in with McCain at his ranch in Arizona.

ETA: whew! i was gonna say, rose, what am i, chopped liver?

[pollystyrene]

Joe-the-not-registered-to-vote-Plumber? Yeah, I'll take his opinion into account!

[jsmith]

I saw a snippet of an interview with Palin where she said something along the lines of "thank goodness Joe the Plumber pointed out that Obama's tax plan is pushing socialism"
WOW! THank GAWD we had Joe the Unlicensed-Behind-In-His-Taxes Plumber to tell us what's REALLY going on! That Barak Husain Obama nearly pulled one over on us!
[/scathing sarcasm]

[geekchickknits]

Heheh, I've seen that picture. But I can't make fun of McCain for it. I make insane faces and gestures when I goof up, lol.

I do too! It just makes me giggle - that's all!

[mouse]

let the photoshopping begin