Isn’tshelovely!?
26 August 2008
15 Comments
First off, never have I been prouder to be a democrat. And, more importantly, never have I been prouder of this country (a feeling which can only enhanced by Obama’s successful election!)
I watched the opening of the DNC online tonight (without any pundit analysis) and enjoyed every minute.The highlights for me were Ted Kennedy and, of course, Michele Obama. Also, the music was really good this time too! Kennedy always gets to me in a bittersweet way because whenever I see/hear him I think of his brothers and the lost opportunities for our country, such promise cut short.
Michele Obama seems so real to me. The entire family seem genuinely loving and I relate to them like no other political family (i was also raised by a single mom). I am trying to avoid over-genuflection here but I really think our country needs this man and his family. I kept thinking during Michele’s speech, “How could McCain’s wife be as impressive, sincere, understanding and freaking REAL as this woman? How is there any comparison?”
I also reflected, throughout the webcast, on the celebratory aspect of the whole affair- people smiling, waving signs, and hollerin’ for the speakers. I kept wondering how in the world anyone at the Republican Convention could be as enthusiastic!? How could they be hootin and hollerin over the ineptitude of the last 8 years? What in the poopin world do they have to be proud of? I guess they can mention Lincoln and Reagan a few thousand times- that may help, i dont know.
Also, Please explain to me why this race is so close? How in the world could some Americans think of passing on having an INTELLIGENT, young, idealistic, passionate, inspiring leader? How can they pass on someone who could have had a cushy life as a high power lawyer but decided to serve others instead? WHAT THE HELL PEOPLE?!!! Please think about this., You only get one of these chances every so often folks. Are you REALLY going to vote for McCain? Really?
And the BIGGEST freaking puzzle to me is this: How is it that some Hillary supporters consider voting for McCain?!?!? Did they ever LISTEN to the things she said? Do they listen to what McCain says? How does this compute? For the love of GOD, help me get my head around these things!
It’s a mystery to me too. It seems the whole argument for the Republican side against Obama is based on fear as are most big decisions in folks lives.
I unfortunately watched it with all the pundit analysis and I really think sometimes that they are watching and listening to different events in this election than I am. CNN has become skewed towards the right it seems. The majority of their analysis has been bias it seems either one way or the other. Two months ago they were bias towards Obama and now they have swung to the right it seems.
I want to become proud again.
I was riveted. CSPAN was the way to watch it. Zero talking heads and full slate coverage. The music was good. Vets for Lenny Kravitz and all. I am also a product of a single mom.
Gobama
PBS had swell coverage as well with the man Jim Lehrer moderating and David Brooks riding shotgun. A great interview with Jimmy Carter came right before Teddy Kennedy was introduced and there was good insightful coverage from the floor with Judy Woodruff. The News Hour people on PBS are the real deal, I believe.
You had a good question Mark. How can this election be so even?
It really has made me think more and more about there being two Americas.
I had a simple solution to that which I think is almost needed. We split the states in half. Right down the center.
If you want universal health care go to the Westcoast.
If you want business as usual stay on the Eastcoast.
I’m all for it. This idea came after continually attempting to make my mom think about the issues at risk by electing another Republican. I love her but I can’t change her. I’ll visit on Christmas as my children get the education they need vs. spending billions on a war that can never be won and saying that it’s a victory?
Moderates can have the midwest even. Just an idea.
We live in two Americas, that’s why it’s so close. The concepts and ideas separating us are drastic. I feel that there will never be true bipartisan politics as we disagree so fully on so many core life values.
Which is lame because those “core values” people are so divided on- things like abortion, gay marriage and other “moral values” based things, are not things that effect our quality of life. But the fundamentalists and Karl Roves stoke them up to make them seem like huge issues. It’s the economy (indivisible from the trillions in spending for this war) and things like having health care and having a freaking job that people are really concerned about. But these fake-you-out moral issues are hauled out again and again by ‘conservative’ radicals to sway their base’s deep emotions (read: hate, fear) in order to win elections. Vote to repeal Roe v Wade, get historic tax cuts for corporations and the mega rich. Vote to preserve your definition of marriage and get an un-winable war and an epic national deficit. Vote to keep your semi-automatic rifles and get schools that are crumbling and teachers who are wearing kevlar vests to school.
Obama needs to ratchet up his focus on the real concerns of common people. The economy, ending the war, and fixing the healthcare mess in this country are key. Screw this moral values ruse. If he can mobilize working folks to pay attention to these real things (things a president can actually affect) then hopefully folks with common sense will see that these other so called morals issues are a smokescreen invented to get the anti-government wrecking crew elected for a few more years.
The question is, do average working folks have the common sense anymore, or has it been outstripped by hate and fear?
Okay, I’m going to write some things that I may not even believe, just because they need to be put out there.
I’m going to echo Morrison’s sentiments from an earlier blog when he said Obama is just a man, not a savior. Not only is Obama just a man, but so are all the democrats, unless they are women of course. Also, they are only just politicians, and not only that they are all capitalists. There are not really any large fundamental differences between a democrat and a republican. If Obama is elected there may be some tax cuts for the middle class, but not much, and health care may improve a little bit, but it sure won’t be “universal”. It seems to me that not only are the republicans being sold a bill of goods (see fear), but so are the democrats (see change). Bill Clinton was a really cool guy, but there were still a lot of poor people, and still a lot of people without health insurance, jobs,homes, etc..
Okay let’s say McCain wins and he appoints some conservative judges and they repeal Roe v Wade or they make or keep gay marriage from happening, that doesn’t affect me now, nor will it probably ever. To be totally un-PC the war doesn’t affect most people either, that’s why we’ve all tuned it out.
You want change. You want hope. We’ll never really will have a choice about change until there is a socialist party or a communist party or an anarchist party. Think Henry David Thoreau.
Fear and Change are enemies generally aren’t they.
Doesn’t seem to matter what the circumstances are.
Well, Kurt, I am glad you expressed this because, on my worst days, (or best?)when i am most cynical, i am right there with you. Perhaps its because my wife and i are trying to foster to adopt, i am on a “keep hope alive” stint.
The political process is absolutely a bunch of BS and there are much of my most idealistic self compromising some of those ideals to support any candidate that is “acceptable”. For, example, I think it is ridiculous that a candidate MUST be a christian? What does that matter?
It is interesting viewing the speech by Kucinich today, because he actually fits more of my most idealistic values than Obama. But he does not meet the charismatic requirements i guess. whatever!
ANyway, he was fired up today, saying wake up america! And so i try to remember that even tho there are so many things that Dems and repubs are carbon copies of each other i know that if Gore was in the w.h in 2001, we would NOT have gone to war in Iraq. If has in the w.h, we would be closer to cleaning up the environment, katrina would have been dealt with competently and humanely…those are HUGE differences.
SO, while i hear ya comrade, I just cant let my cynic take hold, not this year.
Now, the cynic in me wonders if Bush has fucked us over so much that its too late?
“Now, the cynic in me wonders if Bush has fucked us over so much that its too late?”
That’s what I worry about too. I agree. Cynicism this year isn’t going to give me a lick of self-satisfaction. There are a lot of things that Presidents can affect and in this case, as in 2000 and 2004 we find ourselves in a real crossroads with very different futures in store for us depending on things turn out. Maybe back in ‘96 I would have been cynical about how, because its a flawed process nothing really matters, but to have the same outlook this year is beyond foolish. We know the basic realities of the political system. I don’t believe anyone here is subscribing to some unreal expectation. But the decision this year is real.
You can take your cynicism back to the days of $1.49 gasoline and Soundgarden.
Fear and change are the same thing when they are both used as a means to get elected.
I’m with you guys on the Bush bashing. I don’t think, like Mark said, Katrina could have been any worse. But that wasn’t because of his political ideology, Katrina was screwed up because of the idiots, especially Bush, in charge. There’s is really no way of knowing if anyone else (Gore) would have made a huge difference. There are all sorts of socioeconomic as well as racists reasons for what happened in Katrina. It didn’t ALL go sour because of Bush. The people in those areas, especially the poor black people have been ignored for a long time.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is we just don’t have enough choices. I don’t think that makes me a cynic.
Viva la Sweden.
PS are any of you in the upcoming show at MOCA?
echoes the man wants to hear his own voice but gives it to another, elected equality loads of shit no man is a savior, fear vs change the best thing i saw was the protesters say fuck fox news live over over and over and they let it run, the reporter wanted to know what they were protesting and no one wanted to answer, granted live tv can be nervewracking in the middle of a protest march, but we as a nation are a bunch of pussies, plain and simple, yeah we forgot the war the kids the old people most are selfish, and it shows day in and out what the dumb american really wants, there is no said powers that be, we are all sheep with big pussies on our face, so lie down weaklings continue your ignorant bliss killing children with bombs while children here starve fuck bombs fuck the war fuck the reason behind it no president is going to change anything, he is going to be at the helm cleaning up the shitstorm that is coming. america is not going to contnue to get away with being savage and calling foul…
Morrison and Kurt this definitely isn’t a time to be cynical.
Political leaders make real choices that effect each and everyone one of us every day.
There’s way too much at risk this election to think that all politicians are the same. It’s just not that way. These candidates are as different as night and day. I implore you to do some research on the policies that the candidates want to put in place before dismissing it all as business as usual.
McCain even stated he would support legislation to put a draft into action a couple of weeks ago. If that won’t effect you it definitely will effect our children. Too much to scoff at and think it’s all just bull.
Obama might not be Jesus Christ but for pete’s sake who is? He’s 1000 percent better than the alternative.
Change and Fear and all that jazz. Whatever. Keep the same old cynical attitude and don’t complain when things get much much worse.
Obama is so right that change happens from the bottom up. This little old bloggy I believe has had some positive impact on our little local art community. Just by us all having some conversations I feel grounded here and somewhat more at home. And we are making that change. If it’s not us who are going to lead this country out of the dark ages that we’ve been pushed into the last eight years What generation if not ours? My daughters? It’s our obligation to have hope that Obama can make a difference just as it’s our obligation to believe in our fellow man that we all can. If you don’t think that then you are basically hopeless. Have some belief in your fellow man my friends as McCain says.
I believe that you all can do anything you put your minds to. I think we owe the benefit of the doubt to Obama and to each other.
Hey I’m voting for Obama, but all I’m saying is I’d rather vote for a candidate that is not part of the same old capitalists traditions.
My parents are paying over $1,200 a month to aetna for their insurance premiums. That’s more than my mortgage and electric and car insurance put together. I’m almost positive McCain isn’t going to pass legislation that will reduce their premium, but I’m almost certain that Obama isn’t going to do anything to reduce it as much as it should be. If we had another political party we would have more options.
Aside from dictatorships we are the only country in the world that operates under a two party system. There are some third party candidates in states like California and Oregon, but there is no such thing on a nationl scene.
I’m no cynic.
I hear you. Pardon my ire. And yeah, the two party system is holding us back in so many ways. Perhaps whatever new era we’re inheriting will start to show people that.
i am voting for obama too, i just don’t think the savior factor is good for the image, fuck republicans they have ruined us ever since 9/11 with the fear mongering, the democrats fuss and fight over issues that most of us never have to deal with. policy makers for the most part are out of touch, i like what obama has to say but until something is done they are just words. america needs action, from citiizens that believe in this country.
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The alter ego of contemporary art.Chief Contributors Include:
Mark Creegan / Morrison Pierce / James Greene / Akbar Lightning / MonKevtheModern / Byron King (Founder)
A sounding board for developing contemporary art and culture founded in Jacksonville, Florida.