The final days of the 2008 election

[gambit]

Hey remember the whole Joe the Plumber bit? Now, the McCain campaign is getting alliterative!

“Whether you are Susie the Student or Nancy the Nurse, Tina the Teacher, or Carl the Construction Worker -- if my opponent is elected, you will be worse off four years from now than you are today,” [McCain spokesman Tucker Bounds] said.

EDIT: I read this wrong. It wasn't McCain's spokesman who said it, but Obama himself said it to mock the whole Name + Occupation gimmick.

What about Bob the Builder, Wilt the Window Washer, Phil the Phlembologist, Sally the Stripper, Harry the Homeless Person, Steve the Spelunker, Tom the Taxidermist, Pete the Pedicurist, Mary the Manicurist, Rick the Referee, Billy the Bartender, Pedro the Pet Groomer, Gary the Garbage Collector, Daryl the Delivery Man, Tim the Toy Collector, and Gloria the Grave Digger? What about them?????

[stimpee]

Originally Posted by gambit

What about Bob the Builder, Wilt the Window Washer, Phil the Phlembologist, Sally the Stripper, Harry the Homeless Person, Steve the Spelunker, Tom the Taxidermist, Pete the Pedicurist, Mary the Manicurist, Rick the Referee, Billy the Bartender, Pedro the Pet Groomer, Gary the Garbage Collector, Daryl the Delivery Man, Tim the Toy Collector, and Gloria the Grave Digger? What about them?????

You forgot Postman Pat.

[matt]

Originally Posted by gambit

What about Bob the Builder?

Well Bob's about to go to Number 1 in the UK charts with his comeback single Big Fish, Little Fish, Cardboard Box.

[King of Snake]

ok so Obama is up in all the polls. It looks like a done deal doesn't it?
Thing is that in a lot of states the race is close. Close enough maybe to be swayed to the republicans by, let's say, "influencing" the vote?

oh yeah and also:

[Deckard]

Just watched some of the joint campaign appearance with Bill Clinton and Obama. Paraphrasing Obama: "For the remaining 5 days, we need to WORK like our liiiiiiives de-PEND-ed on it" - delivered in that soaring tone that he does so well, while 'CHANGE' banners filled every corner of the screen.

At that very moment, what struck me again was probably what's struck all of us here at various times over the last few months, though we've not really touched on it that much - and that is, how cynically we'll all be viewing moments like this in a few years time when Obama has had some years in the White House - obviously assuming the election swings that way, and that no loonies decide to cut it short.

This whole Obama movement (and to many it does resemble a movement rather than a campaign) is carrying with it a truly ridiculous weight of expectation.

That's not to say he's not one of the most remarkable and talented presidential candidates to come along in recent times (certainly I think in my life time) or that the Obama/Biden v McCain/Palin choice isn't a no-brainer. He's an exciting candidate, and the excitement he generates is entirely understandable, particularly at this point in time.

But, DAMN, we're all going to cringe when we look at how we felt, spoke and acted back in 2008.... before he got elected, and went and..................

????
????
????

Maybe it's just the memories of my country circa 1997, the New Labour 'movement' (nowadays that word would be applied to them in a very different way) led by the more photogenic, relatively youthful and easy-mannered Tony Blair and the campaign song "Things can only get better" signifying the end of Major and Thatcher's Tory rule, the nasty party, which remained in the political wilderness for a decade until it learned that it had to appeal to the centre ground once again.

Anyway, sod it. For now, I'm not going to resist - I'm going to enjoy the last 5 days, and let myself get caught up in it all.

After all, it's still possible that McCain/Palin could win this thing.....

[Sean]

Personally, I'm not expecting miracles. I simply feel like we're at a point in history where we basically need to make a conscious decision which way we want the U.S. to evolve. On the one hand, we can choose to continue down a similar path to what we're already on, maintaining our tough, aggressive military approach to internatinal relations, putting heavy focus on drilling for more oil in and around our own country, continuing to support an economic system that puts opportunity and control primarily into the hands of the wealthy in the hope that it will trickle down, and frankly, making decisions based on instincts such as fear and distrust. Or, we can try to reshape our approach to international relations by focusing more squarely on tough, aggressive diplomacy, on developing renewable energy sources as a foundation for our economic and environmental future, supporting an economic system that puts opportunity and control primarily into the hands of the middle class in the hope that it will trickle up, and making decisions based on reason and cooperation.

I really tried to present this choice as I see it when you peel away the rhetoric. Who knows how successful either party will be if they win the election, but the ideological choice is all we can make our decision on at this particular moment. Once the election is over, it'll just be up to us to hold the winner accountable.

[Deckard]

Sure, I don't dispute this at all, I think the decision itself should be pretty obvious in that respect when we look at the factors you listed.

What I was talking about though was more the level of excitement that has undoubtedly been generated throughout the world. Certainly the enthusiasm I've felt for Obama to be elected this year has led me to occasionally keep reminding myself that this is a politician!

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Deckard

Sure, I don't dispute this at all, I think the decision itself should be pretty obvious in that respect when we look at the factors you listed.

What I was talking about though was more the level of excitement that has undoubtedly been generated throughout the world. Certainly the enthusiasm I've felt for Obama to be elected this year has led me to occasionally keep reminding myself that this is a politician!

I know what you mean. I admit that I do personally expect more from Obama than I would from your typical Presidential candidate, which is why I've said that this year is the first time I've actually felt enthusiastic about voting whereas I usually feel like I'm just voting for whoever I think might be less bad for us.

And I expect more because, as evidenced by his current , I believe that Obama's policies and overall philosophies are based squarely on what he's learned from his experiences as a community organizer. His entire platform rests on the idea that the country's problems can be most effectively approached through a fundamental shift to a ground-up approach, where government encourages and rewards community service, as opposed to the trickle-down approach that McCain is proposing we continue. If you're willing to do your part to help make your community, local or national, better through things like military service, joining the Peace Corps, or volunteering at a soup kitchen, then you'll receive extra help from the government towards your own goals. That's the engine that's meant to drive his administration, and I believe that every policy plan he's presented is effectively structured to make it run properly. This strikes me as genuine because community organizing is an extremely selfless and honest endeavor, and involves people in situations that do genuinely shape their beliefs and passions on a fundamental level. And it strikes me as effective because it's built on involving people in the fate of their own country in a way Obama has proven he's capable of inspiring through his campaign.

Contrast this with the transparently manipulative strategies we've seen from Republicans in this campaign, and you can see why I've personally come to believe that Obama is approaching his potential Presidency from a more constructive and honest place, and that he'll follow through on his plans more vigorously than a typical politician.

Maybe this is naive of me but in my mind, this argument stands up to logical scrutiny, not just emotional reactions. It's the difference between trying to get in better physical shape through changing your habits to a healthier diet and excercise, as opposed to trying to get in shape through over-the-counter weight-loss pills.

And all we need to do right now is vote.

EDIT - just a note to mention that I'd really like you to see the links I provided here. They're powerful.

[cacophony]

i'm so very tired of this election season so i'm comforting myself with some very stupid meme humor.

"And Mary and Joseph rode their dinosaurs into Bethlehem where a stork was waiting with Baby Jesus who was conceived through abstinence and wishing on a star... and that's how we got Christmas!"
- Sarah Palin

[Sean]

Just got this email here at work, and thought I'd pass on the valuable information it shares in case any other Los Angelinos could benefit:

Below is a message from SPE's Government Affairs department.

Because of some recent press reports on problems in Los Angeles County in distributing mail-in ballots to voters who requested them, as well as expected long lines on Tuesday, November 4 due to the high interest in this election, the Government Affairs department would like you to be aware of the following:

If you are voting by mail, today, Friday, October 31 is the last day to mail in your ballot. After today, ballots should either be hand-delivered to the LA County Registrar’s office at 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650, or completed ballots may be dropped off on election day at any polling place in Los Angeles County.

If you prefer to vote early in-person before election day, you have the option of voting at the LA County Registrar’s headquarters, located at 12400 Imperial Highway, Norwalk, CA 90650. On Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1, the office is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. On Sunday, November 2, the office is open from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

If you are unsure where your polling place is located, you can look it up at www.lavote.net . If for some reason your name is not on the list of voters at your designated polling place but you believe you are registered to vote, you have the right to request a provisional ballot.

As a reminder, voting starts at 7 a.m. and continues through 8 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4. Any voter in line when the polls close at 8 p.m. is allowed to vote.

If you wish to confirm that the LA County Registrar has successfully processed your voter registration, you may do so at www.lavote.net .

If you do not live in Los Angeles County, please visit http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_ppl.htm to find specific information for the California county in which you reside.


And I hear you Cacophony. Having been addicted to it for the past year and a half or so, I'm tired of the election and can't wait for it to be over too. But I figure a few more days of reminding people to vote and being vocal about my opinions is all that's left to do, so why let up now?

But here's a for you that might make it easier...