You all knew I'd have something to say on this subject, didn't you....?
Dubya is possibly the lamest duck in the history of the genre. Legless, headless, plucked and gutted, he lies, rotting, while his presidency grinds to a merciful close. And the American people are engaged in the process of choosing his successor.
Four years ago, I firmly believed Americans were facing the most important election in their lives. After four years of goose-stepping nationalism, state-sanctioned racism and payback fever, the 9-11-induced madness appeared to be abating. There was a slim glimmer of hope that we as a nation would come to our senses and reject George W. Bush and everything he stood for.
Or not.
It’s fair to say the Democrats didn’t present us with much alternative. Rather than take a stand and advance a candidate who embodied everything that King George wasn’t, they gambled that Americans would back a Democrat only if he promised do everything Bush was already doing, only better….? So they created "Bushenstein;" I mean, John Kerry. Kerry was easily dispatched by G.O.P. hatchet men back in 2004, perhaps because he was never more than a cardboard collage of a candidate to begin with. My sincere apologies to Mr. Kerry, who, I think, took his candidacy much more seriously than did just about anyone else in the world.
And now, it is 2008. The year for which my sidebar has yearned since shortly after the 2004 election results became final. But I find myself curiously detached from the process, this time around.
First of all, I’m sorely disappointed in the American people. Oh, they’re all for change…now. They see what a mess Bush has gotten us into…finally. They’re crying, screaming, clamoring for a drastic, sweeping leadership transformation…at last. I’m sorry…for me, it’s a case of way too little, far too late.
So, when people tell me this upcoming election promises to be the most exciting in their lives, I just…cringe. And shake my head. I can’t help feeling they showed up four years late for that boat.
We could have made a statement, could have made a difference, in 2004. We could have shown the world what we thought of Bush and his cronies and their power grabbing, world-dominating, civil-rights-stealing ways. We could have served notice that it isn’t all about the money. That the peons of the world do not prosper or starve, live or die, at the will of the rich and powerful.
Instead, we granted the Evil Empire another four years. Four more years to dig deeper into the cookie jar. For more years to hone and polish the art of the spin, the embellishment of the truth, the outright lie. Four more years to brand the values of greed, dishonesty and arrogance indelibly upon of the Spirit of America.
But change is in the wind. It has to be. We won't be allowed to give Bush another four years (thank god.) So we're hopping up and down and clapping our hands at the excitement of it all!
As the Democratic candidates spar and bicker and one-up each other right down to the wire.
And John McCain sits quietly on his nomination, and the Republicans contrive to dial down the rhetoric and bide their time. Hoping that, in doing so, they will morph the GOP into looking like the perfect alternative to…the GOP.
It looks like it could be a very long four more years….
The shrub is not only a lame duck, he can't even do anything to hold the economy semi steady until after the election. God, get it together folks. Bill Clinton won on "it's the economy stupid." A little plagiarism is an ok thing. And I think it was Reagan who ran on "are you better off than you were four years ago?" Well, duh. So the 'pubs should a chance to keep doing what they've done so well.
ReplyDeleteI would so love to knock heads together.
Jackie
Even I, less eloquent than most of this particular subject matter could write a book (at least a chapter) on ... how silly, slow and stupid the American people have become. What is wrong with us that we cannot stand up and make 'them' take notice?
ReplyDeleteToo busy paying off that readily available credit card debt?
Too sick to get out of bed because you don't have health care coverage?
Too broke to get credit cards to create credit card debt?
Too numb to crawl out of bed after a cold and frosty night without oil?
Too empty a gas tank?
Gah. We're all to blame in some way. We should stand up and shout out loud.
Lisa, I can hear you on radio ... or even sitting behind Larry King's desk (without Larry)
You've embodied it. Exactly how I feel. I still don't have anyone I want to vote for.
ReplyDeleteIt just doesn't seem to matter.
Exciting election HA!
Democrats are trying to clone themselves and the republicans are making copies.
Even the candidates are not who they were four years ago.
No one can save us from the mess Bush made....its going to take until the end of my life to clean it up.....and that is only if I live to be 100.