We're Gonna Frickin' Lose this Thing

"Stop saying that!" my wife says to me. But this is not a high school football game and I'm not a cheerleader with a bad attitude. This is an election and as things stand now, we're gonna frickin' lose this thing. Obama and McCain at best are even in the polls nationally and in a recent Gallup poll McCain is ahead by four points.

Something is not right. We have a terrific candidate and a terrific VP candidate. We're coming off the worst eight years in our country's history. Six of those eight years the Congress, White House and even the Supreme Court were controlled by the Republicans and the last two years the R's have filibustered like tantrum throwing 4-year-olds, yet we're going to elect a Republican who voted with that leadership 90% of the time and a former sportscaster who wants to teach Adam and Eve as science? That's not odd as a difference of opinion, that's logically and mathematically queer.

It reminds me of playing blackjack (a losers game). You make all the right moves, play the right hands but basically the House always wins. I know what you're going to say " But I won twelve hundred dollars last year in Atlantic City!" Of course there are victories. The odds aren't tilted crazy, but there is a 51%-49% advantage. And in the long run, the house has to win. The house will win.

So what is this house advantage the Republicans have? It's the press. There is no more fourth estate. Wait, hold on...I'm not going down some esoteric path with theories on the deregulation of the media and corporate bias and CNN versus Fox...I mean it: there is no more functioning press in this country. And without a real press the corporate and religious Republicans can lie all they want and get away with it. And that's the 51% advantage.

Think this is some opinion being wryly posited to titillate other bloggers and inspire dialogue with Tucker Carlson or Gore Vidal? Fuck that. Four corporations own all the TV channels. All of them. If they don't get ratings they get canceled or fired. All news is about sex, blame and anger, and fear. Exposing lies about amounts of money taken from lobbyists and votes cast for the agenda of the last eight years does not rate. The end.

So one side can lie and get away with it. Now let's throw in one more advantage. Voter caging and other corruption on the local level with voting. Check out the article here on HuffPost about Ohio messing with 600K voters. If only five thousand of those voters don't or can't vote that's a huge advantage in a contest that could be decided by literally dozens of votes. That takes us to about a 52 to 48% advantage.

I'm not even getting into the fact that the religious right teaches closed mindedness so it's almost impossible to gain new voters from their pool because people who disagree with them are agents of the devil. I just want to look at two inarguable realities: A) we have no more press and B) the Repubs are screwing with the voters on the local level.

I'm telling you, we're going to lose this thing. And afterwords we'll blame ourselves the same way we did with Gore and Kerry (two candidates a thousand times more qualified to lead than W Bush.) Just watch.. McCain wins by a point or two and we all walk around saying things like "Obama was too well spoken." "Biden wasn't lovable enough." "I shouldn't have split those eights." "Why did I hit on 16? Why?!"

So what do we do?

1) We give definitive clear speeches like Biden and Obama gave the other day about how no one talked about any issues at the Republican Convention and how they outright lied. But we do them over and over again. 2) We use the one place where it's still a 50-50 game -- the internet -- as much as we can. 3) But most importantly we should bring up re-regulating the media and who owns it and what that conflict of interest is a lot more. By pretending there's no conflict of interest we're failing to alert the public that they're being lied to or given a looking at a coin at the bottom of a pool slanted truth. Every time a pundit or elected official is on any TV news program it should be a polite formality to mention that GE has made such and such billions off the war in Iraq by selling arms or that Murdoch is a right-wing activist with a clear stake in who wins and who taxes his profits the least. Disney, GE, Viacom, and Murdoch -- all want profits and the candidate and agenda that will get in their way the least.

Obama and Biden should also create a "master sound bite sentence" and repeat it hundreds of times. It should be so true that even the corporations can't screw with it when it makes the airwaves. Here's my attempt: "Katrina, four dollar gas, a trillion dollar war, rising unemployment, deregulated housing market, global warming...no more."

This race should be about whether the Republican Party is going to be dismantled or not after the borderline treason of the past eight years. But instead it is about making the word "community organizer" a dirty word and a beauty queen who shoots foxes from a plane. Someone is not in any way doing their job and it's the press. Or more specifically, that job no longer exists.

Probably the worst offenders are the pundits who take the position that it's all just a game and say phrases like "getting a post-convention bump" or "playing to the soccer Moms." This isn't a game of Monopoly or Survivor. There are real truths that exist outside of the spin they are given and have an effect on lives. 250,000 Iraqi civilians are dead because we let our reality be distorted by the most effective propaganda machine in fifty years, the corporate American press. Money and jobs are flying out of this country as our currency becomes worthless and we're talking about the fact that McCain is a veteran. If someone busted into your house and robbed you would you then forgive them if you found out they were a veteran? Of course not. So why are we forgiving McCain for selling out his country by supporting the Bush agenda?

This is it folks. If McCain takes power we fade and become Australia in the seventies: a backwoods country with occasional flashes of relevance. Except we've got a way bigger military and we're angrier. People will get hurt and we'll pay the bill for the bullets. I'm telling you, unless we wake up, we're gonna lose this frickin' thing.

Comments

[alicemartin4]

Why is everyone so up set? We all know that none of us know who is leading in the polls since they do not contact cell phone users without land lines. It is so misleading when the polls do not include most Obama supporters in the polls and they never tell you this. Why? Stop and think Registrations for Democrats has gone up in most places and the the Republican registration has gone down and these people are not contacted because they are mostly new voters. Is this for ratings. I am so sick of hearing all the time, why is Obama head by more or what is he doing wrong, etc. They need to tell us that they really do not know because they cannot contact the cell phone users and they don't include new voters .

[mike53]

I have heard that argument before. Whatever the real numbers are something is changing. The trend is against Obama. It started even before Palin came along. The latest poll out of Minnesota today has the race dead even. Thats a drop for Obama by about 12 points in a month. The interesting thing is, Palin was almost nil as a factor. That surprised even me.

[dawn2dusk]

Here's my theory of why McCain may be leading in the polls:

Palin has engergized the republican base, so they are answering the pollsters phone calls more readily, I have stopped answering, I'm polled out.

I went out in front of Wal-mart yesterday and registered over 21 voters. I can assure you that the majority of them will vote democrat and they will not be getting any calls from pollsters.

So the number of engaged republicans is rising, but so is the number of newly registered democrats who IMO are likely not being polled.

Did anyone see the Alaska women against Palin rally? record breaking crowds? will Alaska really be red?

As soon as you begin to fall into that loser mentality, turn off the computer and the tv and go register voters. Reagan/Cli­nton/Carte­r were all behind in the polls but won right?

Get a grip!!! Or we'll beat ourselves

[lennix]

what we are doing is what the gop always do scare the hell out of us and we fall for it every time stop being a bunch of cowards and lets fight we don't win becuase we give up like punks stop this madness and lets win please don't let them keep laughing at us damn get a back bone you are the kind of dems who likes lossing stop this bs

[dawn2dusk]

that's I'm talkin' bout

[Kassandra]

Well, after hearing Amy Goodman on Air America telling that the RNC now has their own militia, yeah, I'm a bit frightened. Prolly Blackwater guys. She's still under charges for trying to film the demonstrat­ions......­..

[GrafZeppelin127]

I never thought I would say this, and I haven't felt this way until now, but I'm afraid Mr. McKay is right. We ARE going to lose this thing. John S. McCain will be the 44th President of the United States.

There is no logic, reason or common sense by which McCain should be leading this race. Obama should be winning by a broad margin. But he is not, and he will not win.

Mr. McCain will win for one simple reason: as Mr. McKay points out, "the corporate and religious Republicans can lie all they want and get away with it." For two weeks Mr. McCain and Mrs. Palin have told, repeated, advertised and disseminated grotesque lie after grotesque lie; at the convention, in stump speeches, in TV ads. Had any Democratic candidate even approached the level of perfidy displayed by the McCain campaign, he would not only lose but would probably have to drop out of the race.

Not only is McCain winning, but he is winning in a year that should be a landslide for the Democrats. Not only have he and Palin gotten away with the lies, they will continue to get away with the lies and they will win because of the lies. The ultimate irony will be that McCain's selection of Mrs. Palin, which by any reasonable measure should have sunk his candidacy, will ultimately be the reason he wins.

Nov. 4 will be a sad day for me, and for America.

[freedog]

You are missing the point and again, demeaning the intelligence of your fellow American. The problem is not as much George Bush as it is Congress as a whole and the current Pelosi led congress. You know the one with an approval rating of 9% and the one that was just voted as the most ineffective congress in US history.

The average joe and jane understand that until we reform congress, ineffecient management of agencies, overspending, wasteful earmarks, poor oversight, then it really doesn't matter who's President. To add to that, Obama promises big government which will only weaken the dollar.

Enter the Palin factor, say what you want, discredit her but the fact that she is fearless and has taken on and reformed Alaska government screams much louder than any attack from the left.

The fact that she is teamed up with a guy who has waited 30 years to get his hands on the reform wheel creates hope for the average American (between the left and east coast's).

How could you possibly put Howard Dean in charge of your party, punish states you need to win during the primaries, not pick Hillary...­CHECK and MATE with her on the ticket. That along with the "cling to your guns and bibles' statement has put the final stake in the heart of the Democrats hopes. McCain/ Palin has not won this election, the Dem's pettiness and immature dysfunction has lost it.



You ha

[dudervision]

Then why don't all of you whining about how we are going to lose just move to Canada...L­OSER!

That's a big problem with Democrats. We get scared and GIVE UP!

I, and any real Democract, are NOT going to give up.

QUITTERS NEVER WIN AND WINNERS NEVER QUIT!

OBAMA/BIDEN 08

[Ham1]

Knock it off. This is a life and death election and there is no question it is important. Americans have lost jobs, bank accounts, homes, opportunity, and their lives in an illegal war. What more do you need to know about what the Republican party: Bush, Rove, Chaney, McCain and yes, Palin have done to screw everything we have learned to be right and just. Get over it and start kicking ASS.

It is a life and death vote with all the issues the Republicans don't want us to talk about and which they make sure are sucked off the front page should be our focus.

If you are an American who loves this country vote to save it!!!

[doza]

YES!

[spqesq]

Your ideas are sound but the second part of your premise (caging, etc.) should be addressed the following way. Voter fraud, tampering should be a mandatory 20-year prison sentence. This used to be THE democracy that the world looked to. In my lifetime, it's become a farce. A shell of its former self. Jail for voter fraud, tampering. That's my big idea.

[Kirk59]

Here is my big idea. Let's defuse these culture wars by overturing Roe- v Wade, prayer in school, and all of those other flame-out issues. Let the red states live in the Dark Ages if they choose to. We can no longer afford to protect the minority opinion in those states at such great expense.Bl­ue state folks can go recieve a secular education, and prepare them selves to do business with the world. Red state folks can pray to Jesus, shoot critters, make babies, and brainwash their children. Just don't ask the wealthy, educated, prosperous states to pay for your ignorance.

[Kassandra]

So, another civil war?

[bygollymissmolly]

It is NOT "voter fraud", it is "election fraud". Voter fraud is when a voter votes and is not entitled to vote. It is election fraud when one party tampers with voting machines, cages and disenfranchises voters.

[janfin]

I am so afraid that Adam is right, and while I'm not a praying person, in my own way I pray that he is wrong. I hope America will wake up before it is too late.

[circusfifthfloor]

Adam,
That was dead-on. And your supporting reasons are excellent. I have tried for two weeks to convince the DNC to run a thirty second ad that hits home, and quite hard. But NOOOO. They're sitting around designing cute little T shirts to sell for donations. Money is important, but if it goes to silly slogans...­..they will be silly LOSERS again. If independents find the dems too weak to play gutter-ball, it's over. Ask McCain why he would secretly use LIttle karl for his campaign, on national television ,after he ran the push polls regarding his own daughter, in 2000. CFF

[provgrays]

The last eight years wasn't borderline treason. It was actual treason.

I'm worried too, but your arguement is based on emotion and little else. The real problem is the media. They are absolutely obsessed with Sarah Palin and they refuse to give voters an objective picture of the presidential race overall.

Polls are one thing. Turnout is something else. This McCain campaign is the most cynical in history. They have convinced voters that it is sexist to challenge Palin on her record, or lack of same. Why aren't more women angry at this condescending approach?

About half the country is stupid enough to be manipulated. If McCain wins, it will be the final proof that American people are not fit to govern themselves by making responsible and cleared eyed choices at the ballot box.

For you trolls out there, McCain and Palin are slinging mud and lying instead of addressing historic issues. That is indefensible, no matter how red your Red State is.

[Miket53]

Do you liberals ever see that there are a ton of people in this country(more than 50%) who like the McCain message...­agree with it...and want more conservative values? I read many posts at Huff and there is always a ton of the "Rs" tricking or lying to us. But you libs seem unable to accept we like what they say. Not trickery..­.just a great message.
Mike

[Dreamers101]

And you refuse or can't see how your conservative values have ruined this country over the last eights years why don't you wake up, I mean you act like the message you are getting has you br'ainwashed!

[Kirk59]

Can't we just cut the Red States loose? This has ceased to be any kind of Democracy when 100's of thousands of votes are supressed. Let them create the kind of theocracy they want. Blue States will be tolerant and pluralisitic. The we can both compete in the global economy independently. Any guesses about the chances for the Red team without California's innovation, Washington (Microsoft, Boeing), New York, Massachusetts (MIT)? The Red Sates would be able to corner the market on mega churches, bait shops, and crystal meth labs.

[irkthesmirk]

While I agree with you that many people actually do "like" the McCain/ Palin ticket, I am just wondering with which of their conservative "values" do you agree? Lying? Voter suppression? Erasing the boundary between church and state? Bombing brown people to steal their oil? BTW, over 50% of the people in this country DO NOT agree with the McCain and/ or conservative message. If they did, you all wouldn't have to engage in underhanded tactics to get into office.

[provgrays]

Miket53,

The message you like so much was stolen from Barack Obama.

"Change".

You Rethugs aren't very good at coherent thought, so could you explain precisely why you like McCain? He has been slinging lies and mud. Aside from that, what do you like about him?

[Kassandra]

IGNORE

[trudem2]

Ignoring what Mike is saying is your doom.

This is also what you did to Hillary supporters­....defame them, kick them to the curb, then ignore them.

How successul was that?

[3rdandBrown]

We are in trouble...­and it's because we didn't select the most electable candidate. Don't get me wrong. I'm voting for Obama. But Hillary would be spanking McSame if she were in the race right now and you all know it.

Dems never pick the right candidate in the primaries.

[2bevrchgn]

yeah but if you think they are attacking obama the repubs would have had a field day for on the both of them......

[2bevrchgn]

Adam i think you should have more faith in your fellow American..­...
Trust me when i say there is an outpouring of young people liek never before who can't imagine the old guy and the beauty queen in office... they really can not relate to them....
at a time when interracial realtionships and friednships are the norm....th­e youth like my 21 year old view things like the repub convention like "who the hell are they representing" not us they are all white.....­the youtube/ myspace genaration is on fire...... my daughter tells me constantly how they talk across the net on the whole elction issue.....­. so i would not be as down about it but would definatley keep doing what we need to do to make this happen...i­f not god help us all....bec­ause the poor with get poorer and the rich will get richer....­...

[okcancel]

We're gonna frickin' lose this thing because Republicans cheat and steal elections, and America is still racist. If Bush could run again he would magically wind up winning a third term.

[Kirk59]

I see now the Palin pick is a (so far) successful attempt to reignite the culture wars. Of the 4 there is now 1 who represents the culturally conservative, narrow minded masses who populate every state with no major urban center. The US is a global joke with our evangelical, anti-science, exceptionalist attitudes.
This is by far the most divided we have been since Vietnam. Familes, friends, and co-workers are beginning to see each other as members of opposing tribes. I am beginning to think we should have let the south go instead of waging the Civil War. Maybe we can break off the blue states and form a representative democracy instead of a theocratic plutocracy, which is what we have today.

[Right-turn]

Palin was picked because she is a woman. Believe it or not, this appeals to quite a few women! And since they are 51-52% of the voters, there is some logic here, you must admit. You could of had a female on your ticket, but you chose NOT to. Bad mistake! Of course she will not attract the type of women that use abortion as a method of contraception, but they are just a small minority of female population. Sarah is like the majority of the fly-over country women that respect life and the lives of their children. I know you don't like to hear this, but it is the truth.

[Kirk59]

There are many, many more qualified women in the R party to choose from so your premise is wrong. Since she has no real record, all we have heard for 2 weeks are cultural code words from McCain-land. She was chosen for celebrity appeal (hot), conservative (evangelical) validation, and mainly because she is such an amateur, she will only be window dressing and will never challange any of McCain 's opinions (which he can not tolerate). Our one long term hope is that the demographics of the US favor a move away from white, evangelical hegemony and towards pluralism. People like Palin may try and out-breed the population shift but will fail in the long run. People of color and those with the "wrong" flavor of Christianity can not join the club and will never be welcome. They have only 1 logical home, the D party. Enjoy what is left of your power, it is fading fast, as evidenced by 1/2 the country ready to vote for a black, junior senator, rated the most "liberal" by some hack right wing "think" tank, versus a white, 26 year Washington fixture, celebrity maverick and decorated war hero.

[disgusted48]

Most women aren't comfortable with the abstinence only method of birth control, which did not work out too well for her family, as well as her decision to make rape victims pay one thousand dollars for their own rape kits. If this is what "fly-over country women" want then more power to them.

[mairs]

Why is this blog still at the top of the list? When will it be buried?

[icenzi13]

The sky is falling!!! Come on people. Quit whning and help Obama win by volunteering. Move on.org has a campaign going to get people involved.