Joe the Intellectual

I am a college educated, white collar worker. I live in a major American city and I love my country. Not that empty-headed, flag-waving, drop a tear during the national anthem love, but the more profound love that is based in the knowledge that, despite the abuses of power to which it often succumbs, Democracy is the one form of government that leads to the greatest good for the greatest number.

I also understand that democracy is a political system and capitalism is an economic system and while they tend to work well together, giving health care to all Americans, or lowering the taxes of less fortunate Americans, doesn't turn us socialist. It turns us compassionate. It turns us American.

I know that John McCain is waging a dishonest, dishonorable campaign, and that his pet demigoguette is not fit to give eye tests at the Anchorage DMV, let alone inherit the Oval Office. She speaks in sound bytes -- talking loud, saying nothing. I take as an intellectual affront the McCain campaign's attempt to trick the public with faux outrage over one fake issue after another. His phony high dudgeon is painfully transparent. But I know that he has no cards left to play, no strategy left to employ other than to fire up the baser emotions of the idiot vote. The morons at his rallies holding Osama Bin Lyin' signs, and shouting "traitor" at the mention of Obama's name, do not understand that the volume of their voices is inversely proportional to the subtlety of their thinking.

But the McCain campaign knows that they only need to fool some of these people some of the time; in fact, just about the amount of time it takes to pull a voting lever. Because these are not people who think or analyze. They are people who demonize. Too stupid to appreciate the confluence of factors that contribute to a political, social, or economic problem, they can be lead by a lone maniac's invective against a personified root cause. They are at home in a black and white world of good guys and bad guys. Angels and devils. Us and them.

But that is not my world. I am too smart to be fooled or frightened into giving you my vote. I will not be lead around by fear or negative emotions. I am liberal. I am smart. I am cultured. And you, Senator McCain are about to feel the righteous indignation of the thinking class.

So fuck you and the MILF.

I am Joe the intellectual.

Comments

[DsolBklyn]

I am Joe the Intellectual!

[wadda]

This summer I thought the election was going to be a no-brainer. On the one hand; an articulate Constitutional scholar; on the other; one who is not.

This type of no-brainer election wasn't what I had in mind.

Vote like your life depends on it.

[sclucie]

Amen. And hope it counts. Call your County Clerk tomorrow and make sure you are registered and that your name and address is correct. Mine was not. I live in a Red State and the address on my voter registration was non-existent.

VOTE EARLY if you can in your state. Tell everyone else you know to vote early as well. Take your ID. Do not wear anything political. AND CHECK YOUR VOTE BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE BOOTH. In some counties, the machines are changing votes to all Republican. Do not take any chances.

And get every college student who is eligible to vote out there too.

[kjstjohn]

Below is a link to a very interesting Salon article about how intellectuals and non-intellectual form and maintain political thoughts.

http://www.salon.com/env/mind_reader/2008/09/22/voter_choice/

[Salome]

YEAH! Great post!

[BryantG]

Well said.

[rpr]

Ts, ts, ts, how un-PC! You must be anti-American!
Too bad that the people you're writing about will never read it.

[JustLynn]

AND...I am a 47 year old whi*te divorced female with 4 grown children and a Master*s degree, and I too am Joe The Intellectual....or Josephine if you prefer...lol

[lecraftygirl]

great post. i concur 100%. i too, am Joe the intellectual.

Obama/Biden '08 & '12

[BCubedReg]

Ian, you said...

"But the McCain campaign knows that they only need to fool some of these people some of the time; in fact, just about the amount of time it takes to pull a voting lever. Because these are not people who think or analyze. They are people who demonize. Too stupid to appreciate the confluence of factors that contribute to a political, social, or economic problem, they can be lead by a lone maniac's invective against a personified root cause."
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I agree. McCain's only hope is counting on the people that are too stupid to know they're stupid. It is a shame they are not too stupid to remember when and where to vote.

[suzifla]

Beautifully written--well, of course, you're a writer! You've said what I feel. Though not all McCain supporters are stupid, most of the ones I know who aren't ARE selfish, or are single-issue voters (abortion, gay marriage, yada yada). My husband spoke to an acquaintance who told him she loves Sarah Palin because "she's a mother." I told him he should have said, "Well, Obama's a father." WTF?? how can anyone be that deluded?

[IndependentAllways]

Well said!

[Gidster]

I am Joe the Intellectual!!!!!

Excellent post. The right is misinterpreting our righteous indignation for hate speech!

[hardesty]

You're preaching to the choir here. My biggest fear after August 29 was the eventual dumbing-down of America if people were so stupid as to elect McCain-Palin. If you haven't seen the movie "Idiocracy", watch it. It is supposed to be a comedy but don't be fooled, it's a horror film. Eight years with an ignoramus in the White House is more than enough. Sign me, "Jill"-the­-Intellect­ual.

[igurvitz]

I have seen Idiocracy and loved it. It is a comedy. And a horror film. And, in some cases, a documentary.

[NorthCoastChick]

Ian

I am a Middle-Aged, Middle-Class, College Educated, Professional, African American Female and I am "Joe The Intellectual" too.

Well said my fellow "Joe".

[CoachJM]

Ian, Though I think "quality" would have been more apt than "subtlety", other than that, I wholeheartedly concur with your comments. Tp paraphrase Spartacus' buddies, "I am Joe the intellectual".

Well said.

JM