Catching Up on the Election

I just returned from a two week vacation to Spain where I was on a self-imposed news embargo, especially of the race for president. I spent the better part of the weekend reading blogs, newspapers, magazines, etc. catching up on all the coverage and here's what I've discerned (while I can't take credit for all of these, they accurately describe my observations of the corporate media's coverage of the Presidential race while I was gone):

* If you grow up in Hawaii and are raised by a single Mom and your grandparents, you're "exotic, different " and not a real American.

* Grow up on a number of military bases outside of the United States or in Alaska shooting moose and eating mooseburgers, a quintessential American story.

* If your name is Barack you're a radical, unpatriotic Muslim; name your kids Bristol, Willow, Trig and Track, you're a real American and a maverick.

* If you graduate near the top of your class from Harvard Law School then you are an elitist who's not a real American and certainly not qualified to be President of the United States; finish close to last in your graduating class from the Naval Academy or attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you're well grounded and the most qualified to hold the two highest offices in the U.S.

* If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, become the first black president of the Harvard Law Review, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate's Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran's Affairs committees, you're a not-to-be trusted pointy-headed intellectual and don't have any real leadership experience.

* If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, you're the "real" leader and qualified to become the country's second highest ranking executive.

* If you can look out your window and claim you can see Russia, you're a foreign policy expert; however, if you've served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, traveled the world and actually met foreign heads of state, you're not only an elitist "celebrity" who cannot relate to "real" Americans, but completely unqualified to be president of the United States.

* If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within Protestant churches, you're not a real Christian.

* If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you're a maverick and someone to be looked up to as promoting Christian values.

* If you teach children about sexual predators, you are irresponsible and eroding the fiber of society but if while Mayor of your small town, you charge rape victims for rape kits you are to be applauded for your leadership.

* If, while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state's school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant, you're very responsible.

* If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family's values don't represent America's ; however if you can't remember how many houses you own, your wife is one of the richest people in America who inherited her money and wears dresses every day that cost several hundred thousand dollars, the two of you have more in common with and can relate better to "real" Americans than the snooty Harvard Law graduates who paid their own way through college and law school.

* If your husband is nicknamed "First Dude," with at least one DWI conviction and no college education, who didn't register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that hates America and advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA, your family is extremely admirable.

* If you repeatedly lie about your own record and that of your opponent while your opponent refuses to make up lies about you, you're a maverick who is to be admired while your opponent is a weird, out of touch elitist.

I hope on November 4, Americans are not as stupid as the McCain campaign and the cynical corporate media apparently believe they are.

Comments

[Missmn]

Wow. Nice job. I feel like I've been crushed by a load of bricks, but nice job.

[sposton]

Republicans are doing everything to delay the worst of the economic meltdown until November 4th. They let Lehman go because they did not wish to give Obama camp and charge of "capital socialism". That might help McCain but if he loses, they will hang the whole upcoming meltdown on Obama administration. I am beginning to think that some establishment republicans do not wish for McCain to win because that might mean the end of the Republican party as we know it (party in service of big bucks). Just imagine a perception of 12 years of continuous mismanagement! It might send republicans into the desert for decades.

[BethStuart]

The bill for ignorance is coming due. Our "allies" in Pakistan are shooting at us and the our economy is headed south. It remains to be seen how much longer people will worship ignorance.

[zkn0120]

SO HEARTBREAKING BUT TRUE. I STILL CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY MORE PEOPLE ARE NOT OUTRAGED.

[sharpstyx]

Very well written but unlike the republicans we need to get the facts right. Cindys dress didnt cost several hundred thousand dollars, its was like 3000$ her earringson the other hand cost somewhere around 280000$, while this doesnt really change the tone of the argument, we know how those pesky republicans like to get their facts straight.

[jacqmac]

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense, a THEFT from those who hunger adn are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed." DWIGHT DAVID EISENHOWER PRESIDENT, GENERAL, WAR HERO, President of COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (not necessarily in that order)

Election 1932: "A chicken in every pot."
Election 2008: " An OIL RIG or nuclear power plant in EVERY backyard."

[goldiekins]

What a great essay. Thank you for it. Try to get it out there for everyone to read. Outstanding!

[airhead-not]

Brilliant - well articulated. When the world looks up to us as leaders and innovators (at least they used to) I cannot imagine why in heaven's name we would throw away 200 years of slow but steady progress to put a bunch of repub idots in the most powerful seats of govt. We have either lost our brains or it has become mush after 8 years of bush. The only way to redeem who we used to be is to elect Obama-Biden.

[3rdCitizen]

I believe that Sarah Palin was a sports reporter on an Anchorage tv station, not the weather person. (Just to be fair since that lends her resume to be VP much more gravitas.)

[jmbates]

Well put! I wish everyone would see this.

But why, why, is it that we are in the condition so well-described here?

[Dap]

)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) BINGO ((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

[MajMike]

I've been to 51 countries on 4 continents, and they only tried to kill me in three of them (Purple Heart, Retired USAF Major). I have an MBA and many years of additional education including national security and national defense (Pentagon years), I've read thousands of books on hundreds of subjects, and I know enough to surround myself with people even smarter than myself (Mensa member). Even with all this I wonder if I could be VP, but this woman is sure she's ready to even be Pres. if necessary (1 in 4 odds first term).

This combination of arrogance and naivete in a person seeking the most powerful position in the world scares the hell out of me in a way combat never did.

[sue zf]

If your wife makes a statement that 'for the first time she is proud of her country' she is unpatriot ic and therefore your patriotism is questioned. If your husband was a dues-paying, card-carrying, meeting- attending member of an anti-American organization that wants your state to secede from the union, but you wear a big flag pin, then all is good.

[michiganvoter]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[PumaAnn]

I hope people base their decisions on the obvious actions and accomplishments.