If you read this LJ, you already know that I'm not a big fan of the NeoCons or the modern Republican party. You've probably noticed that I feel McCain has been corrupted by them; whatever honor he once held seems to have faded over the years. He used to be against torture; recently, he aligned with the Bush administration that certain tortures aren't "torture." He used to seem to match his self-annointed "maverick" label; recently, he's been almost 100% in line with the Bushies. And then I learned that his character is repulsive (to his current wife, Cindy: "At least I don't trowel on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt!" or leaving his first wife after saying he was "disgusted by her appearance" or any of his frequent abusiveness against his co-workers).

Anyhow.

Those of you who know me personally are aware that I don't label myself Democrat, even though I usually vote with the Dems; it's just that the Republican party is so backward politically and ethically, and I don't think rich people and major corporations are better than the rest of us, so my politics more closely match the Dems'. In fact, I think the policies that support the rich and non-human entities (corporations) over the middle class are destructive: I dare you to look at what Wall Street and the banking industry have done to the world's economy and tell me that deregulation is a good thing.

If you know me personally, you probably know that I was unsure about Obama during the primaries; I felt he was a fine speaker, but I didn't know what he was all about. I've been planning to vote for him; I've made my little donation and gotten my Obama 08 button, but I wasn't an Obamaian so much as an anti-McCainian and ultra-anti-Palinian.

Well, this video changed all that (it's 31 minutes long and worth it all; if you only have 20 minutes free, you could skip the first 10 if you must). Wowee, does it make me happy to hear him elucidate his platform! Everything he's for, I'm for; everything he's against, I'm against. Plus, y'know, listening to him speak is a joy and an inspiration, something this nation really needs right now. His calls for everyone to be responsible for helping themselves and helping save the world? Truly moving.

Obama's my man! If you agree with his platform, be sure to vote next week. The video:

Best,
Chris
Tags:

From: [identity profile] terriblyfamous.livejournal.com


i'm so glad to hear he's won you over! you're the kind of voter that a truly inspired/inspiring candidate hopes to convince -- someone who's actually thinking.

ps you hit it on the head with policies that protect "non-human entities" being, you know, bad and all that.

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


I've been disappointed with the two-party system we have in this country. I mean, the Independent party (seriously? that's their name?) is mostly wackos; the Greens can't muster a national-election organization greater than some Montana State Legislature Republican candidate could do; and the others are hardly worth mentioning. I mean, the Ralph Nader party is bigger than the "organized" third parties in this country. It's embarrassing. So we only get two choices, which means that they're diametrically opposed to most of one another's policies. Handily, the Dems are mostly right ;-)

I wrote an essay after seeing "Bowling for Columbine"; it's entitled, "Don't Fear the Terminator: Non-Human Entities are Already Our Masters." Check it out and let me know what you think.

Chris

From: (Anonymous)


what an interesting thought -- that the first non-human entity to make slaves of us will not be a fancy self-aware computer program, but a fortune 500! and in fact, it's already happened!

a very intriguing essay. and by the way, good call about the iraq war happening regardless of the outcome of the so-called "weapons inspections."

also -- the two-party system that you correctly disparage is an outgrowth of our electoral process. every single election in this country has a built-in loser, and only one winner. if only we could have proportional representation in our legislative houses!

From: [identity profile] terriblyfamous.livejournal.com


sorry, that was me -- didn't realize i wasn't logged in.

From: [identity profile] royal-spice.livejournal.com


I watched this last night too--it was nothing short of amazing. I have never seen a candidate explain so clearly a platform, and I have never aligned so much with a presidential candidate's views.

My vote for Obama will also be truly a vote for Obama, not for "Not-McCain". Also, this is the first election in which I haven't seriously considered a 3rd party candidate.

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


Absolutely! Until very recently, I had only small intimations as to Obama policy. The presidential debates helped, but those were still pretty content-thin.

This speech lays it all out there. Hooray!

PS: I'm a little scared to consider WWKD....

From: [identity profile] royal-spice.livejournal.com


Easy--she'd wipe us all off the earth and start over. Or, maybe she'd just wipe out the Republicans. Who knows? Good thing she doesn't have enough worshippers currently to muster that kind of maelstrom....*cackles*

From: [identity profile] amysisson.livejournal.com


I'm completely with you and have in fact been donating to Obama's campaign since before the primaries. Just curious about a point in your post -- has it actually been documented that McCain said those things to his former and current wives? I mean, I dislike the man (actually, I'm more sad and disappointed than angry, in many ways -- no, take that back, I'm seriously angry he chose the uber-unqualified Palin as running mate), but I have trouble believing he actually said those things.

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


Yeah, it was in front of reporters and everything. If you do a quick Google search with [McCain trollop cunt], you'll find all kinds of reportage.

"Trollop." I love that one. WTF?

From: [identity profile] siro-gravity.livejournal.com


i gotta say, i've never had the doubts you've had. a friend of mine sent me a youtube of him well over a year and a half ago and asked me what i thought of "this barack obama guy."

i was sold on the spot.

for many years -since i've registered to vote- this is the ONLY candidate i have ever gotten behind. i have always voted for the lesser of 2 evils 'til now.

i love his message, his delivery, his apparent humility and decency as a person. i believe that he can work within the global community. and i right now, i really think that he is the real deal, and that what colin powell believes of him is true -that he is a transformative figure, and the only one of my generation that i will get to see.

i am scared he'll lose. and to be honest, i'm scared he'll win and charade will stop. the rest of these guys have all been such shysters. anyhow.
my 2 pennies.
:)

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


Oh, I felt exactly as you did about Obama, but I'm an issues kind of voter, and I wasn't hearing anything clear and concise before now.

So he's the guy with everything to me now. Thus I'm totally behind him - to the point where I have a silly Obama 08 button on my jacket and everything! I've never done that before.

From: [identity profile] nottygypsy.livejournal.com


I voted for him today. I saw the video last night before the World Series, but didn't get to pay attention since I was at the Legion. I will watch your vid post when I get home tonight. Thanks.

From: [identity profile] rougewench.livejournal.com


This speech is very similar to the one he gave when he was in Kansas City. It is obvious that the man is truly exhausting himself when you hear him speak at this point.

Ultimately, he is making sense, he is speaking as sincerely as is possible for a politician to do. I will cast my vote on Tuesday for him proudly (as I can't do so any sooner).

May this country manage to be bright enough to elect him. May we be bright enough to elect a clear majority in the Congress so he has a hope of reversing a great deal of the damage done by what has happened in the last 8 years. May we keep him alive, and may he be able to do even a quarter of what he would like to do for this country.


D.

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


Oh, yeah; I noticed that, after he was done speaking, he was just empty. This tells me that he really means it.

I agree that he's also a politician, and they say what they need to say, but this speech is not just pandering; this feel like the real thing, especially with the call for Americans to do their part. That's the opposite of telling the sheep that the shepherd will take care of everything.

Finally, hear, hear about your last bit.

From: [identity profile] cmt2779.livejournal.com


Yeah, this is a wonderful video. It made me cry. It's so hopeful for what kinds of things we can change with a better class of leader, but Obama also recognizes that this won't be immediate and that it won't be easy.

I keep saying that even if Obama is unable to push through a lot of the policy changes he has campaigned on (because ultimately it's not just up to him), at the very least this country will have a leader who is smart, calm, and capable of making decisions that benefit more than just his buddies. As a nation and a culture, we need to rethink what it means to elect someone, what reasons we should have for electing someone, and I think that Obama will accomplish that.

From: [identity profile] mckitterick.livejournal.com


I know! I was all teary-eyed through the last half!

I truly, massively hope we get at least what you suggest. It sucks that he'll be inheriting the Bushite mess, but at least he'll help us believe something can be done about it as we muddle through. Hope is exactly the right message at this point in our history.

From: [identity profile] dichroic.livejournal.com


I would have liked a little more about how it's all paid for. In some places he said it explicitly (paying for tax cuts on the poor with tax rises on the rich - and I'd never heard before that those were only to pre-existing levels!). In other places it was self-evident - tax breaks to companies that create US jobs and to start-ups ought to pay for themselves over time. There were others I'd like to hear more about paying the bill for. Mind, I think they're all the right things to put money into - instrastructure, college in exchange for service, alternative energy - I'd just like more detail.

I am surprised to hear you as a teacher say that "being exhausted at the end of every speech shows he really means it." Maybe it's different when you teach all the time, but I know when I stand in front of a group of people trying to get them to understand something new it feels like I am pouring myself out to them. It's exciting but exhausting. And that's just teaching technical stuff. I do think he really means it; Obama has had a lot of chances to show that he's a decent man and not just a poser, and he's taken most of them. "As sincerely as is possible for a politician to do" sounds about right to me.

Speaking of exciting and exhausting, I don't even know if I'll be glad when this is over, because I'd rather have even this level of uncertainty than a McCain / Palin administration. Maybe I'll go look at Obama's projected electoral college numbers again for reassurance.

Maybe I'll be doing that a lot in the next few days.
.

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