(no subject)

[oselle]

John McCain has just selected Alaska governor Sarah Palin to be his running mate.

I don't know anything about Palin and I don't want to know anything about her. As far as I'm concerned, this is a smoke-and-mirrors act. She was chosen solely to take some of the rich old geezer stink off of McCain, to make him look a little more hip and, I'm sure, in the hopes of luring away some of those supposedly disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters (because all they wanted to do was vote for a woman -- any woman -- right?)

I don't give a shit who McCain's running mate is, he's still the guy who'd be president. Everything about McCain is wrong for this country. Everything. He's a hot-headed liar, a filthy rich old country-clubber, golf-carting around in Ferragamo loafers while the country rots and claiming, nope, nuthin' wrong here! He has no knowledge of and zero interest in the lives of the vast majority of Americans and he has no ideas and nothing to offer except four more years of decline, decay and destruction. And if the citizens of this country are stupid enough to elect him...what can I say? They deserve what they get. I'm just sorry I'm gonna be getting it along with them.

Comments

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

And if the citizens of this country are stupid enough to elect him...what can I say? They deserve what they get. I'm just sorry I'm gonna be getting it along with them.

My feelings exactly. EXACTLY. And as I told another friend, I'm furious that he chose a woman because we know she was selected solely for her XX chromosomes -- nothing to do with experience or abilities. Goddammit. Goddammit.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

This is a calculated, cynical move and I'm hoping people see right through it. They figured it would just look too lousy to put another rich white dude on the ticket and so what? They dug through the GOP until they found some chick? Whatever, McCain. Whatever.

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

SO. MUCH. WORD.

I just watched Obama's speech on youtube because I missed it last night. I gotta say he blew me away. And then to hear McCain's veep nomination? Blown away again. My only hope is that those 'smart' and disgruntled Hillary supporters can see through the disgusting ruse nominating a female running mate is. I'd love to get McCain's advisors in a room and give them the giant WTF???face. Because, really?

*has sincere hope America is not that stupid*

[oxer12.livejournal.com]

I hope they're not that stupid, too, but then again America did vote George Bush in for TWO terms. :-(

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

*weeps*

I know this...I know this. And yet, when I'm a pessimist about almost everything else in life I can't give up hope that people - democrats, republicans, independents - are ready for a change.

We need it so very badly.

It's likely I won't even be living in the United States by the time the new president takes office, but I'd like to think that when/if I return, it would be to a better, stronger, wiser America.

*inserts heavy sigh*

[oselle.livejournal.com]

It's likely I won't even be living in the United States by the time the new president takes office, but I'd like to think that when/if I return, it would be to a better, stronger, wiser America.

Where are you going? Got any suggestions?

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

I'm considering taking a job in the Philippines. Nothing glamerous - adventure that would take me away and give me a clean slate and time and distance to devote to some writing. The Philippine people don't yet hate Americans the way the rest of the world (with good cause) does.

I don't know. I just want to be here long enough to vote and then I'm likely Audi 500.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I could never do the tropics. I've been thinking England, myself. Or maybe Scotland. I've known people who have moved to both places and I don't see too much missing of the Good Ol' USA from them.

Of course, an important question is the availability of Supernatural in any foreign outpost. Right now the Thursday night realtime fix is one of the few things I'd miss.

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

OMG, I love Scotland. If the deal I'm considering in the Philippines wasn't so good (like, really? won't cost me money, my living expenses mostly paid for, and what money I do have spends a lot farther) there'd be more countries on the list: Scotland, Ireland, Northern England, Italy...

I have no idea how I'll handle the tropical weather; I'm more concerned about strange new and frightening insects (PLEASE NO ONE SEND ME JPEGS/HORROR STORIES).

One concern I do have id the regular availability of the interwebz because I really do love my online friends and my SPN fandom. But I also like the idea of starting over (scary as it may be) and giving my self time and a situation that will allow me to write more and more often.

When I look back on things like Watergate and the 70's energy crisis and the evacuation of Michigan (where I grew up and a popular bumpersticker in the late 70s/early 80s was 'last one out of Michigan, turn off the lights) and Reagan declaring ketchup a vegetable, etc...is it just the gossamer blur of melancholy, or did the country still seem more...united through all that? I just feel like the rift between the haves and the have nots has grown so tremendously cavernous and wide there's little hope of it being mended.

WHY?

*is a pixie of sunshine today*

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I think the country seemed more...awake back then, at least during the 70s. There was at least a sense that things were wrong. Once Reagan came around with his "morning in America" bullshit everyone just rolled over and fell into a fat, complacent stupor.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Yes and in the latest polls McCain and Obama were pretty much even...I mean...WHAT??????

[oselle.livejournal.com]

My stomach literally folded in on itself when I heard about McCain's pick.

My only hope is that those 'smart' and disgruntled Hillary supporters can see through the disgusting ruse nominating a female running mate is.

Personally? I think the disgruntled Hillary supporter storyline is one that's been blown out of all proportion by a press eager to create a little intrigue so they don't have to talk about anything real. All week I've been reading the blogs of people who were actually in Denver and they said there's no "rift" in the party and there's nothing but support for Obama. If McCain's camp is betting on really sewing up the female vote because they've got a woman on the ticket, I think they're in for a surprise.

What concerns me is that this move will just make McCain look like less of a doddering old fool, and I KNOW the "liberal media" is going to pick this up and run with it -- "See! He really IS a maverick!" The Democrats need to keep HAMMERING away at who McCain is and what he really stands for so that the whole election doesn't get framed as "Experienced Maverick" vs. "Charismatic Empty Suit."

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

It's futile, right, to hope people will just be SMART? God, I'm shifting from pessimism to cynicism as the morning moves on. I've just read a mini biography on Palin and they made sure to mention that the last of her five children was born with Down's Syndrome. How much should we bet this gets paraded out for the press?

*grumbles*

[oselle.livejournal.com]

the last of her five children was born with Down's Syndrome.

That's just great. Considering McCain's health policy advisor said yesterday that there are no uninsured people in America (http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/08/28/mccains-solution-to-health-care-crisis-redefine-uninsured/), maybe someone will ask Palin how she'd care for her retarded kid if the local emergency room was her only "insurance?"

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

Oh, Christ...that's just...I can't even BRAIN that kind of nonsense. Really, people? I mean, look. I'm forty years old. Grew up for most of my life in reasonable comfort at the lower end of the middle-class spectrum; in want of many extras but not in need of many necessities. But even at forty, I see terrible changes within this country. In the past twenty years, with little exception, we have become a nation of blind men with a box of band-aids - fixing problems with a tax rebate here and a welfare reform there. Like Obama said in his speech last night, it's impossible to move forward into the 21st century with a 20th century system.

I just signed up yesterday to pay $242 out of (my thinly lined) pocket to maintain my health insurance through Cobra. Even still, $1500 deductable and $500 out-of-pocket up-front on prescriptions.

*dramatically knocks wood and prays for good health*

[oselle.livejournal.com]

But...but...why do you even need Cobra? You've got plenty of insurance down at the emergency room right? To quote John Goodman...Voila! Problem solved!

I'm the same age as you and I've seen things go downhill too, from the day-to-day stuff, like the price of groceries, to the really big stuff like oh, I dunno, the way THE FUCKING PLANET IS DYING. If McCain wins...I don't know. Maybe the EU will mercifully invade us and install a provisional government.

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

A couple of years back, I had a really serious health emergency and wound up in the hospital for over a week. My bill (before insurance) included ER treatment, CT scans, surgery, medications, blahblahblah, and came out to well over $100,000, of which I paid something like $300.

I couldn't help but think that, had I been without insurance, I would have promptly committed suicide after my release from the hospital. How do we ask people to pay those costs for necessary medical care? Without insurance, even with a very genrous payment plan, I'd have been in debt for the rest of my life.

Clearly, we as Americans receive some of the best healthcare available in the world, but we also pay dearly for it, ESPECIALLY when we're not insured.

I don't know who can look at that system and say it's not broken, except maybe someone to whom $100,000 is a portion of an annual salary and not a large chunk of a lifetime of earning.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Clearly, we as Americans receive some of the best healthcare available in the world

While America may offer some of the best healthcare in the world, I'd say most Americans don't receive it. Even those of us with insurance often have healthcare decisions made for us that are not necessarily what we or our doctors would think was best, and I know that I've sometimes gone without doctor visits or prescriptions because the copays are just too high or for other reasons. Like right now, I'm job-hunting and I keep postponing a mammogram because God forbid I was diagnosed with cancer and then got a new job and hence different insurance...pre-existing condition and I'd be shit outta luck.

Compared to other first-world nations, America usually ranks near the bottom in terms of healthcare. There's great healthcare here, but an awful lot of people have no access to it.

I don't know who can look at that system and say it's not broken

It was recently reported that $100,000 is not even half of what the McCains pay annually just for servants. So that tells you exactly what sort of person thinks there's nothing wrong in America.

[kimonkey7.livejournal.com]

*wipes away the horrid spiderweb of truth*

How did it all get to seem so futile?

I totally get you as to the 'pre-existing condition' bullshit. Part of the reason I needed to do the Cobra thing; otherwise I'm screwed.

And, the $200,000 plus McCain pays for servents - could some of that be incurred from travel between his seven residences?

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I understand the something like $235,000 goes towards Cindy McCain's personal assistant and assorted housekeepers, groundskeepers, pool boys and whomever else filthy rich people need to keep their mansions shiny and their asses wiped.

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Sorry I'm not into politics.

Just want to show you my president and his counselor.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

I'm not into politics either but we just have such a disaster on our hands here in the US that you can't NOT be involved this time around.

I LOVE that picture. I heard (from you??) that they took this shot out of "What Is..." because Jared was looking at Jensen so affectionately that it was out of character for the episode. Is that true?

[i-o-r-h-a-e-l.livejournal.com]

Huuh? :O

Oh, no. It's not for me. This is the first time I heard about this. Oh my God, is that true? Oh my. *cries*

[kjfri.livejournal.com]

I completely agree. It infuriates me that there are idiots ready to throw away their Clinton vote to McCain once Obama became the Democratic choice. It's obvious that those individuals are not interested in improving the issues that Clinton represented because it's plain as day that if you agreed with Hilary you certainly WOULD NOT be supportive of McCain. People can be so ignorant. GAH! I won't let it ruin the high I got off of Obama's speech last night - I won't.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Obama's terrific speech has been totally overshadowed in the news by this announcement and I guess that was his intention. Good luck with that McCain. I think that after this initial surprise, the more that comes out about Ms. Palin the more she's gonna stink. She's under corruption investigation...which puts her in good company with the rest of her Republican clan. She's big on guns and fetuses. She's a Big Oil buddy. And her sole experience consists of some local government and barely two years as governor of a sparsely populated state. Yeah, great choice there, buddy.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

That's exactly what I thought when I heard he'd selected her. It's not because he thinks it'll be good for the country. It's political expediency.

[oselle.livejournal.com]

Calculated focus-group bullshit is what this is. I hope the country sees through it.

[cpsings4him.livejournal.com]

I know, right?? I totally agree...except, I'm not convinced his little plan will work out like he expects. SURELY Americans can't be THAT deluded?? Can they?? Can they??? Oh. Wait. GWBUSH has now been voted in for TWO terms...so perhaps they can.

Yeah, I think Governor Palin was chosen for her most marketable asset: her double X chromosome structure and her vagina.