Humorless Politics Thread

[John Junk 2.0]

Last night I had a dream that I was taking a walk in a strange city I didn't live in, and I walked by a Catholic nursery school where, in my dream reality, I was friends with one of the nuns that ran the school.  All the sudden this guy comes up in a cheap, tacky turquoise and leopard print track suit, and then I realize it's George W. Bush.  He tells me that if I wanna help him out anytime with some projects, well, he can't say exactly but it could work out well for me in the long run.  I start considering this, but figure being complicit in the schemes of the W is too low even for me.  But anyway, in order to give me an idea of what he's talking about he tells me how he used to have a car with a sun roof and there was a period of time where he'd be sleeping in his car because he was on the outs with his wife, and I guess the car would be parked in George H.W. Bush's garage or something, and his dad didn't like to see him drunk or something, so he said that he got someone to build a two-tiered system of platforms and mirrors so that if you looked down through the sun-roof from above (like from H.W.'s bedroom window) it looked like the car was completely empty. ( "meanwhile I'd be sleeping in there in my underwear!" -the W.)  So that was the kind of project he'd put me on if I wanted to help him out.  He said something like "Stay in school" to one of the kids, and then walked off, looking more like a drifter than one of the most powerful people on Earth.  I whispered to the kid "Hey!  Can you keep a secret?  That was the president of the United States, and he's out of his mind!"

I think this vision of the W. in my dream represents the future of the Republican party.  Which is not to say they're not going to keep winning elections.

Just thought I'd share!

[Trembling Eagle]

hmm Kurt Vonnegut-y.

[wwwes]

Her children are named Track, Bristol, Willow, Piper, and Trig.  Discuss.

What gets me is that Track is now 19 years old, which means she named her kid that back when stupid names were something that weren't all the rage.

I like Sarah Palin, I just think she doesn't have any sort of national experience. Say what you want about Obama, he knows his shit. If William Kristol started talking at him about the rationale for the war in Iraq, he'd more than hold his own. Palin doesn't have any sort of understanding of foreign affairs, macroeconomics, inner city crime, farming, manufacturing, etc (though I'm sure she's getting a crash course as we speak). In four years time, she'd be an excellent candidate. As it is now, it is way too early, and the idea that John McCain has had melanomas and is two years older than his dad was when he died scares me. As Andrew Sullivan put it, picking Palin (after meeting her exactly once) tells us more about how serious John McCain is about the war than anything else.

[Julie]

I don't want to vote for Obama for personal reasons. He's about the same as every other politician and he went after one of my favorite people to get attention for himself. Obama really disappointed me and I hate talking to people who talk about him like he's Jesus Christ. He seems so wonderful only because he's handsome, his wife is pretty, and he's not a republican. I feel like it's my duty to vote for him and I'd rather not vote than vote for McCain, but it's hard to be excited. Clinton would have done a better job than either McCain or Obama.

[Gilly]

I hate talking to people who talk about him like he's Jesus Christ.

I don't agree with you about Hillary but I agree with you on this one. You don't need to be religious to know that if you place high amounts of faith in human beings you're going to be let down. I see all these people hanging on his every word and seeing him as America's savior. I think it's kind of sad, mostly because people are so unhappy with the country right now that they believe one man can save us.

[todd]

I don't want to vote for Obama for personal reasons. He's about the same as every other politician and he went after one of my favorite people to get attention for himself. Obama really disappointed me and I hate talking to people who talk about him like he's Jesus Christ. He seems so wonderful only because he's handsome, his wife is pretty, and he's not a republican. I feel like it's my duty to vote for him and I'd rather not vote than vote for McCain, but it's hard to be excited. Clinton would have done a better job than either McCain or Obama.

Who did he go after?

[Gibby]

As an outsider, it really seems entirely obvious to vote for Obama. I really hope y'all do.

[Julie]

I hate talking to people who talk about him like he's Jesus Christ.

I don't agree with you about Hillary but I agree with you on this one. You don't need to be religious to know that if you place high amounts of faith in human beings you're going to be let down. I see all these people hanging on his every word and seeing him as America's savior. I think it's kind of sad, mostly because people are so unhappy with the country right now that they believe one man can save us.

How can we be good americans if we can't criticize the government? It's our duty as citizens. I remember saying something about the patriot act taking away our freedom when I was in school, and the entire class attacked me! I think Obama's supporters are just as childish. He's a person, so naturally there are negative things to say about him. And besides that, he's not going to fix all of the problems in our country. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't. Jimmy Carter is a great man, and he didn't fix everything. Everyone should watch Being There if they want to see the perfect president.

[Emily]

I hate talking to people who talk about him like he's Jesus Christ.

I don't agree with you about Hillary but I agree with you on this one. You don't need to be religious to know that if you place high amounts of faith in human beings you're going to be let down. I see all these people hanging on his every word and seeing him as America's savior. I think it's kind of sad, mostly because people are so unhappy with the country right now that they believe one man can save us.

It's not what Obama can do for you, it's what Obama inspires you to do for your country.

[Julie]

Who did he go after?

The details aren't important. There was an investigation and people were cleared of responsibility before he got involved. He was wasting the time of people who really do have important things to do and really do care about people because he wanted publicity. I'm sure no one can blame him for that. That's what politicians do and he's only a politician. I don't care how he's being marketed to us, he is nothing but what we usually get. Still, I don't think he's going to lose and if people have to be blind to vote for him, then I hope people stay blind.

[masterofsparks]

If he wins, I'm thinking Obama's going to have a really tough time in about 2 years when things haven't changed and it's seen as not fulfilling his campaign promises.

[todd]

The whole "HE'S JESUS CHRIST" thing is a republican talking point. Even the most ardent Obama supporters I know will preface their praise with "For a politician, he's..."

The people making the "Obama isn't Jesus!" argument remind me of indie kids distancing themselves from a band the second they get popular - it has nothing to do with his message, his politics, or even his marketing strategy, it's an argument against his perception among a group of people that do not exist.

If you've got something you actually don't like about him, that's fine - I do too. But please stop with this "HE'S OVERRATED" bullshit, because it's as empty as any other smear.

[buffcoat]

The details aren't important.

I'll be the judge of that.

[daveB from Oakland]

                             
                   

[Josh]

I just wanted to thank everyone so far for eight pages of insightful, original, and often hilarious comments on this year's election. Some of you may want to take Tom's recent advice to East Village Cynthia to heart and add "allegedly" to the edgy, lidblowing statements you've made.