With the major party logos being a donkey and an elephant, I would hate to think of what that would smell like. But puns aside, a random listing of interesting political bits:
- Interesting map/chart (and analysis) of which newspapers have endorsed which candidates for President.
- Third grade civics lesson. Frighteningly accurate. Though I disagree with the last sentence. The other half of the class just wants McCain to beat up all the bullies (and potential bullies, and imagined potential bullies, and…) who could potentially threaten their ice cream supply. It’s only the fringe 3rd party crazies that would dare to ask questions like how to pay for the ice cream and actually expect a clear, detailed, specific answer (I’ll use a scalpel, I’m not saying what I’ll scalpel, in any detail whatsoever, but I assure you it will be scalpeled!), or suggest that beating up supposed bullies might, in fact, create more bullies.
- So, aside from the fact of how profoundly and absolutely pointless and non-binding political party platforms are (that could be a good rant for later), the national Republican party has adopted the most socially conservative (aka- Religious Right) platform in the party’s history. Aside from the usual stomach turning items, (okay, so I mostly support school vouchers, though for wholly different reasons), there’s this item: “To protect our servicemen and women and ensure that America’s Armed Forces remain the best in the world, we affirm the timelessness of those values, the benefits of traditional military culture, and the incompatibility of homosexuality with military service.” Aside from the awkward phrasing that’s so typical of party platforms (aka- a sentence written by a committee, and then amended by majority vote), this actually makes for a nice backdoor (excuse the extremely crude pun which will become obscurely apparent shortly). So, if McCain were to win, when (not if, when) he starts a war with another country (Iran, Russia, Syria, Pakistan, North Korea, Palestine, Egypt, or mystery Evil), and we don’t have enough troops because we’re already massively overextended in un-Constitutional troop deployments, and he’s forced to enact a draft, you don’t even have to resort to being a conscientious objector (who, by the way, still have to serve, just in non-combat roles) or going to Canada – you can just say you’re gay, and poof – out of the military (Hey there sailor…). I don’t know about you, but given the option of fighting in an unjust preemptive war against a yet to be determined artificially hyped up enemy on basis of falsified intelligence, without a Congressional declaration of war, further bankrupting the country and degrading our already nearly mortally wounded international reputation, or, on the other hand, kissing another guy to the satisfaction of the government anti-gay department, I’m pretty sure I know what side I’m on. Who would have thought the Republicans would find a way to encourage straight people to try out homosexuality?
- A good article on how policiy free the campaign has been, why, and puts things a bit in perspective. The title of the article sums it up fairly well: An Election About Nothing.
- And given the huge degree to which individual freedoms have been eroded in the last 8 years, the degree to which the Bill of Rights has basically been implicitly repealed, you would think the candidates would be clamoring to assure us that they will undo this grevious wrong of the Bush administration, one of the most unpopular EVER. Nope. “You will scour the presidential nominees’ acceptance speeches in vain for any hint that your life is rightfully your own, to be lived in accordance with your beliefs and desires and no one else’s. The Founding Fathers set out to protect ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,’… “
- Obama on religion:
I must say, I don’t agree with him on a lot of fiscal policy, but I respect the man. This is one of the best and most intelligent takes on separation of church and state (intended or not) that I’ve heard in a long time. The ending is particularly fitting given the current McCain/Palin campaign strategy.