bjournal::juxtapoz

In reading this op-ed piece, I realized that I spoke too hastily earlier when I said that this election is racist and sexist. It is also ageist. We are entering a time when older people are doing more things longer, and it is really unfair to suggest that Senator McCain is going to keel over and die leaving us with President Palin. It is ridiculous that the focus of this campaign has shifted so dramatically to her because of this not-so-subtle ageism.

That said, this year’s presidential election is a complete farce, and I am sick of it.

It seems so abundantly clear to me that, of our two realistic choices, Senator Obama is the superior candidate for President of the United States. When I look at him, I see somebody I would gladly call “My President” instead of (respectfully) “the President.” He seems interested in taking up the mantle of being the President because of what he can do, rather than because of what the office is- McCain seems to view this as the next logical step in his professional ascension, while Obama sees this as an opportunity to help people. The respective choices of running-mates are clear indicators of this intent.

Obama chose a candidate that will help him do things once he is elected, not help him get elected- polls taken after Biden was chosen as a running-mate reflect that. McCain chose Palin not because of her executive experience, but because a) she is bringing Hilary voters b) she is neutralizing Obama’s youth c) because she can be used as a lightning rod (also see all of the days since she’s been selected) and d) she represents everything that the Republican Party has been about since late 2001 (and probably earlier); he chose her because she is going to help him win the election, after which, the Neo Con machine will keep rolling and make puppets out of the both of them (well, not McCain, since they already did).

And yes, I really honestly believe that.

Here is the thing, though. In spite of, what I feel to be, the self-evident superiority of Barack Obama as President, this race is still going to be close. It is going to be ridiculously close because the voting populous at large is too dumb to see through the choice of Sarah Palin as anything but a sexist, political tool used to get McCain elected, is too scared of having a man whose name rhymes with Osama, and who also happens to be black, be elected president, and is too blind to see that they are unwittingly hurting themselves and others by continually voting against their self-interest just because a guy says the same thing as their minister with regards to abortions and war (don’t forget to turn a blind eye to divorce).

I’m not saying this to try and convince anybody to vote for Obama, I am saying it because I am sick of the whole damned thing.