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Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Summary of Election 2008

To My Liberal and/or Socialist Friends

Congratulations. Barack Obama ran a brilliant campaign, he is an impressive orator, and highly intelligent as well as very hard-working. In many ways, he earned the Presidency.

Now you can move on to another blog, as the rest of this particular post is intended for someone else.

To My Conservative and Moderate Friends

First, the bad news:

The Democrats have control of Congress. But it should be noted that this is despite Congress' abysmally low ratings. Why is this? Obviously the American electorate wanted to send a powerful message to those who reign: "It's the economy, stupid." And apparently our current crop of voters don't understand that they aren't changing the face of Congress at all. What they believe to be 'change' is more of the same.

Control of Congress and the Presidency means that the Democrats have the ability to alter the face of America even more, with little-to-no checks and balances. We know that 'change' is not always a good thing and there will be many instances of change in the wrong direction as well as the right one.

We now have a racist for a President.* It's as if we suddenly woke up and found David Duke at the helm. In addition, we have a great deal of documentation to show he's unethical, as well. It doesn't bode well for our relationship with Israel. And it remains to be seen what it may do to us internally.

So what is positive in all of this?

The Economy is Bound to Get Better in the Short Run

That doesn't mean that Obama would have been any better at leading the nation than McCain would have been. But we will be riding on the wave of enthusiasm that comes with any change of administration. The fact that Obama is so different than Bush is bound to create a powerful sense of change. At first.

We Will Get Out of This War

The majority of us believe that the war's dragged on too long, with too little gain and too much expense in dollars and (more importantly) lives. Yes, we're doing better over there, but it came too late in the game.

We are not the World's Policemen, and we are not paid to be. It is time to get out.

We Will Have National Health Care

Many conservatives are scared of national health care. Although I understand the reasons, I don't agree with them. I do believe that national health care is needed, and I do not believe that the new administration will be able to create a program that will be an absolute failure.

Neocons (and even conservatives) have been trumpeting the terrors of socialized medicine for a long time, so it's natural to be afraid. But Big Business has run the show for too long, and many of us have suffered at its hands. Although this will negatively affect insurance and perhaps pharmaceutical companies, it is in the best interest of the people.

I lived in Sweden for a time, where they have national health care. I was actually hospitalized there (for free) and was very impressed with their kindness and competency. I do believe it is possible to make it work. It is not perfect, but no system is. And, it's been embraced by so many other civilized nations. If it didn't work, it wouldn't be in place. I grant you that it may not always work well, but I do believe it's better than our current system.

The Supreme Court

At this time we should remember that our Founding Fathers did build in a Supreme Court to supposedly serve as a speedbump to them taking great strides in a socialist direction. It is not supposed to be subject to voters' whims (although it is, indirectly, as all justices are appointed by the President). For now, it is likely that it will not undergo much change, and with any luck, that may make a slight difference.

A More Educated Electorate in Four Years

Over the next four years, we will all be at the mercy of a very left-leaning Democrat party. For many of us who remember the Carter years (I was a young child then) it's a scary thought. But those who don't know history are bound to repeat it and we will see new lessons learned over the next four years. This may shape the nation into a more educated electorate and may open the doors to a better system in four years.

The News Media

Although the news media has been slavishly devoted to Obama, we can hardly blame them after years of George Bush bullying them into servitude. To have a truly free press, they must be unfettered. And we need a free press to tell us the various sides of the issues out there. I hope and believe that Obama will allow the press to have more access to him and his administration, whether he agrees with their agendas or not.

This isn't to say that we shouldn't be alarmed about the looming return of "The Fairness Doctrine", which is a dichotomous term at best. We can get into that discussion at a later time.

Conservatives Get to Re-Group and Re-Vamp Their Parties

The Republican Party has grown far away from its constituents. So many have become disenfranchised that they have either gone Independant, gone to another more conservative party, and/or crossed over the line to vote for Obama out of spite.

Many conservatives were urged to vote for Barack Obama to send a wake-up call to the Republican Party. Although I didn't agree with this extremist view, I would have done it if Hillary would have been at the helm, since she was less left-leaning than Obama.

Why is the Republican Party failing? A new breed arose in the Republican party called neocons and these neocons became what the Democratic party was in the 70s - corrupt, influenced by the almighty dollar, in thrall to Big Business, with an increasing deafness to the voices of the people.

If the Republican Party has learned their lesson, they can win the White House back in four years. But if it remains as it is or grows even more liberal, it will never have any influence in America again.

* Obama is anti-Semite: His Muslim friends report this unanimously and we have additional independent reports that back this up, as well. He sat in Jeremiah Wright's church for over twenty years, as Wright preached racial hatred against white people. There is no room for racism in national politics, no matter what color you are. We can only hope that he will be able to rise above these base feelings.


33 comments:

Ed said...

"We now have a racist for a President."

When you say stuff like that right off the bat, it is hard for me to take anything written afterwards seriously.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ed, Surely you jest.

daveawayfromhome said...

Not funny at all.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Dave & Ed, If you deny he's a racist, would you please explain why he is so anti-Israel? His Muslim friends all report that he is, indeed. We have additional independent reports that back this up, as well.

He sat in Jeremiah Wright's church for years, as Wright preached racial hatred.

So please, don't bother arguing that he isn't racist.

As I said, he's just like David Duke.

There is no room for racism in national politics, no matter what color you are.

We can only hope that he will be able to rise above these base feelings.

Whistle Britches said...

Obama's a freaking genius.
He plays the part of whatever it takes to get to the next level.
ie. Jeremiah Wrights pseudo church.
He tells everybody what they want to hear.
In this current political climate there are lots of itching ears.

You're entitled to your opinion and after all this is your blog and that's why I come here every day.
At this time I would have to say I mostly agree with you.
I'm scared for our country right now, but I also believe that we get the leaders God moves the people to vote for.
The Repubs have a lot of crap to fix to be taken serious in 4 years.
I hope they/we get their act together.

Doozie said...

The sheeps clothing will eventually be shorn, and the real animal underneath will reveal itself. There is no point in continuing the arguments, just sit back and watch. Watch what the stupidity of our nations voting system has wrought upon us.

Lets look at the ratio's of popular vote vs. Electoral vote. Lets also look at the ratio of legislators/ dems vs reps. Does anyone else find an issue with this?

Come on people, wake up. The voice of the people is a little tiny squeak amongst the din of corruption.

WE are not being heard, our votes do not count in the long run.

It comes down to all those fat bottomed people that we elected, who we thought would represent their constituents, and really they just do whatever the heck they want.

Something needs to be changed. The decision of presidency needs to be handed back to the people whom it affects the most. US.

Anonymous said...

I said the same thing today with more detail on the economy.

Knot

Saur♥Kraut said...

Doozie and Uncle Joe, Dittos on everything you wrote, and thanks so much for stopping in.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Knot, Interesting! I'll pop over! BTW, I just realized I didn't have you in my blog roll(?) Sorry about that. I think it was when you discontinued your old blog but hadn't started the new one. I've fixed that.

Anonymous said...

Wow, with views like this, it is hard NOT to move on to another blog! I don't think I can agree with the view that he is a racist - that is just too one-sided. Is it not racist, or at the very least, prejudiced just making that statement? There are many people "anti-Israel," which does not necessarily make them racists or anti-semitic in any way - that it becomes an easy club to use to batter opposing side with - certainly. Does it also now imply that anyone supporting Israel's cause is automatically anti-Islam? In a way, I too belief that the Israel issue has for far too long been viewed from one single (dare I say conservative) viewpoint - and I am from Jewish origins! Anyway, being a pacifist and sharing a firt-hand experience of what dialogue can achieve (as in the South African context), I do hope Obama's approach might bring about long-term peace.

In the end, is all politics not just a (un)healthy balance of pernacious poison, and antidote?

As for moving one to another blog - never! That is just too easy :-)

Scott said...

Racist, wow that is such a bold statement, even for you. The fact that he may be anti-Israel does not make him a racist. There are many very moderate people (myself included) who have very grave concerns about Israel and in particular their treatment of the Palestinian people. Perhaps having a US President that is capable of seeing the unchecked policies of Apartheid in the region will be a blessing.

And as far as his "muslim friends' saying things about him and sitting in Church where a preacher has said racist things against the Whites, I just really think that you have to take a seat back just for a second and truly understand what the African American citizens of the US have gone through and perhaps just for a second see that there are many reasons to fear a system that has largely not represented them in any meaningful way for so so long.

I do not condone racism of any kind, but I don't know that the term Racist should be applied to Obama in any way. You have to look at him as a Man now, not as a man growing up. It is a big difference.

*I didn't proofread, but I think it kind of make sense haha

michelle said...

Saur,
I so much disagree with you on healthcare!

Knot,
I so much agree with your post on your blog.

The Lazy Iguana said...

A racist? And what "muslim" friends are you talking about here? Where does the "Obama hates Israel" thing come from? More "muslim friends"? And who says they are really "friends" as opposed to "people he knows".

I know many people, but I have few friends.

By the way, the Jewish community of South Florida did not buy it.

And still with the socialist thing. And the "liberal" thing.

First - he had no voting record, so the story was "we do not know who he is". And then he had "the most liberal voting record and he is a socialist" - oh yea and we do not know who he is because of that whole fake birth certificate thing.

So which is it? No voting record or "the most liberal" record? Based on what? Voting against Bush? FALSE claims that he wants to teach sex ed to kindergarten classes? Votes to not lower taxes?

McCain voted against the Bush cuts early on by the way. So he is a "socialist" too.

Furthermore, "socialism" built the roads for small town America (you do not think that small towns with no tax base built their own roads, or that poor states built their own interstate highways), socialism put phone and cable service in rural America (check your next phone bill for a small line item called the universal service fund (USF). The USF was designed to bring telcom services to small town rural America at prices comparable to big city America. Otherwise - the three farm houses way out in the sticks would have to pay for their own phone line to be run, and then pay a monthly fee that would allow the phone company to profit from that phone line run.

Big cities, with a high population density, could have thousands of customers served by one 10 mile cable run - small town America would have a whole lot less customers served per mile of phone line. So phones would be cheap in New York City and a lot more expensive in Bum-Squat Mississippi.

Socialism! Transferring wealth from the big cities to the sticks!!

There are many more examples of "socialism" that could be pointed out. Like the MASSIVE amount of Turnpike tolls collected in Miami-Dade and Broward County, which goes to fill in pot holes in lower traffic congestion / lower revenue parts of that highway. Sales tax collected in the major urban areas of Florida that goes to areas of FL that has a low property tax base, and an even lower sales tax collection rate. Money that is used for roads, schools, police/fire rescue service, hospitals, water and sewer plants, and so on.

All "socialism". So if you really want a party that advocates and end to "socialism" fine. Just be honest with small town America what that means to them. Local communities would pay their own way for all of their projects. No federal money, no state money. If a city with a small population needs a large public works project - the people of that city should be happy to pony up a non socialist check to fully cover their portion of the project. Never would they think of asking for state or even worse federal "pork" to help them out.

Rural America would be a patchwork of toll roads. Because I do not want ANY of the tax money raised in my county to go to someplace in FL that is not as wealthy. Screw them.

Rural America would also have very spotty cell phone service. Why should T-Mobile build a 3G network in a sparse population area with only a handful of customers? As opposed to a tower in Miami which is busy 24/7?

By the way, I have family that live in Bum-Squat Mississippi. There was a time when cable TV was not available to them, as it was not profitable to run the cable lines. "Socialism" demanded that if cable companies wanted to wire up the big cities, they also had to wire up the sticks. So they did. And cable was available. Although before this could happen, the big ass C-Band satellite dishes became popular. And now we have DirecTV which is also popular both in the sticks and the cities. However, cable IS an option for many who otherwise would not have it available.

The sparse population states, which go red, would see infrastructure fall apart without federal socialism. That or they would see massive tax hikes to pay for their own things.

So lets allow this to happen. See how that works out for "real America". And then see how right wing radio tries to spin that.

Ed said...

No Saur I was being sincere. I agree with much of what you said afterwards but it is hard to take someone seriously when they believe Obama is racist merely because of his stance on Israel. I think Scott, Emil and others went into it well enough why this is flawed logic.

However, I do find this comment racist when Sen. John McCain told reporters, "I hated the gooks. I will hate them as long as I live." -March 2, 2000.

Do I think McCain is racist? No. He talked without thinking. My point is EVERYONE has known a racist or heard some saying something racist in their lifetime. Association doesn't make someone a racist. I am no more of a racist after hearing McCain talk about hating Gooks than Obama for listening to Jeremiah talk about whitie. Actions are what make a racist.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ed, Then by your definition, Hitler wasn't a racist either.

BTW, if McCain said that, then he's a racist too. But, unlike Obama, he was persecuted by his captors in a prison camp. That can make someone a little skittish...

Everyone, MORE to come later...

Anonymous said...

I am not for national healthcare and really really do not want it. Some sort of healthcare reform would be great, but I honestly do not want to pay for someone else's healthcare. I have always had my own and paid for my own. So I disagree with you on that.

I agree we need to get out of the war, I just hope it is done in the right way, we can't just pull out all of our troops, there needs to be a well thought out plan for it. Just like there should have been a plan in place for the execution of this war instead of running over there without a brain amongst them.

I really am rather upset that Obama won, I simply think he is too inexperienced to run this country, all of his other faults aside. A few weeks ago he said something profoundly idiotic. He said that the government should allow people to pull money out of their IRA's untaxed, anyone with half a brain knows better than to pull money out of retirement to get them through the rough patches.

Ange

M@ said...

As a white man who voted for Obama, I think I have the credibility to express a bit of disdain for the racism displayed by blacks and liberal whites.

Any time you say, thank god the man in the white house is not [a certain race], how is that NOT a racist statement? Tell me that!

Ed Abbey misses the point completely. He doesn't understand the definition of racism. He thinks racism only happens against people of color by people of whiteness. Cracker, please!

This was a very moderate and reasonable article. Thank you for giving voice to these issues, as I'm a center-left guy surrounded by flaming homos here in D.C.

M@ said...

When African Americans vote 94 to 1 for the black guy, how is that not racist?

The real credit for Obama's victory should go to white American men, who voted for Obama by a 1 to 1 ratio. How amazing is that? That happens nowhere else in the world!

Whistle Britches said...

I have never had a comment for anybody other than Saur here but I need to disagree with something Ed said.
"Actions are what makes a racist"

My grandfather was racist.
Blacks, middle easterners, whoever.
We never talked back when he went into a rant.
He never took action against them personally(that I know of), but over the years his words fell on the ears of children, grand children and great grandchildren.
His racist dialogue influenced everbody that came into his house.
I kept quiet because I didn't want a cussing. He was my grandfather, it was his house.
He was a racist and his words proved it beyond a reasonable doubt.

Ed said...

Saur - Hitler did plenty through his actions to qualify as a racist.

M@ - How many thousand whites to one black people voted for McCain?

Uncle Joe - True, words can influence. I do think there are different levels of racism and McCain's comments about gooks is certainly on a different level than say the Ku Klux Klan in the early part of the 20th century. I hear Asian jokes all the time from individuals and then when that person meets my wife for the first time (she is Asian), I almost never hear then when I am around. I still don't consider that person a racist unless they show overt aggression or intimidation by language. But as you pointed out, they certainly can breed racism on to others.

Mr. Grey Ghost said...

Good post overall, but I too have to disagree with the "racist" part and comparing him to David Duke?!? Wow. Duke was a leader within a paramilitary group that doesn't just preach hate, but lives and breeds it. Barack was part of a congregation for 20 years. I know when I used to go to church I didn't always agree with what my pastor said. You may disagree with BO on ideological views and Israel, but to call him a racist just isn't right at all.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

I skim read the post and was originally commenting to say well done to America for doing the right thing. A thing that made me weep in it's brilliance and in it's genius, only in America, a nation that only 40 or so years ago treated black people like subhumans, could put a black man into the most powerful position in the world.

That is the joy of America, the wonder of it and it proved once again that it is a damn fine country, a country to be proud of, a country to once again call a friend.

And then I re-read the post thanks to ed and dave's comments and I am as horrified as they are with the bigotry on show here, the lack of grace in defeat (grace well shown by McCain and by Bush, real honour on this issue to the pair of them) smacks of madness.

You can be against Israel's treatment of the Arabs and a desire to return to the 67 lines and that doesn't make you anti-semetic and for once and for all he is not a fucking Muslim.

LOSE WITH DIGNITY, CELEBRATE WHAT A GREAT THING YOUR NATION HAS DONE AND GET ON WITH MAKING AMERICA, ONCE AGAIN AFTER 8 YEARS MAKING AN ASS OF ITSELF, GREAT AGAIN!

I'll drink and weep to that!

Rita Loca said...

I think Obama happened to be in the right place at the right time. The election was more about punishing Bush, and thus the Republican Party, than anything else. (except for the economy, which right or wrong, has also been blamed on Bush)
My biggest fear of Obama at this point is his inexperience and the false message we have sent to our enemies... Chavez has said Obama owes him for his election!

Saur♥Kraut said...

Everyone, I won't be able to comment on each individual contribution this time, though I've read them.

For those of you who wish to disagree with the racist label, I make no apologies and stand firm. Simply because he's black doesn't give him a free ride when it comes to racism. Blacks can be and are prejudiced too, just as some whites are. And, voting for a candidate because of his race is also prejudiced.

As for the Israeli question, I think it's ridiculous to cry for Arab terrorists. Anyone who is knowlegeable about the history of the middle east can never honestly say that the Arabs are persecuted by those mean old Jews. It may be correct in some circles to despise the Jews, just as it was during WW2. But it isn't honest with either yourselves or others.

And call it a nation, call it a people, it's still prejudice. If you're so concerned with the problem of prejudice, I recommend taking a second look at your own before you take too much time to point your finger at others.

In my case, *I* am not saying all arabic people are bad, or prejudiced, or subjugating others. Many are, some are not.

But to try to tell me that my calling Obama a racist is ...er... racist, is facile at best. I will be kind, here, and assume it's merely that. Otherwise, it's deliberately inflammatory and an attempt to distract us from the truth which is, of course, that Obama is truly a racist. His ties with the Arab American Action Network are legendary, and they repeatedly report his hostility to Israel.

daveawayfromhome said...

"Chavez has said Obama owes him for his election!"

And I say that everyone here owes me $10 bucks, except ed and lazy.

word verification: "canthe", only the way it was show it was more like "can the"

Doozie said...

what in the tarnations is going on over here? Ok peeps, lets get this into perspective. Isn't everyone entitled to their own opinions? So if Saur's opinion/belief is that obablama is a racist, so be it. Crickies, people are peaceful so long as you're preaching to their belief's and opinions. Isn't it still a free country for people to speak their minds? Lets not use the double standard and persecute someone for thinking someone else is a racist.

Now everyone here owes me 10 dollars for being the voice of reason in the middle of friends fighting friends over a stupid label.

Saur♥Kraut said...

You know, perhaps I can use a more politically correct term than 'racist' when describing Barack Obama.

I've done some research on David Duke, and find that he uses the the term Racial Realism.

Ed said...

Doozie - Saur and I disagree quite often at times but I still come back. She is a blogging addiction.

Saur♥Kraut said...

Ed, Thank you, my friend. ;o)

M@ said...

M@ - How many thousand whites to one black people voted for McCain?

--Ed, I was talking percentages, not real numbers. Very weak. Very weak.

M@ said...

From Ed's responses to not only my comments but Sauers', I'd say he's a bit slow. Not exactly a master debater. Sauer was talking about definitions, not actions. My goodness.

Ed, are you a woman?

Ed said...

"When African Americans vote 94 to 1 for the black guy, how is that not racist?"

"--Ed, I was talking percentages, not real numbers. Very weak. Very weak."


I guess I am slow as I did not see the word percentage or the % sign in your first email. Only when you were called on your statement did you claim that you really meant percentages.

As to your other question, I'm secure enough in my gender not to have to resort to childish name calling instead of debating of facts.

Daniel Hoffmann-Gill said...

Jungle Mom: is there more losing without grace? Saying that it is the GOP's fault? That Obama did not win on merit? Of course the terrible policies of the GOP meant that to endure 4 mor eyears of that madness would've been foolish indeed but quite frankly, the best man won.

Saur: the Obama being anti-Israel is fiction, I read just today a lengthy article in Haaretz (Israel's leading and most powerful newspaper) that that see Obama as supporting the state of Israel and that any anti-Israel slurs were merely scaremongering by the GOP to try and get him to lose the precious Jewish vote (which by the way, backed him by some 71%, which would suggest that the anti-Israel thing is flawed to say the least).

Also, I've read more articles, from Palestinian groups that makes it clear they see him as an anti-Palestine force for change.

So I think we can safely say that the idea that Obama is anti-Israel is in the heads of right-wingers only, rather than in the Jewish community or Israel.

I know which one I'd trust.

M@: are you taking the piss about black people voting for Obama being racist? You need some time off the fanny and beer and more time in the bookstore dude.

Finally, may I briefly return to the polling arguement we had, turns out the polls were incredibly accurate, across the board.

Yehar!