Can a regular person alter human history with the click of a button?
Overnight, or even sooner, one statement, video, audio clip, picture or document can dramatically shift the national dialogue. In the past, main stream media led the way. A picture of Dukakis looking puny in a tank marked his campaign’s derailment in 1988. One mistaken pool report of George H.W. Bush at the supermarket reportedly looking surprised while viewing a scanner swiping groceries spelled doom for his second term, falsely becoming fodder for those calling him ‘out of touch’. In every occasion, however, normal voters could not drive any narrative or use any advanced medium to significantly reach prominent national attention.
No one denies this coming Presidential election will change the trajectory of world events, impacting generations to come. Before the internet demolished once impenetrable media barriers, people wanting to influence history so quickly had to do so with the barrel of a gun.
But now, that power is in each person’s hands (literally). Here’s a list of 10 ways one person, a collection of people, or a campaign used the web’s full potential to change the 2008 election.
Adam Brickley registered a blog in February of 2007 with a simple vision; draft Alaska’s Governor Sarah Palin for Vice President. When asked what inspired him, he says, “She’s somebody who can really connect with the conservative base.” The 21 year old college student relentlessly supported her, posting frequently with his thoughts on the choice. When McCain finally picked Palin, she and her husband, Todd, put in a call to Brickley to thank him personally.
George Allen was a rising star in the GOP, slated for a promising presidential run when he campaigned in what was considered an easy reelection bid during the 2006 Virginia senatorial race. His competitor, Jim Webb, sent a ‘tracker’ of Indian descent to capture video of the opposing side’s rally. Allen pointed out the Democratic activist and proceeded to call him a slur, ‘Macaca’. The Youtube video posted by the Webb campaign ignited a media storm, even attracting national attention, and Allen lost the race by a few thousand votes, effectively ending any hope for a 2008 run for the White House.
Without the power of organizing without organizations, Obama might have become an interesting footnote to the Iowa primary season. He built an impressive ground campaign reliant on new social tools that allowed supporters to exponentially increase their outreach. One of the four founders of Facebook, Chris Hughes, left the radically expanding company to join the Obama team, developing an advanced social network for supporters to organize, share and donate, which ultimately led to a shocking first place finish in Iowa. New media not only allowed his candidacy’s realization, but continues to sustain his efforts through a massive fund raising machine online that has, so far, attracted over 2 million individual donors.
Dragging slightly in the polls, McCain’s campaign, under the new direction of Steve Schmidt, learned how to exploit the viral nature of Youtube. They uploaded three videos attacking Obama; one called ‘Celeb’, then ‘The One’, and finally ‘Troops’. The exploit was successful; everyone buzzed and the media picked them up. McCain did not have to put any precious money in to placing these ads on the air, but gained copious amounts of national free time by virtue of the video’s news-worthiness. All the networks played the ads repeatedly, holding discussions on the content and nature of the attacks; but to no avail for the Obama camp, as their lead started to dwindle.
Amendments to the 1978 FISA legislation included wording intended to protect large phone companies from lawsuit for past compliance with warrantless Bush administration surveillance activities. Nearly all members of congress, save a few, agreed to the necessity of continued surveillance of physical or electronic communications possibly connected to terrorism. However, the whole packaged bill containing the retroactive telecom immunity was not met so universally. Wanting to seem tough on defense, Senator Obama, who once pledged to filibuster telephone company protection, released statements supporting the legislation despite its shortcomings. He reiterated his opposition to parts of the bill but said he nonetheless would vote for it when on the floor.
This outraged the netroots, some of Obama’s most rabid supporters. They passionately voiced their distaste with Obama, initiating a movement they called, “You can tap my wallet or my phone, but not both”. Angered fans organized a group on Obama’s own social network against him. Never before in Presidential politics had advanced social tools made way for protestations against the source that supplied them. Obama finally wrote a blog explaining his reasoning behind compromising on the legislation, still to no avail among the netroot activists. He experienced a small lag of donations from the virtual stand off.
Senator Obama claimed primary victory in the Xcel Energy Center on June 3rd. After the speech, his wife joined him on stage and in a congratulatory fashion, gave him a little fist pound. The media attempted to define the gesture in several, awkward ways. On a conservative columnist’s online article, a disgruntled commenter, “Larry” in Alpine, TX, named it a ‘Hezbollah-style fist jab’. Writing humorously of the different ways the media tried to call the dap, Slate author Christopher Beam accidentally failed to delineate the comment from Cal Thomas’ piece. Human Events removed the defamatory comment, making it appear that Cal intentionally scrubbed the incendiary portion only after criticism since the original phrase no longer remained in the comment section.
Despite realizing what confusion ensued over the article and posting a correction, it was too late, as multiple news sources quoted the piece and also mistakenly referenced Thomas’ column. Just a short while later, E.D. Hill of FOXnews listed a few different ways the greeting had been called, saying, “A fist bump? A pound? A terrorist fist jab?”
Everyone criticized the show for lending credence to people’s fears of Senator Obama. E.D. Hill apologized but lost her job as host that week anyway. The misconception eventually landed on the front page of the controversial New Yorker cover.
Senator McCain called Rod Parsley a spiritual adviser. John Hagee emphatically endorsed him. Parsley says America was founded to defeat Islam. Hagee says the Catholic Church is the ‘Great Whore’ and an ‘Apostate Church’, and claims God purposely sent Adolf Hitler to get the Jewish people back to Israel. A big stink was made at liberal blogging sites, like the HuffingtonPost and OpenLeft, over statements made by both. The internet lit up with opinions on the subject matter, some upset that there existed a sort of double standard over one’s pastoral associations.
Reporters asked McCain about specific statements delivered by both pastors, forcing McCain to ultimately reject their endorsements. The trouble ignited by bloggers hurt McCain’s already flimsy relationship with the religious conservatives, partly reminding everyone of his statement during the 2000 election concerning Reverend Falwell being an ‘agent of intolerance’.
Even prior to Obama’s candidacy appearing more and more viable, untraceable e-mails sent between concerned friends unequivocally declared he secretly held to the Islamic faith. Different variations of the e-mails concerned his elementary school, swearing in on the Koran, Mohamed as his middle name, quoting his books improperly, what the Bible says of the anti-Christ, refusing to say the pledge, connections to political events in Kenya and more. Despite fighting the Smear-type campaigns on cable networks and fact-check sites, unsure Democratic voters neglected to support Obama in the primaries, leading to some very close races with Senator Clinton. The rumors continue to find support through low information voters refusing to not believe in their close friend or family’s e-mails.
In the middle of March, Youtube clips of Obama’s pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, looped endlessly on personal computer monitors around the country. They contained offensive remarks about God’s judgment on America and the government’s involvement in allegedly spreading AIDs.
News stations around the country played them repeatedly, leading to discussions regarding Obama’s chances of winning the election dwindling and voters being permanently turned off. It all culminated in a speech on race called “A More Perfect Union”, now watched millions and millions of times on Youtube alone. Pundits continued to discuss the Wright controversy ad nauseum, but their attention was directed elsewhere just a short while later when newly released video caught Hillary Clinton in a lie about sniper fire.
Senator McCain’s unexpected choice for Vice President took everyone, perhaps even his own staff, by complete surprise. Barely anyone knew anything about her, causing bloggers to engage in a frenzy of research and rumors. Most notably, they passed around information suggesting Governor Palin’s youngest son, Trig, actually belongs to her eldest daughter, Bristol. Such a commotion came of the rumors that it gained traction on legitimate news sources such as Drudge and the Atlantic.
Just three days after her nod, the campaign released a statement verifying that Bristol Palin was five months pregnant. This stopped the endless rumors online, but gave way to a national frenzy over the scandalous behavior of the potential VP’s family. Botching the Governor’s important first impression to the nation, the McCain campaign feverishly developed a prime time speech for Wednesday night of the convention. The discussions on cable networks, newspapers and blogs generated over 40 million viewers for the Palin speech which the media widely praised. Conservatives already excited by the pick were even more energized by their conceived enemies in the media and on the ‘angry left’.
However, the speech proved to be a double-edged sword for Palin, adding up to a record $10 million worth of contributions by enraged Obama supporters online during the 24 hours between her and McCain’s acceptance speeches. Bill Burton, Obama’s spokesperson, commented, “I hope she gives a speech every day.”
Final Thoughts
In a majority of these cases, the web encouraged the dissemination of media not particularly flattering for the candidate in question. A lot of them involved the mainstream media picking up a story with sufficient online buzz. 24/7 Cable news will likely remain an American staple for a long time, yet 2008 showed us regular people won’t be powerless forever in what stories capture America’s living rooms. If 2004 was our collective infancy learning the web’s capabilities, 2008 marks the toddler years of using those modern tools. We’re only catching the beginning of this user-defined generation, leading to what some call the ‘Youtube-ification of Politics’.
Contributor: DanielS
Great list!
It's amazing how something so small can often change things hugely…
I think it's ridiculous some of the comments about Obama being Muslim. It might just be Australian politics, but who cares if he is or isn't?
While Obama is Christian, he did elementary school in a PUBLIC Indonesian school. And Indonesian schools were and are religious, well, it’s not really his fault >.> There’s even a huge building for the Ministry of Religion (Indonesia being the biggest Muslim country).
Just for additional trivia, ID cards in Indonesia HAVE to include a person’s religion, mostly because Dictator Suharto was scared of Communism and Atheism.
Haha #7 is good. For a moment I felt youtube was invented in stone age
.
is Palin a pro choice? Looks like republican got it all wrong…hehe.
Nice compilation Daniel! Btw, I would put United States in the title somewhere…even Pakistan had elections in 2008, I am sure however that internet was involved in assassination of Benazir Bhutto somehow. May be someone transferred money over paypal to the assassin…just a thought.
I am second — cool
internet really rocks
hmm quite interesting!
Nice…
Interesting what an impact the internet is making on this stuff. Wonder how much more it will be used next election.
sgvaibhav: Sorry in your case internet failed
, but no worries you still got the bronze 
the NZ election is this year too – but I am finding the us election to be quite fascinating. This year is the first year that I have really paid attention to it. Largely thanks to the Internet
I’m with you jfrater – I’m from Australia and this is the first year I’ve ever really paid attention to US politics (except perhaps Bush vs Gore, but only because it was so close).
It’s interesting to see such a contrasting difference in the personalities of the candidates for this coming US election (at least they seem contrasting to me).
Also interesting is that it seems Palin is receiving much more media attention than the bloke who actually might be president.
You should not that the photo for the #6 item has been Photoshopped.
carpe_noctem, in response to post #1:
The reason this BS about Obama being an “seekrit mooslim” keeps being brought up is that “low information voters”, those with the IQ of a gnat, actually believe that all muslims are evil. They see the current state of affairs in Iraq and Afghanistan, they see the instability of that whole region, they watch FoxNews and The 700 Club, and they believe that it’s a religious war between muslims and christians.
Great list! I think the information age will lead to more informed voters hitting the booths this year. I get infuriated when people vote their party ticket without even knowing who they are voting for. As long as people take the time to trudge through the false accusations and mud-slinging to find out the truth, having all this info at our fingertips will prove invaluable. Well done, DanielS.
You forgot all the “internet savvy” liberal douche bags and conspiracy nuts who were tricked into believing Ron Paul is a super mega liberal protector of the Constitution.
OBAMA IN ’08!
knight_forked; Acctually Palin is pro-life. I guess doctors told her to abort her baby with downs syndrome and she refused.
“Barely anyone knew anything about her, causing bloggers to engage in a frenzy of research and rumors.”
That’s one way to put it…a coordinated campaign of lies and smears is another. Actually quite a lot of people knew about her…it’s just that people only get one side of the news from the MSM. Cry about Foxnews all day if you want, but it’s only one channel. MSNBC/CBS/NBC/ABC/CNN all report the same liberal slant that is put out by the dying NYT and Washington Post. Open your eyes.
The Daily KoS and DU represent mainstream Dem thought…face it. The loonies run the party.
And Obama is the only one playing the race or ‘muslim’ card. There isn’t anyone on the Right (except Birchers) that believes he’s a muslim or gives a flip that he “doesn’t look like the other presidents on the dollar bill”. The kooks on Right are kooks….the Dems make theirs chairmen. And speaking of Dem chairmen, I guess “God” wasn’t on their side….Gustav didn’t drown New Orleans. Keep dreaming, Dems.
Stop watching MSNBC and listening to Air America and you might learn something. Only people with an IQ of a gnat believe anything the DNC/MSNBC says. Everyone else will just ‘cling to their guns and their religion’ I suppose.
You could had added more like how Obama made the “pig in lipstick” comment. I have read that heaps of women are now supporting the republicans after that comment. Just a thought
Hear, hear, Mr Mojo! Fear of the Muslim ‘other’ seems to be all the rage in the use of fear in politics these days.
On a side note, I was wondering, as an Australian, if the US readers of listverse realise that the world is watching your Presidential election with great interest? After all, the US is the last remaining superpower, so what happens there has repercussions around the world…
mandysparky: could you please post a link to what you have read re: women supporting the republicans after the pig/lipstick comment?
17.mandysparky
Please reference where you read that. I would like to read it myself.
OBAMA IN ’08
This election, all the news information is pandering to the lowest possible denomination (as in, the least informed).
McCain, once a valiant hero, is now a doddering, mentally deficient fool. God, if only I were making this up! He literally forgets, from one public event to the next, what position he has taken, and what has been recorded on video only a week or two before, and he’ll deny ever having such a position, and claim to have the opposite position!
Now, if this happened once or twice, it would be easy to blame the rigors of the campaign trail. It’s not once or twice, though, it’s often. It’s often enough to make one consider that one may be observing the late/early signs of Alzheimer’s.
When the election was in it’s infancy, when everyone who wanted to run was still in the mix, he was actually my choice…until he started talking.
His choice of Palin was a real death knell. A woman who opposes womens rights? Not just that she wants to make abortion illegal, she doesn’t support equal pay for equal work!
Whoops.
Obama is an intelligent, eloquent man. He has shown remarkable character in the face of all the smears and lies, and his plans for the future of America, getting us out of a war we should never have been in, making us energy independent, creating jobs, etc., make sense.
That he can continue to keep his temper, and even laugh at himself, after all of the mud McCain and crew have slung, mark him as the better man for the job.
All that being said, what carries more weight with the average U.S. voter, is whatever is “reported” on Fox News (the U.S. tabloid television news service), Rush Limbaugh, an extreme right-winger, who simply loves the sound of his own voice (sorry rtr), 700 Club, and the pulpit of their fundamentalist church. Facts don’t matter with this crowd.
Too bad.
We used to have a nice little nation here, but that was long ago.
I want to be Sarah Palins Intern!
God, Guns, And Country
McCain Palin 08
I used to think that Obama was an intelligent man but now i see that he doesn’t even know how to use a telephone (#6). Just kidding, I never thought he was that intelligent.
Seriously if Mccain and Palin win, I will kill my self. One of the most powerful countries in the world controled by a creationist and an old guy who’ll probably die any time now, how is that even an option??
Don’t wait till they are elected just do it now
Sad thing is “low information voters” will decide the next US president. The only question is whether it’ll be idiots who think Obama is a muslim (despite the controversy over his Christian pastor) or the ones who think Palin hates women (despite the near certainty that she IS one).
The problem with the internet is that plenty of people still don’t realize that anyone can say anything online. There are so many rumors and lies spread about that you have to take everything with a grain of salt. People quote Wikipedia as if it were an authoritative source!
@Mandysparky
watch this and then comment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlN3JpWLF2w&feature=related
No, the Electoral College will decide the next president, as always. Note to all my fellow Americans: Your vote really *doesn’t* count.
Bob:
Don’t be silly. While it can be argued that the electoral college system needs some kind of tweaking, it does NOT mean that our “votes don’t count.” Historically, the electoral college has almost ALWAYS voted per the will of the voters in the *popular vote.* We vote for those delegates and they then obey the collective will that voted for them. That’s the system. It’s purpose was to be yet another safeguard put in place by our otherwise very wise founding fathers to prevent tyranny or scandal from sweeping a popular election.
Now, what DOESN’T work so well about the electoral college these days is that presidential elections have fallen more and more to the deciding vote of a single state or two… and it would be good to examine that and see if it doesn’t require a fix of some kind.
But our votes not counting? Please. A moment’s logical thought will show how off-kilter that statement is.
Randall look at how Maine and Nebraska choose their electors. Their methods may fix what you are describing.
Nauplius:
Yes, right… Maine and Nebraska deviate from the “winner take all” process. We may want to examine whether that’s what’s needed to be changed here.
robneiderman, in response to post #26:
I didn’t mean to make it seem like the R’s are the only party pulling these stunts. The D’s and even the I’s are just as guilty. Playing the press and going for the knee jerk issues has been a successful campaign strategy for all parties in the US for quite some time now. It is my sincere hope that as more and more people learn the ins and outs of the internet, fact checking by the individual will become more commonplace – as opposed to relying on the mass media to provide information without slanting everything.
Many people are still in the “the internet is a fun but useless toy” stage. With time they learn that the internet is more tool than toy. I get all my news and info from the web now instead of relying on FoxNews, CNN, MSNBC, etc. By reading or watching the news, then doing my own research, I can usually filter out the bias and get the whole story. My guess is that most people here on Listverse do the same thing. Unfortunately, people like us are still a minority in America, regardless of what the commercials would have you believe.
For the record, I believe McCain is going senile to some extent, I believe Palin is a standard far right conservative who was selected because she has boobs and may bring in some Hillary supporters, and I believe having Rove on the McCain team officially killed any chance of him gaining my support. I also believe that Obama is 90% talk, I believe that the D’s won’t get much (if anything) accomplished as long as Pelosi is Speaker, and that we will eventually end up either invading Iran or at least sending in special forces because diplomacy doesn’t always work.
With that said, I will be voting for Obama. I won’t expect miracles, but 4 years of listening to reports of scandals sounds more appealing than 4 more years of listening to death counts of American soldiers in foreign lands.
can we please stop with the rediculous, far-fetched, slippery slope arguments. obama is not a secret muslim ready to let terrorists in the back door. mccain is not an alzheimers patient that has one foot in the grave, ready to die before the end of the year.
can we please look at reality?
#17. mandysparky
You could had added more like how Obama made the “pig in lipstick” comment. I have read that heaps of women are now supporting the republicans after that comment. Just a thought
****
And the fact that McCain uses the “pig in lipstick” comment over and over and over, and has been doing so for years is suddenly forgotten?
I swear, the average voter gets the government it deserves!
mmmm… you forgot mitt roomney and the chuck norris facts
mandyspark and all-
There are actually millions of republican women that will vote democrat this election because they are pro-choice and want to uphold Roe v. Wade. They will also support the democrats because they are against the war in Iraq. Those are much better reasons to switch parties rather than being mad at a candidate because of some misinterpreted comment he made.
Wow this probably one of the most “current” events lists ever on Listverse.
Really interesting DanielS and thank you for your unbiased approach to the whole thing.
MT—I don’t think that millions of republican woman are dumb enough to believe that anything will change about abortion just because mccain and palin are pro-life. Bush is pro-life and has been president for 8 years and even appointed a couple of conservative judges to gain the majority……abortion will be legal for a loooooonnnnggg time and having a couple of pro-lifers won’t change it. Even when S. Dakota, which is full of conservatives, voted on making abortion illegal, nothing changed. Anyone who decides who they will vote for based solely are pro-life or pro-choice stance is an idiot. It’s almost as bad as voting based solely on skin color.
And I don’t think being for or against the war in Iraq makes much difference anymore either. That war is basically won and is on the decline. I hope that people find better reasons to not vote for or vote for someone other than abortion and Iraq war stance.
38.Lonnielanley-
There will be at least one and probably 2 Supreme Court Justices appointed within the next few years. Mccain would obviously replace the judges with his own ultra conservative, pro-life choices. That could create a real threat to legalized abortions.
And concerning this comment you made:
“And I don’t think being for or against the war in Iraq makes much difference anymore either. That war is basically won and is on the decline. I hope that people find better reasons to not vote for or vote for someone other than abortion and Iraq war stance.”
How could those not be 2 of the top reasons to select a candidate? (The economy being the other top reason). And by the way, the war is NOT won and cannot be won under these conditions. Maybe you should watch a few 9/11 tributes today on the anniversary of the worst tragedy on American soil and you will see how the war is really being fought and by who.
I hope you are a republican. We don’t need anyone with such stupid and uneducated opinions on our side of the aisle.
MT you sound like someone that would vote for Jane Fonda to get a political office.
Lonnielanley, I agree. Biden recently said as a Roman Catholic he is personally pro life but it’s a religious decision. He then went on to say there are many people that are just as religious as he is and they believe that abortion is not a sin so it should be left to the majority of people to decide.
This is also true about Palin she defiantly has a pro-life stance but Alaska has one of the highest abortion rates in the country and she has not attempted to make abortion illegal. She even remarked when her daughter was pregnant that she was pleased that she “chose” to have the baby.
As far as I’m concerned, Biden & Palin have the same thoughts on abortion but stuff like that is not picked up by the press.
MT
I think its time you moved to Canada you unpatriotic waste of skin.
Steve-
Is Jane running for something this year? Hell yea I’d vote for her!
Where are your references that she opposes ***** education. Everything I’ve read says she opposes contraception to kids in school but not the education of children on it.
Blogball-
McCain and Palin have said publicly that it is “God’s will” to win the war, etc. etc. The seperation of Church and State is getting much too murky. If religious choices are so private, then leave your God out when making decisions that affect me.
And the fact that Alaska has such a high abortion rate shows the need for ***** education which Palin opposes. She has made one bad political decision after another and now people thinks she’s qualified to be VP of America? What a joke!
Just because Palin is a woman doesn’t mean she can’t be anti-woman. She wants to deny us the right to choose, she wants to deny rape victims the right to abort a pregnancy that they had NO SAY IN CREATING. She is an advocate of abstinence only ***** education, which is ridiculous. You’re going to tell a bunch of horny teenagers to not have ***** and expect them to listen? Look at Bristol Palin! It really worked well for her didn’t it?
If ***** education was more extensive, teens would learn how to have safer *****, use protection, birth control, leading to fewer unwanted pregnancies, thus creating less of a need for abortions.
Women, say NO to Sarah Palin!
OBAMA/BIDEN ’08!
Haha, a Jane Fonda jab, wow that hasn’t been relevant for about a DECADE.
Steve=fail
Miss destiny you are just reenforcing the theme of this list which states that untrue things can be spread quickly through the internet. Palin is not a promoter of abstinence only ***** education and here is a reference for you.
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-*****ed6-2008sep06,0,3119305.story
Do some research commie.
In a widely published interview on Sept. 1, 2008 she stated:
“I’d Oppose Even If My Own Daughter Was Raped”
When asked about her specific views on family issues in a questionnaire, Governor Sarah Palin made clear she opposes *****-ed programs that distribute contraceptives in schools.
Her answer to the question “will you support funding for abstinence-until-marriage education instead of for explicit *****-education programs, school-based clinics, and the distribution of contraceptives in schools?” is potentially controversial to progressives and to some moderate, independent voters, while it will be celebrated by social conservatives.
The answer was short and to the point: “Yes, explicit *****-ed programs will not find my support.”
Tell me I’m wrong, that’s fine. Show me a source if you want, that’s fine.
But when you resort to namecalling, you make your entire point null and void.
I’m not a “commie” I’m simply a woman with an opinion. It differs from yours. Get over it.
Steve:
Tell me I’m wrong, that’s fine. Show me a source if you want, that’s fine.
But when you resort to namecalling, you make your entire point null and void.
I’m not a “commie” I’m simply a woman with an opinion. It differs from yours. Get over it.
And your effective argueing technique of taking jabs at a canidates family is also effective liberal media propoganda.
MT, do you really think praising and getting in bed with far left wing Hollywood stars is good for the democrats cause?
Remember what happened four years ago? http://photos1.flickr.com/3921110_21eeab1538.jpg
I just heard next Tuesday Barbra Streisand will have a major fundraiser for Obama in Los Angeles.
I really think this hurts the Dems more than it helps. (Just my opinion)
Sarah Palin took the VP position, she put herself and her family out there for public consumption and if they can’t handle it they can go back to home to Alaska.
You can’t tell me that if the situation were reversed, that if one of Obama’s daughters were 10 years older and pregnant, that the same or worse wouldn’t be said about them. Given the stereotypes that are already in place about minority teen pregnancies, and minorities in general, I can’t imagine they’d get off as easy as the Palin family.
17. mandysparky- That assumption doesn’t hold water. According to the latest polls, since Obama’s “pig wearing lipstick” comment, he actually gained momentum and is tied with McCain (beforehand he was trailing by a point or two).
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/poll-tracker.htm
I’m more concerned with getting local officials elected. That’s more important than the celebrity worship Presidential election while corrupt mayors, councilmen, and congressmen are getting elected under our noses while we are distracted about who among Obama or McCain will destroy America faster.
If we didn’t elect pussy congressmen and Senators in the first place the Presidency wouldn’t be essentially a dictatorship worthy of such attention.
On a side note today is seventh anniversary of 9/11. I still remember having woken up to the live telecast preparing to go to school. At first it all seemed so surreal, as if continuation of nightmare.
A couple of months back I got hold of Loose Change (Internet blockbuster?…may be) by 9/11 Truth Movement. It raises some real interesting questions that makes you think whether a new independent investigation should have been initiated. No matter what this administration dwelt on a bunch of lies even if not to the ranks of those described in this documentary. I am sure most of you already have read about/seen it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loose_Change_(video)
Of course, the task for voters is not to elect the ones who don’t lie and deceive but to elect the ones who do it the least.
Steve:
A Jane Fonda joke? “Unpatriotic waste of skin”? “Do some research commie”?
I suggest breaking the moron pills in half next time, Steve, you’re overdosing.
I imagine (no doubt I’m right–I always am) that you are either A) some proto-fascist teenage twerp similar to that genius who knocked up Palin’s daughter or B) you are some pathetic older sort (perhaps would explain the laughably out-of-date Jane Fonda reference) anywhere from 20-something to 40-something, who bags groceries at the local A&P for a living and spends his off-time lurking on the internet, waiting to devastate all of us unpatriotic, America-hating “commies” with his razor-sharp wit. When of course, in reality, the wit is barely literate and is as dull and limp as an overcooked strand of linguine.
Now then, since we clearly can’t trust you for a moment as any kind of unbiased voice, you can easily be dispensed with, which is fitting.
To begin with, everything MT said is absolutely correct; we face, in McCain/Palin, the worst Pres/VP team in modern memory—not only incompetent, ill-tempered, inappropriate and simply dead wrong on the issues, but also a ticket guaranteed to continue the policies of the last 8 years, from one of the most disastrous presidencies in history. The “cause,” Steve, is over, finished, and your side is not only intellectually bankrupt but morally bankrupt as well. If McCain wins, you can pat yourself on the back for helping to push your country a little closer to the edge of absolute calamity… which it will surely reach in due course if no alteration is made in the tack the Republicans would continue to take us on.
As for your reference regarding Palin’s stance on ***** education—simply from reading the story it’s clear NOT what her stance ACTUALLY is but rather that she has WAFFLED on it. However, given her comments and overall demeanor before being named McCain’s VP pick and after, it’s apparent that she’s more than willing to follow an extremist-Christian path on all issues, meaning that were it up to her, we might NOT have ***** education in the schools (we can’t tell) and certainly women would NOT have the right to choose, and certainly we would have Creationism taught alongside evolution–or perhaps even supplanting it. Along with a myriad of other insane, anti-civlized goodies she would bring to the table.
This can also be surmised not only from Palin’s own comments and speeches, but from the general mien of the Republican party, which has long since been co-opted, for all practical purposes, by a lumpen, extremist Christianity.
Miss Destiny Rocks!
OBAMA IN ’08!!!
Thank you Randall! You said it much better than I could have!