Away from Games: Toward Armageddon; Why I Hate American Politicans and Sarah Palin

The aftermath of Sarah Palin's ascent to the international spotlight has shown yet again what a circus the American political process is. As a veteran and a citizen of the United States, I would like to appeal to anyone overseas who might be reading this: just as you are aghast, so are some of us embarrassed, to put it mildly. At this point, trillions of innocent 1's and 0's have lost their lives in the service of defending or excoriating John McCain's vaginally-advantaged running mate, and after reading all the available material... I am still going to vote for Obama, just like I did during the primaries.

For those who want an even-handed look at her excellency, check out Newsweek's cover story from this week. I'm left of center, certainly, but it strikes me as a balanced piece, considering the author applauds Palin for her grit, resolve, and tenacity even as it shines a light on the issues her detractors point to as signs of extremism, cronyism, or corruption.

What astounds me about the campaign season is not the craven, cynical way the Republicans mount smear campaigns through ad hominem television commercials and deceptive, anonymous e-mails. If it works, it works. Even though I believe elections should be about issues, my inner pragmatist won't pretend that contestants in a competition should avoid a strategy that enables victory. I don't agree with it from a moral standpoint, seeing as we are talking assigning a finger next to the big, red button marked "NUKE'EM," but politics and government have always been and will always be about treading the gray waters of ethical compromise.

No, I understand competition, the lust for power, and the desire to win at all costs. What alternately depresses and enrages me is not the actions of the gladiators but the behavior of the audience in our American coliseum. The pliability and simplicity of the American people for whom the Carl Rove playbook is written speaks to the same systemic problems that lead the people of our country to watch reality TV, eschew books, gorge on McDonalds, and buy into implausible financial scenarios like those that spawned the subprime mortgage crisis.

Tuesday the news and blogs were alight with McCain's new ad implying Barack Obama compared Governor Palin to a pig. In fact, the ad took comments by Senator Obama vastly out of context, so much so that they might have appeared in a high concept comedy parodying the Presidential race. I'd like to believe the American people, the same Americans who have wisely shown an enormous disapproval of President Bush, will shame these tactics at the ballot box. Between a whimpering economy and a tough-talkin' Russia and two wars and healthcare and education, the next President is not sashaying into the post-Clinton primrose surplus the way George W. Bush did. Whoever puts his hand up and swears to dutifully execute the office of the President come January 20 has a monstrous task before him. I want to believe we the people will take seriously the issues at hand and discount such meaningless, spiteful invectives.

But then again we are the same nation that crowns American Idols and whose need for celebrity gossip can only be sated by the joint efforts of Us Weekly, In Touch, and Life & Style. Watch how the gulf between the candidates buckles with every shot fired, if the polls are to be believed. (I should counter my cynicism here: these are the same polls that dismissed McCain around this time last year.) Who cares whether this person can shoot a moose? Lehman Brothers is imploding. We just regulated the two largest mortgage lenders, and we did all this while trampling the grave of Bear Stearns. This as we hemorrhage billions each month for two Middle Eastern war fronts. Why does anyone waste any air time or pen time on how she feels about sex education?

Then there's the fact that she's attached to the McCain ticket as the vice presidential nominee. The VICE President.
Remember that time when Vice President Gore... uhh...
Oh, and remember when Dan Quayle really shook things up when he... uhhh...
Yeah.
The Vice President golfs, attends military base openings in states with low population, and occasionally is asked to cast a tie-breaking vote in the Senate. How can this woman have anywhere close to the valence she is having in the election? Dick Cheney is an anomaly, easily the most powerful Vice President in the country's history, and that was because his candidate is a stooge! I agree it's important to inspect her given her proximity to the real job, but it's a rather grim prospect to ignore that dude with white hair who looks like a lizard, the one running for President, while the Barracuda is being trotted out for a dog and pony show. You sometimes just have to stand in awe at the political sleight of hand the Republicans pull out every four years.