Obama wakes silent masses / McCain rallies GOP supporters
The political actions of the people of the United States of America have truly surprised me over the months preceding and entering into the Democratic and Republican debates for the party nominations. Even further now to the chosen two: Senator Barack Obama and Senator John McCain. The political battles are just beginning. There is recent data indicating Barack Obama the Democratic nominee for president leads opposing GOP nominee John McCain by 15 points in recent polls.
The races for the nominee positions of both parties was strangely devoid of scandal and heavy smearing this time around. Everything in these tense political battles, especially in the past Senate and House elections have been marked by scandals, smear campaigns and debates facing candidates with questions experienced politicians ‘home run.’ Of course there were a few incidents, but nothing matching the weird sex scandals of the congressional elections.
Things are heating up, both candidates seem focused on winning over voters in skeptical and ambiguous groups. McCain may be looking to shore-up his Republican base, which after Bush’s disastrous presidency seem more willing to listen to opposing viewpoints. Obama is leading in black voters and women; as well as in certain minority groups. He could be looking to win over independent voters at this point, who are split in support of the two candidates.
The Democratic presidential nominee holds an early lead, but US elections are strange and disturbing roller coaster rides straight to the finish line. The winds of support shift madly for presidential candidates it seems. Every day becomes a victory, a disaster or one of those odd interludes when things quiet down and the candidates lay unconscious in dark rooms. McCain and Obama spend those quiet days being fed through needles, minds doped with lithium to remove them from all notion of consciousness while Buddhists, Brazilian massage artists and evangelists pray over their comatose bodies. Obama even recently admitted McCain’s choice in massage artist was “insightful and practical.”
McCain will, in most probability, attack Obama on the issue of experience. The question that will soon be answered is: Experience or change? Which will win votes? The Iraq war is another issue McCain may choose to bring to center light, and hope a nation once assaulted by terrorists on that fateful day in September of 2001 will cast votes for a candidate vowing to protect America from middle-eastern threats.
The ‘Hope for America’ campaign worked by Representative Ron Paul during the party nominations was like nothing I’d seen in politics before. It was a politician who made sense. Paul’s bid for the nomination truly quickened a lost dream I’d had for America for many years. The laws passed that invaded our freedoms, the corporate corruption and the wars had eroded my hope in the American dreams of freedom and justice for all.
In the years of chaos perpetrated by the Bush administration it seemed people were getting more and more worried. They would speak to me about the terrible things happening in the world, the corporate monsters chewing up foreign countries for slave labor and clear cutting, and the countless dangerous laws that seemed to slide right through Congress. There seemed little hope, and the country supported Bush. We did nothing.
The true actions of our government began reaching citizens through the internet and media. People were becoming aware slowly but surely. Soon the malcontents were nearly matching those still supporting the president. Still nothing happened, no action was taken. They were content in their ability to do nothing. It was an epidemic of apathy, of concerned citizens too busy and distracted by economic troubles, the television world and forty hour work weeks. A feeling of helplessness and fear stank the taverns, malls and homes in those days.
Then I started hearing about a doctor running for the GOP nomination named Ron Paul. I started hearing about his morality, his stance on issues like big business, foreign policy and big government. Surfing the internet I watched a series of debates and was literally shocked by this man’s straight forward logical nature.
So many took it as such a huge offense for Paul to say the 9/11 attacks were blowback from covert military operations perpetrated by the United States in the middle-east years ago. I recall Paul’s words being twisted into an idea that he believed we as Americans had invited the 9/11 attacks.
Perhaps I’m missing something, but doesn’t it make sense that those we attack and interfere with will find ways to strike back on us?
If Iraq or some middle-eastern country armed Canadians and Mexicans to attack Americans, and armed us as well to create warefare; if a foreign country executed and replaced our president with a dictator, would we be upset? Oh yes we would. Would we carry out a cowardly attack with hijacked commercial airliners? No. We’d send much more potent missiles. The kind that kill in great numbers. We would make our enemies suffer, because, as of Bush’s administration as president, the United States has become a nation in the business of war and economic domination.
Ron Paul’s fellow republican candidates put up better arguments at times, and the extreme issue stances Paul took on things like homeland security and the drug war made it impossible for him to make a solid run for the GOP nomination. But Ron Paul was the beginning. I was seeing that people were finding him, and they were finding something to believe in. They believed in a better America. It overjoyed me to see such a rallying of political activity by younger people like myself. Ron Paul signs still dot a few of the yards here in central Wisconsin. I smile when I see them, reminded of the apathy Paul had cured in so many.
Senator John McCain of Arizona won the Republican nomination in a landslide victory, despite the enthusiasm of Huckabee, Romney and Paul supporters. Though polls have shown McCain only noq holds about 60% of the Republican vote, his quick victory as the nominee could be a sign of a greater support for the GOP nominee in the country than polls have indicated. McCain offered few ideas of ‘change’ in the country however, and has had difficulty distancing himself from the lame duck president Bush.
As I continued watching things develop I realized another candidate had captured the hearts and minds of many of the American people. A Senator from Illinois named Barack Obama. His slogan of “Change” and promises to pursue a course of action towards a better USA had grabbed the general public’s full attention.
In silence so many people had apposed the Iraq war. They saw the economy slipping. Gas prices were rising. Average Americans were working two and three jobs just to hold onto their homes.
“Change” was a word that many Americans flocked to. And they believed Barack Obama would be the man to bring about whatever “change” the people were searching for. They are searching now. The promise of change has awoken a long sleeping mass within our country of young adults, average Americans, families and hibernating independents. They’ve stepped up to support their hero; but when election day comes will they show up to cast their votes? Will it be enough?
Those that support the Republican party and the Iraq war may however prevail as they have done in the two previous presidential elections. Those of the mid-right in political view (McCain’s strongest supporters) are an honorable and reliable bunch that are getting excited with their candidate, though perhaps not to the extent of Obama supporters. If McCain can quickly regain his Republican base, and win over white voters and independents (both groups are split down the middle in support for the two candidates) he could easily move into the lead and secure office through his stout determination to make things right in Iraq, and the simple fact of his extensive experience in world affairs that his contender seems to lack. Will the progressive republican candidate John McCain win over an America (as the ideal choice) to bring much needed stability, experience and strength in the White House?
The biggest question in my mind is if elected, will the victorious candidate remain true to the promises they’d made during the race?