I’m experiencing an equal sense of hope and dread about the upcoming election. I am SOOOO ready for a change from the idiocy we’ve been operating under for the past 7 years (which would be laughable if it weren’t so completely depressing )….. and yet what will the change bring?
I’m looking at the polls and wonder who all these people are who are so excited about Hillary. I’m not. And even though I run with a pretty progressive/liberal crowd, none of my compatriots are thrilled with her either. Most are in the Obama camp, one is true-blue Kucinich, though I think we’d vote for Hillary over any of the choices the Republicans are serving up….   but none of us want her to get the Democratic nomination, so I am curious – who and where are all these Hillary supporters?? Why don’t I know any? Do you?Â
It’s not that I think she wouldn’t make a good president, it’s that I’m really ready for a CHANGE. A progressive change. It’s been Bush/Clinton/Clinton/Bush/Bush for almost 20 years, and I think there is so much bad blood that it will be difficult for many to look past their hatred of her husband and give her a chance.   (At least that’s the scuttlebut I hear from my conservative relatives.)
I like Obama. He’s smart. He’s articulate. He’s hopeful. He’s inspiring. He brings a fresh perspective. He has the “it” factor….  he’s the kind of person I think could facilitate mending the beleagured spirit of our nation, and also rebuild our tattered and strained relationship with the rest of the world.  To bring some dignity and respect back to the office of the president.  Â
But I’m afraid he won’t get the nomination, and my choice will be Hillary vs. the unthinkable – she’ll lose and we’ll be in for more warmongering, wire tapping, big pharma & black water and kissing the environment, equality and personal liberties goodbye.
Which brings me back to my equal parts hope and dread. Â
Last night as I watched the Emmys I was reminded how with every day that passes, I feel more and more that the American people were cheated when we lost Al Gore as president.
At the time of the controversy, I wasn’t sure it would make so much difference that Bush “won”. But had the popular vote been the determining factor, or had Florida got it together and made sure all voters were directed to the correct polling place, etc. etc., I truly believe America would be a happier, safer place, and in a different position, than we find ourselves in now.
Had Al Gore been sworn in as president, I think we may have very well avoided the mess in Iraq. Not that he wouldn’t have acted to protect us from terrorism. I’m sure he would have, but he probably would have thought it all through, and if barging into Iraq without the support of the UN, with only a “coalition of the willing” was determined necessary/appropriate/justified, would have formulated plans that had a chance at success. He’d not have given the rest of the world more reason to hate us.
Bush’s policies haven’t reduced the threat of terrorism — they have increase it.
If we’d had the leadership of Al Gore, we’d have a better, more sensitive view on protecting the world on which all live. We’d have more interest in and place more value on our relationships with other nations. We’d be working to solve problems, not just arrogantly telling everyone the way it’s going to be. We would most likely have spent less time looking around the world and labeling other leaders as evil and dangerous while actually being one of those dangerous leaders, and more time and energy on making the US a better place to live.
We’d have an intelligent, articulate president that had a clue what was going on in the country and in the world, instead of Bush’s tendency to see nothing outside his little circle of incompetent friends.
We’ve been so cheated. And it may take decades, if it is even possible, to fix the damage to the country, to our reputation, the neglect of our needs socially and of the environment. And for those families who have lost fathers, sons and brothers to a war we rushed into, and arguably should never have entered, nothing can undo the loss they have suffered.
So to those of you who voted for Bush the first time around, I wish you hadn’t. And for all of those who voted for Bush a SECOND time, and then realized later that was a mistake (and apparently there are a lot of you), I’m really cranky with you. Couldn’t you have looked around at what was happening and realized, at the time, that change was in order, rather than dooming us to another 4 years of this mess in the world and neglect at home?
Cranky is the nice word for how I feel about it.
Thanks for putting how I feel into words, Kristin. I, too, lament (quite freqently) the fact that Al Gore was not in the White House the past 7 years…. the only thing that has made it bearable at all is Jon Stewart / The Daily Show.
I believe he was the best candidate we’ve seen in years…. I kept hoping he might throw his hat in the ring again this time, but he’s found his new passion – and who can blame him for staying away from another election?
And summing it up pretty nicely is my pal Janice over at Chopped Liver Productions…
http://choppedliverproductions.com/flash/wishyouwerehere.swf
Kristin, I voted for Bush the 2nd time and wish I hadn’t! I agree with both you and Alli. I like Obama as well, people argue that he doesn’t have enough experience with foreign policy, could he really be any worse than the current idiot?
I also voted for Bush and wish I hadn’t. I like Obama. My main concern about Hilary is that we have so many problems with Islam Nations and their view of Women is really pre historic. I think putting Condi Rice in Colin Powells post was insane and she has been useless. Not because she is not capable but wrong person , wrong job. Obama would have more of a chance to negotiate with the Islam countries. He is young and not jaded by the system.
The only person I’d feel good about winning is Dennis Kucinich. He is the only person who is right on every issue, which is why he won’t win. (Was I the true blue Kucinich reference? If not I should have been)…
I will of course vote for whoever the Democratic nominee is. There is not a single Republican I’d want to see win. For awhile I thought possibly Guiliani, but no way. I used to like McCain until he started kissing the butts of the religious wrong. Now I have no respect for him because he does not believe the way those people do, and is just pandering to them.
Mitt Romney is the biggest jackass to ever run for president, and he is the most brazen opportunist I’ve ever seen. Will say anything to any group to charm a vote out of them. I would not vote for a Mormon, not when they take vows to ‘obey’ the prophet. I do not want the Mormon prophet running the country …. or the Pope…. or any other religon that would cloud the judgement and prejudice the opinions of whoever leads us.
Al Gore would have been a superb president. When I saw ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ in the theater, I nearly wept at how articulate and intelligent he was. When I think we could have had that instead of the moron that has nearly ruined this country for the last 8 years it was a depressing thought.
When I remember the debates between Gore and Bush, and later between Kerry and Bush…. I remember that I saw two statesmen, both very qualified to be president – on the stage with an idiot who had a microphone slinked up the back of his suit so they could tell him what to say… And how this country has suffered with someone who was never qualified to be president, and who has allowed people like Dick Cheney to call the shots..
Oh well enough of my rant.. You all get where I am coming from. Kucinich is the only right choice, as far as I’m concerned, but the media has decided he’s not got a shot so he never gets any coverage away from Commondreams..
Some Kucinich Links.. the last one is especially interesting:
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/08/29/kucinich-owns-the-livestrong-cancer-forum-leads-msnbc-poll-again/
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/08/30/dennis-kucinich-%e2%80%93-there-isn%e2%80%99t-much-difference-between-hillary-and-bush/
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/07/15/dennis-kucinich-duncan-hunter-debate/
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/03/26/dennis-kucinichs-message-to-moveonorg-members/
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/09/25/dennis-kucinich-on-jay-leno/
This is really funny… A bit of good humored bashing of Kucinich:
http://www.jwharrison.com/blog/2007/10/02/the-colbert-report-%e2%80%93-dennis-kucinich-is-on-notice/