Julie Luongo

“I look at these people and can’t quite believe that they exist. Are they professional actors? I wonder. Or are they simply laymen who want a lot of attention? To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat. ‘Can I interest you in the chicken?’ she asks. ‘Or would you prefer the platter of shit with bits of broken glass in it?’ To be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and then ask how the chicken is cooked.” ~David Sedaris, on undecided voters (Thanks, D.)

Thanks, Jenn

Recently I was asked why I keep blogging about the upcoming presidential election. To that I answer – because I must! I let Al Gore slip through my country’s fingers and now we have war, fewer civil rights, and a bad economy. I don’t blame Bush for all of these things. I blame us. “By the People, for the People,” people.

If you don’t like it, check in on Nov. 5th when we’ll be back to our regular programming of bad television commercials, good stories about people I know, and amusing stuff I stumbled upon.

I’ll admit, I haven’t exactly taken the high road with my political posts. I was irresponsible when I said that Sarah Palin wanted to ban books. When I brought up the 1-in-3 chance that McCain will die in the next 4 years, I’m not exactly talking policy. When I pointed out that Palin is an under-education extremist glazed with beauty pageant insincerity, I’m punching below the belt.

But I expect that most people will decide what’s important to them, research the candidates’ platforms, and decide. That’s what I did, which is why I have free time to play in the muck. However, if you’re still undecided or if you’re interested in my priorities, I’ll tell you why I’m voting for Obama.

Things I care about:

1. MYSELF

I’m selfish, and I want healthcare. Yes, I’m one of the millions of Americans without healthcare. If you have healthcare, you can’t imagine the horror a trip-and-fall or a bad cold or a sharp pain in your side inspires. Debt, financial ruin, and never-ending poverty, oh my. (I’ve threatened death to anyone who calls 911 on my behalf. So, add murder charge to the list of healthcare-related fears I have.)

* Obama’s plan will make low-cost insurance available to everyone. It will also subsidize premiums for low to moderate-income families. This plan is estimated to reduce the number of uninsured by 18 million people in the first year.

* McCain’s plan will “replace the current exclusion for employer-paid premiums with a refundable income tax credit of up to $5000 for anyone purchasing of health insurance.” This plan will reduce the number of uninsured by 1 million in the first year.

Obama’s plan works better for me and 18 million people like me.

2. OTHER PEOPLE

I want US troops out of Iraq. I didn’t want to be there in the first place. Talk about misplaced aggression. I’m not talking about the government for invading Iraq, I’m talking about American’s for accepting and supporting it.

* Obama wants to get out of Iraq. He’s also proposed a UN-led Iraqi constitutional convention and an international group to solve the refugee problem.

* McCain supports the war and has plans to increase the size of the military, defeat al Qaeda in Iraq, install democracy, and eventually decrease our military presence in Iraq by 2013.

Obama’s plan is definitely aligned with my ideals. Plus, it’ll save us money better spent elsewhere.

3. OUR FUTURE

If the US doesn’t improve its education system, we’re sunk. I want more money for good teachers especially in Math and Science. Sounds simple, right? It is.

* Obama wants to put more money into education. He would like to move away from traditional testing to judge schools. He wants to increase Pell grant awards so more college students can pay for education. And he wants to improve teacher quality and increase teacher pay.

* McCain wants to improve No Child Left Behind to fix problems with testing students with disabilities and non-English-speaking students. He backs greater federal funding of Pell grants to help students afford college. And he supports vouchers to enable parents to choose better schools saying that competition will force public schools to improve. (HAHAHAHA!!!)

Despite the similarities, overall, Obama has placed more importance on education. I think he’s more likely to raise the severely waning standards in US schools.

Taxes? I don’t much care. But you might. So, here’s the long and short.

* Obama is proposing a tax cut to people making under $250,000.

* McCain is proposing a tax cut to the top 5% of earners.

I realize that you might not have the same priorities. I don’t expect you to care about my healthcare or Iraq or a long-term plan to improve US competitiveness on a global scale. If you want to weight the importance of the issues to help you decide, then play Candidate Match Game. And if you still can’t decide, then remember, a vote for Obama is a vote for healthcare for ME!

“The strangest and most fantastic fact about negative emotions is that people actually worship them.” ~P. D. Ouspensky

Things are getting ugly. The video above is from the McCain rally in the Lehigh Valley (Thanks, GoDrex). The McCain supporters, although they seem pointlessly angry and crazy, are yelling at Obama supporters who are standing across the street with signs. So, the vitriol has a target.

The other day in my local paper, a woman complained about the ilk of Obama supporters in a letter to the editor. She wrote:

I’d like to thank the creep(s) who stole the McCain campaign sign from my front lawn. Why? Because it just reinforces the negative mentality of most Obama supporters and the illegal tactics they’re resorting to in order to try and get this radical elected.

So, there you have it. Thieves and simpletons duking it out. (Sigh)

“Americans… still believe in an America where anything’s possible – they just don’t think their leaders do.” ~Barack Obama

2nd Debate

Pennsylvania voters are drunk with power. We are the few, the proud, the lucky. We are the people whose votes actually matter. The rest of you in red and blue states can kiss my purple pinkie ring. I vote and it counts!

Just kidding. Your votes matter, too.

I haven’t blogged since the last presidential debate. I’ll be brief, as we all have to get back to work holding tight to the last thread that’s keeping our economy together.

VP Debate Debacle

Sarah Palin can’t hide that she’s every bit as psychotic, clueless, and condescending as the media makes her out to be. Hey, Sarah, telling people you’re shooting straight and then avoiding questions and winking does not trick us into believing you have integrity. Also, you’re using the word “maverick” incorrectly.

Joe Biden is a knowledgeable guy and the bravest man in America to have said in a public forum that Cheney is the most dangerous VP ever. Joe. Can I call you that? Friendly warning, don’t go hunting with Dick. Ah, forget it. You’re screwed. You know he’s the devil, right? Way to stay under his radar, Joe.

Town Hall Presidential Debates:

John McCain lurched and sneered like caricature of a crabby old man. Had I been in the Town Hall, I would have been afraid he was going to topple over on me. But I wasn’t there and I’m not afraid. I’ve got Obama to tower over him and defend my right to health care.

Barack Obama did not lurch or sneer or make jokes that didn’t land or awkwardly pat an audience member on the back. In fact, through the debate rhetoric I saw glimpses of his plan, the ones I believe can restore the US to global competitiveness. These are not shortsighted goals. Add to it that Obama has a better than 1-in-3 chance of living through the next four years, so right there his long-term plan is better than McCain’s.

Cheap shots. I know.

In all seriousness, when it comes down to it, there’s one thing on the top of my list of priorities for my government, and it’s been there for years. We need to improve our educational system. And if we can entice the best and brightest to math and science, we might have a fighting chance to compete in an increasingly intellectual world where intelligence and innovation are the cornerstones to solvency. Look around. We are not the best and brightest anymore. We are lazy and undereducated with entitlement issues.

But none of this is what the debates are about. They’re about who looks better. My ruling:

McCain looks like a ghost.

Obama looks like the next President.

I’m counting on you PA voters. If you can’t bring yourself to vote for Obama, then just don’t vote. If you vote for McCain and he croaks in office and we get that bloody idiot for our president, you will know my wrath.

FYI: Donna Brazile is not going to the back of the bus.