So, here we are, teetering nervously on the brink of another result day. The biggest difference is this time the Republican candidate is a fossil, not a chimp. There’s definately a buzz in the air, although it could just be the caffiene I’ve saved up for this very occasion. The Internet is aflame with opinions and values… and people calling the opposing candidate a fruity variety of ethnic and homophobic slurs, but Youtube will be youtube. I prefer to take a less hostile stance in these final moments of indecision, the time for rallying cries and stirring speeches is over. The only thing that will influence the outcome of the election now is the hearts and minds of the American people. I am perhaps speaking slightly out of character as a cynical, bitter Brit who spends his days rubbing his cultural identity into the brick wall of a crumbling coal mine when I say that I do have some faith in the average American citizen. After all, no reasonable human being could be seduced again by the poorly thought out economic policies and war mongering propoganda of the American right, could they?
One of the things that irritates me is just how much the coverage mentions the colour of Obama’s skin. In about 30 minutes I heard an uncountable number of references to his race. I mean, I understand that the fact that he is the first African American (well, half African American) candidate to run for the presidency and succeed in getting this far will be on the minds of many voters (influencing them either positively, negatively, or not at all) but does the media really need to mention it every time some overweight, nylon suit clad, just-left-of-Mosley political “commentator” (or shit stirrer, depending on how sugar coated you want the title to be) opens his mouth in order to disecrate the opposition’s wealth as a human being?
One of the reasons this election is so vital is that if the vote goes to the Republicans and McCain dies in office (choking on a Murray Mint or something), we’ll have potty Palin running the most militaristically powerful country on Earth. We can expect wars with anyone remotely left of field, or right of field in a way the CIA disapprove of, or anyone that Palin feels is sheltering that baby deer she failed to execute last year. If this is the case, and the presidency falls to her in this manner… Well, may China have mercy on us all…
I will cut this non sensical rant short (at the same time ignoring the fact that in the above paragraph I was being just as slimy and underhanded in my criticism as the Bill O’Reiley clones I mentioned earlier), but I will say this. We are on the doorstep to what may go down in history as one of the most socially and historically important US elections of all time, a time that could shape the nature of the next decades. Let us just hope that the rightful candidate wins (in case the BBC needs any clarity, that’s the black one… *sigh*)
Oh, and just in case things do go to hell and we do end up locked in a second cold war, I wish to point out my usefulness to our new Chinese masters as a fresh member of the widespread blogging community, which will make an excellent propoganda tool… P-Please don’t kill me…
Tom “ask not what your comments can do for you” Harrison,
- Tom.
EDIT: Sorry to keep blabbering, but this is just too hilarious for you all to miss. Some flag waving, blindly patriotic American has decided to make a montage of pictures that show how much America “rox”, and then put it to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA”. He even goes so far as to acknowledge just how bizarre this is. Oh, don’t read the comments if you want your faith in humanity to remain intact.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7oVzHm_S0-A
