Politics

Guess what I did today? Yep! I voted. Did you?

Whatever your political leanings, please go vote. There are many people around the world watching us, envying our right to choose our leaders in safety and without repercussions. Please don't take this right for granted!

My polling place was a weird one. It had 5 parking spaces---including the single handicapped space. And a lot of "fire trucks only" curb, which everyone was ignoring. The little lobby of the you-store-it business that was my polling place squeezed in about ten of those collapsible voting booths, a table to sign in at and the ballot accepting machine (is there a better name for that sucker?)

Even with all that craziness, Randy and I were in and out again in less than 10 minutes! That's really good! Mom called and said she spent almost 2 hours waiting to vote, signing in and voting. Wow. Here I was, ready to knit in public (KIP) today with a freshly cast-on pair of socks for Randy...and no chance to actually KIP!

I was saddened to learn that on the eve of this election, Senator Obama's grandmother, "Toot", passed away. My condolences to Senator Obama and his family. What should be a happy time (hopefully) will be marred by her passing. Even though he knew her health was failing, I'm sure he hoped she'd make it through today, to see the end of the campaign and the results. I'm glad he knew it was important to stop campaigning and go see her.

While I'm thinking of families, be sure to reach out to your family members, especially those across party lines and idealogical beliefs from you and remind them to vote (or thank them if they have).

Check your local newspapers (and their websites, if they have one) to see if that little "I voted today" sticker will get you a freebie or a discount. I haven't found one I'm interested in yet (Cold Stone Creamery, you hear that?) but the "Sticker specials" are out there!

Happy Election Day, my fellow tax-payers!

Yesterday was a long day for me and by the time I got home, I was too tired to watch the debates with anything resembling a working brain. So, I took some time today, to watch. And this time, I made some notes as it ran. Some relate to specific points in the debate. I'm linking to the transcript at the LA Times, so you can see the original words in context.

My first thought was how often McCain talked about Americans being angry---he seems to focus on anger a lot. I wonder how much of that is him projecting his own issues with anger onto the people he meets?

At first, I thought Obama wasn't taking notes and wondered if it was a tactic to emphasize McCain's need for notes and his use of notes---kind of a subconscious pointer to McCain's age. But, I think I saw a pad and pen for Senator Obama as well...and maybe saw him writing once or twice??? Are both candidates left-handed? Or did I imagine that?

A couple of times, McCain stopped, backed up, added a phrase or sentence and moved forward. It gave him the sound of someone working in memorized little speeches instead of working from his own mental processes.

I like how Senator Obama appeared more flexible, bringing McCain's own words "scalpel" and "hatchet" into his responses---and bringing up the scalpel again later on. Let me quote a couple spots:

McCain says: (trimmed to just this part)

Senator Obama responds:

Later on, Obama says: (trimmed to just this part)

That brings me to another comment. Why does McCain keep mentioning autism and Sarah Palin? Why does he say:

And then later:

Does he think Trig Palin has autism? I'm not all that informed on politicians and their families, but how can anyone not know Trig has Down's Syndrome, especially after all the "is Trig really Piper's baby?" rumors?

I'm going to back up to a point I liked:

I think McCain got schooled on that point.

Am I the only one who was reminded of a lizard, every time McCain's tongue darted out to lick his lips? I wish I knew how to edit the footage to just cuts of all the times he licked his lips that way. ::shudder::

As the debate progressed, I felt like McCain got more and more sarcastic towards Senator Obama. I also felt it betrayed a sense of "I'm losing" on McCain's part.

Oh, this part really bugged me:

He lumped people with life-threatening situations which require transplants in with people who have cosmetic surgery. Now, I understand that sometimes cosmetic surgery is truly necessary and important---like in the case of burn victims, or mastectomy patients.

And to say these people have "gold-plated Cadillac insurance policies" is just... Is he really disparaging these people who need coverage beyond "major medical" and a yearly check-up----people like me, who are on maintenance medications just to function daily, who see their doctor every three months, just to keep on top of things? And I'm not really in the worst shape.

I just read of a young girl here in the Valley who was given mere months to live, at age 15, due to the brain tumors she had. Her parents fought and encouraged her to fight and they removed the tumors, but didn't give her much time---maybe 3 years. Well, it's been 3 years and she's still fighting, but now her parents may lose their home due to all the medical bills which have piled up.

I don't think anyone who needs more than "just the basic care" thinks of themselves as having a "gold-plated Cadillac insurance policy"---especially if they've ever had to fight to get something covered!

Now, he mentions before that statement giving $5000 to you for insurance, but didn't he also say:

There's no money left, McCain. It's gone. The country is in debt unto the nth generation. Where's this money gonna come from? You got a printing press in your basement, working to devalue the dollar some more?

One thing I'm going to go research because of this debate is Obama's plans for education. He said something that really caught my attention:

Now, those who know me, know a couple things about me. One, I finished my degree with a toddler and a husband. I did that with student loans. Loans which are now costing me about $220 a month. You also know that I'm not a fan of the Department of Education. I think it should be shut down and left for the states to handle---you want competitive schools, let the states build their school systems and create a real competition! Only with competition do we all win.

But this proposal could be a good idea. I'll have to read up on it and see how it's supposed to work, to make my decision.

That's all the comments I have for now on this debate. Except for clothing.... Is it odd to anyone else that the "blue" candidate wore a red tie and the "red" candidate wore a blue tie? And that their wives wore the opposite colors?

I despise John McCain. I really don't need any more help with this, but I keep getting it! I'm quoting from McCain's divorce strained relationship with Reagans, which is all over the web, but I'm linking to the azcentral copy.

Let me repeat one sentence from that article: In fact, McCain obtained an Arizona marriage license on March 6, 1980, while still legally married to his first wife.

Obviously, since she later married him, it didn't bother her that he was already married. I wonder how much she worries about him doing it again? Do you think she's got a bullet-proof pre-nup that'll castrate him if he strays?

And this could be our next First Lady? I hope there's no leaders of other countries with wandering eyes, 'cause Cindy could cause some problems...for the ones with bad eyesight, that is.

Of course, she wasn't the one who was married at the time, so perhaps she has some morals. So, are there any hot looking wives---or rather daughters, since he prefers them young---of foreign leaders? Maybe all those McCain supporters should consider whether they want this hot-tempered, adulterer to spend 2009 in the White House?

Okay, I'm just shaking my head in disgust at the ignorance running rampant around Prop 102 here in Arizona. I found a site for the supporters of this proposition... Look at what they said in one section (and I don't think I'm taking it out of context, either):

Okay.... I just gotta ask. Would one of you (straight) readers please tell me: could anyone convince you to go gay? I mean...really? Did you feel that "powerful shockwaves of destructive gay energy"? Did it suddenly make you (guys) look at Matthew McConaughey and go all weak in the knees? And you gals? How about that Angelina Jolie, eh? (Of course, I thought she was hotter before Brad, but that's another topic... *wink*)

I'll repeat what I used to say on the LGBT alliance panels in college: Close your eyes. Imagine a kiss that makes your toes curl, hands curving around you in that way you desire most and feel the pounding of your heart. It's just a kiss, but it wakes the desires of your soul for the intimacy it promises. And when it ends, you open you eyes.

Who do you see? A man? A woman? The answer to that question isn't really an issue, until you stop to think of what you are...and suddenly it's a BIG DEAL. You are who you are. You desire whom you desire. End of discussion. No one can force you to feel something you don't.

Okay, I'll break this down. First, why would "many previously heterosexual men" leave their families? Could it be that the narrow-minded preachings pushed them into straight marriages?

"But, Anne, you just said you can't force someone to feel something they don't."

Exactly. So in the cases of these men (and women) leaving their families to "become" gays, maybe they've just decided to stop lying? How many gay people have heard from their mother, "But don't you want to get married?" (Which totally makes me laugh, when I think about this Prop 102... "Uh, yeah, Ma, so don't vote for it!")

As for the multitude of shows showing gay/lesbian people and characters....shows only last if they sell ad space. Right now, gay is hot. And frankly, because of all the work the anti-gay groups have done to deny a "normal lifestyle" to gays, gays usually have more money to spend than straights do....so, in short, gay sells.

(That's not even covering the whole weirdness about how some straight men find the topic of lesbians quite interesting... 'cause that's a whole other post!)

Too many people I've spoken to who've come out later in life, cite the pressure to marry and have kids. Or to not disappoint a parent. Or the pressure their church put on them. Until our communities understand the pain we are inflicting on each other by demanding people be what we want/expect them to be, we'll keep seeing people who have lied to themselves and their loved ones, to avoid the hate, anger and disappointment we've taught them to expect.

To-wubba-who?

First, the whole thing is based on an estimate. And I'd really like some connecting evidence. Sure, you can quote some statistic about the (obviously heterosexual) marriages which have ended in divorce since 2006. But, where are they getting "due to inadequate protections from the possibility of activist judges ruling in favor of some future homosexual plaintiffs." from?

And which "state authorities" fear this "slippery slope"?

I call "bullshit" on all of this. There's no supporting data. Since most cases are public record, I'm sure such a concerned group of citizens could point to specific examples...were there any. Instead, what we have is hate and fear. How interesting that we want to protect an institution theoretically built around love with hate and fear.

It gets more ridiculous as I continue to read:

Are you just as speechless as I am? Are you just as sure as I am that these are made-up numbers? I mean... first, only 10% of the 30,000 married Arizonans--that's only 3000 Arizonans---would break up their marriage over cruel treatment / abuse. Does anyone have a problem with this statistic? And are they really expecting me to believe that only 5400 of these Arizonans would have a failed marriage due to their spouse cheating (which is what adultery is, thank you)?

From the page on The Minuteman Project:

What? Are these "minutemen" expecting a moving drag show? What is so great about Arizona (especially if Prop 102 is passed!) that makes these people think "the gays" will be coming here in droves??? And what makes them think they have the RIGHT to deny any American citizen to cross into Arizona? I'm just...speechless.

(Well, not actually or this would be a pretty empty post.)

Are we supposed to take them seriously?

I am appalled at the rhetoric being spouted by the supporters of Prop 102. I also imagine very few of them are readers of the true masters of science-fiction. If they were, they might not be so "up in arms" over such a total non-issue: gays exist. Get over it.

I'm going to take a break from reading that page and sharing my vitriolic response. I can feel my blood pressure rising in reaction to the crap I've read. Ugh. Now I really wish I had a copy of In & Out. Oh well, I guess it'll have to be Bound instead.

I love this little test. It's short. It's sweet. It's totally ignored by the "Big Parties".... (at least, I think so). I wonder....how would Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin test out?

Why don't you take the test and share your results with me here, in a comment. I'm curious what you get.

(And if you hate frames like I do, you can use this link!)

So, wanna know where I ended up?

"Your PERSONAL issues Score is 100%.
Your ECONOMIC issues Score is 100%."

Is anyone who knows me really all that shocked? I didn't think so.

Now, don't get "libertarian" (lowercase-l, an collection of beliefs) confused with "Libertarian" (uppercase-L, an actual party). Why? Because a party can choose to eschew the parts of philosophy or position that aren't convenient come election time. But the collection of beliefs that are the lowercase-l libertarian's are all founded on the idea of government working for the people (not the other way around. Also, government being limited, with control increasing towards the local level and DEcreasing towards the federal level. Or maybe that's just what I believe and I do consider myself a "lowercase-l libertarian".

What are you?

Or maybe he just needs to be stepped on once really hard when he pulls shit like this.

Okay, all you pro-McCain people out there.... Now's your chance. I'm sliding quickly towards voting for Obama. Tell me why your candidate is the better choice---'cause I sure don't see anything good about him!