Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Why Obama?

It's going to come as no surprise to those who read this blog (and thus know me) that I am an Obama supporter. I am, in fact, fairly enthusiastic about him, which bodes well for him should he get the nomination. I have a fairly good track record when it comes to victory IF the DemocratIC (that's Democratic, NOT Democrat, you asshole conservatives) Party nominates the guy I liked in the primaries. I liked Carter, I liked Clinton and I like Obama. When the guy I like DOESN'T get the nod, the Dems lose.

So, victory likelihood aside, why Obama? Why not (Hillary) Clinton? I liked her husband, even if, on a personal note, he never got past being the Band Geek, and thus when some free pussy threw itself at him, he had no discernible self-control at a time when he KNEW (not suspected, KNEW) they really were out to get him? I liked him for the reasons he was a pretty decent President; when it came to policy he wasn't doctrinaire, he had a great campaign presence which was sorely needed in the post-Reagan era, his basic ideas about where the country needed to go were spot on. And the country delivered in spades. Longest peacetime expansion. Huge wealth engine. A rising tide that actually DID lift all the boats. That latter is, perhaps, the main reason the right hated him so. He did everything they said would be disastrous and he succeeded. I don't think they ever forgave him for not putting the economy in the tank like they said he would.

But I'm NOT supporting his wife. Why? Maybe she leaves me cold. I dunno. I do know this. After the campaign between Kerry and Bush in 2004 I realized something.

I'm sick and fucking TIRED of the baby boomers dragging our collective asses into their god damned psychodrama. EVERYTHING revolves around who went to Vietnam and who didn't. Who supported the war and who didn't. Who was a dirty fucking hippie and who was a drunken fucking fratboy.

I'm NOT a damned boomer, but thanks to these self-absorbed assholes and their constant need to fight and refight and re-refight the central conflict of the sixties (counter-culture vs. button-down) in all it's multifaceted glory, I get to watch, get sucked in, have to deal with their inability to MOVE THE FUCK ON. That's the change Obama offers. It's the fucking subtext of ALL his speeches, "Aren't you sick and tired of all this hyper-partisan warfare fucking it all up for the rest of us?"

Yes, yes, I am. I realize that the culture war won't end, ever, because every generation has its issues. Personally, if a cancer plague killed every single registered Republican painfully over the next month, I wouldn't shed a tear. But at least that's MY issue. Not some aging Aquarian's need to prove HE (or she) was RIGHT about; drugs, Vietnam, the need to "Burn Baby Burn", sell out and move up, or any of that shit. At least my issues are my issues, not the belted up, bitter baggage of someone who's old enough to have seen the premiere of "Hair".

THAT'S why Obama. Clinton, Bush, they're all just fucking boomers, trying to make us live in the world they want to make. Fuck that. This is the dawning of the Age Of Shut The Fuck Up And Finally Grow Old Gracefully, Or ELSE! Vote for someone who doesn't care what you did in '68. Since what I did in '68 was mainly refuse to take my afternoon nap, I've had it with you people.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Friday Random Thoughts

Much blogging has not been occurring because the Wee Pedant gets up in the middle of the night selfishly insisting on feedings and then processing said feedings directly into diapers. Even with Lovely and Talented Mrs. Pedant running interference during the week, I lack energy.

But instead of ONE long and scatological diatribe, you get many. Shall we start?

Turns out the White House, in direct contravention of laws requiring them to maintain records of emails (and as they've been told now, not to circumvent oversight by using RNC email accounts) has been destroying (or rather "recycling") email tapes and thousands and thousands of emails by writing over the tapes. Spokesman Tony Fratto (and is there ANYone who sounds more like a character from The Godfather available?) has replied, "We have no reason to believe that there is any data missing at all [from White House computer servers], and we've certainly found no evidence of any data missing." Of course you can't find evidence that data is missing, you pinhead. You fucking DESTROYED it!

In other words, since we destroyed the data, you can't prove we destroyed the data, therefore we didn't destroy the data. Shorter White House? Succeeding at it is a valid defense for obstruction of justice.

What else have I been following? That whole Navy warship/Highly threatening Iranian speedboats controversy. The Bushies tried to get their war on over this until...well, read for yourself. Apparently Iran's protestations of innocence may be, ummmm, accurate. And Idiot Manchild's characterization of the incident as unusual and provocative? Not so much.

What's my point? It used to be in incidents like this you knew who to believe. The US had the straight scoop and the the third-world generalissimo making grandiose claims was full of shit. This is what the Deciderator has done. In a he said/he said standoff, I genuinely don't know whether to believe the US or Mahmoud Ahmadinijad. Let THAT sink in for a sec. Course, given what's gone on in the last seven years, calling Bush a third-world generalissimo probably isn't that inaccurate.

Lastly...recession? Probably. Bush's reaction? Entirely (and tediously) predictable. For those of you who never click links AND have the IQ of a lump of granite, the prescription is....(drum roll please)...TAX CUTS! Ta Da.