This was going to be an angry rant about Palin, really it was. And I will get to that yet. I have just encountered a more vexing, albeit less important issue. More vexing because it comes from “my” side of things – I refer of course to Barack Obama’s campaign website.
All campaign sites are a little annoying. I acknowledge this glad. It is always hard to find information and you get swamped with video and requests for money. This much I grant. Since the last time I visited BarackObama.com, however, the frontpage of the site has been changed
to force the visitor to give an email and zip code.
Barry, my friend, you are the great white hope. I say this without irony. We all hope you win, or at least, I do. I have some misgivings, but hey, you’re a politician. You have some good (political) points. You are great in debates. You are attractive. Yet your site makes me feel like I am being forced into a blind date with some creepy guy with a mullet by a pushy maiden aunt. It is not necessary Barry. I will give you my email if I choose. Put away the rohypnol already.
Well, I hear you ask, surely you, with your multifarious talents and creative genius, surely you can give a fraudulent email address? I can, and of course, my friends, I do. The problem is not this. I can claim not to have mobile phone number to give, or give my maiden
aunt’s number. It is entirely beside the point. The point is that forcing the delicate voter to part with personal information will instill a sense of hostility and a reluctance to enter you sanctuary
“powered by hope”, Barry.
Alas, Barry. You even force me to be facetious.
Sarah Palin now. She made me very angry this morning when I watched excerpts of her speech. From what I can tell, she did a decent job delivering her speech. Not as good a Huckabee, but then I am inclined to think that Huckabee’s excellent speaking and sense of humour don’t
always stand him in good stead – a little too chummy, a little too good. Anyway, she’s a good enough speaker. Her speech, however, was infuriating. Not because it knocked Obama, or pleaded for lower taxes. What else would anyone expect? Even my poor liberal soul can handle
that.
I had hopes that when the Republicans chose a moderate for their candidate, that that meant that there were fundamental things we could agree on – like climate change. Not so – “What does he [Obama] actually seek to accomplish, after he’s done turning back the waters and healing the planet? The answer is to make government bigger… take more of your money… give you more orders from Washington… and to reduce the strength of America in a dangerous world.”
Apparently, it is still possible to think that it is more important to shrink government than to prevent suffering and destruction on a massive scale. And for a moment you think – she must know. Surely she must?
“Our opponents say, again and again, that drilling will not solve all of America’s energy problems – as if we all didn’t know that already. But the fact that drilling won’t solve every problem is no excuse to do nothing at all.”
Exactly. So what are you going to do?
“Starting in January, in a McCain-Palin administration, we’re going to lay more pipelines… build more nuclear plants… create jobs with clean coal… and move forward on solar, wind, geothermal, and other alternative sources.”
I take it she also means to “drill, drill, drill”. Because otherwise, how is this point different from anything the democrats say? Which is, essentially, “let’s explore all our options, and build alternatives, but let’s not jeopardize our land and our tourism with reckless drilling, and let’s cut carbon”? Where does she mention the environmental impact of nuclear and coal energy, and of course, oil?
Or is that some liberal fabrication?
I’m done. If the republicans can’t see a way out of the energy and climate crisis without making things worse, they don’t deserve to even be out there. Any party that loves its illusions and denial more than those it puts at risk because of them does not deserve to be in the White House.
