Something Vague

I'm not going to lie -- it took me multiple days to watch Thursday night's presidential debate. Literally, days. I started watching it live, but . . . but . . . it was too painful. I couldn't possibly sit through the whole thing without breaking the window behind the couch, so I recorded it. And slowly, meticulously, I watched it all. It hurt a little.

I had high hopes for this debate, which was really my own stupid fault. I forgot, briefly, that all excitement has been drained from politics, leaving just shells of personalities careful to tread on the correct side of party lines. And that's what this debate was, a debate alone party lines. If you like Obama, you no doubt liked what he said. If you liked McCain, you probably laughed at all his stupid little jokes. The graph type thing on CNN, gadging the audience's response, never moved that much, besides the initial changes when either candidate came on screen. I kept waiting for a drastic reaction, when those lines when haywire and flew way up or way down, the way they tended to during the 2004 debates. It never happened.

And ya know why it never happened? Because nothing drastic was said. There was no major breakthrough, or breakdown, or anything. It was strictly petty, "He said he'd do such and such a thing," sprinkled with random self congratulations for things done way back in the day. I'm totally with Obama, but does it really matter that he's been against the Iraq war since day one? No. We are there now. We have to deal with the realities of this war in 2008, not what should or shouldn't have been done.

I was really hoping for major breakthroughs on this debate in particular, because it was the Foreign Policy debate. Awesome, right? Wrong. It wasn't even a little enlightening at all. Even the question I was dying to hear, "What will you do about Iran," was dull. Why did McCain feel the need to say about a million times that Obama wants talks without preconditions? Did he think that maybe if he repeated it one more time, we'd think to ourselves, "Why yes! Putting demands on leaders before we grace them with our presence is really the only way to conduct business!" I wanted so badly for Obama to wipe that smirk off McCain's face, but no. It never happened.

After I finished watching the debate, I didn't feel any kind of rush of pride for my candidate. I didn't feel like painting my face blue and knocking on every Republican's door, chanting "O-bam-a!" No one won, because no one stepped out of their little box to actually speak to the American people about real issues. Now what am I looking forward to? Easy -- that vice presidential debate on Thursday, if for no other reason than to see Palin actually be asked direct questions, assuming the moderator is allowed to ask anything relevent.

I've Seen Enough

Last night was President Bush's big ole address about the state of the economy. Standing in front of what I thought was a backdrop from Saturday Night Live, he went into what would have been a comic, if it wasn't so terrifying, 12-minute speech regarding our deteriorating economic system. He discussed what brought us to the edge of the cliff, and how he intends to rope us back in like the cowboy he wishes he was. And boy oh boy, do I feel safer!

Bush painted a scary picture: job loss, businesses closing, even more foreclosures. The housing crisis did us in, according to him. And that is why we need to save institutions like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Help the big guys out, in order to help the little guys, right? It's that good ole trickle-down economic theory, or at least a variation on it. Hmmmm, yes, it only makes sense that by keeping the multi bazillionaires from going out of business, we everyday folk will have such easier lives.

But let's look at the actual foundations of this problem. Not the housing crisis, maybe in a roundabout way. Look, people, the problem is the debt. National, personal, it's all over the place! Our country is so in debt right now, due to the Kazillion Dollar War we're fighting you-know-where. Not to mention that's all on credit cards, meaning we're racking up quite a bit of interest on top of the astronomical cost of toppling a dictator and ensuring we'll leave the country in shambles. It's as if Americans have taken that as their role model -- racking up debt like it's 1928. Loans on top of loans on top of mortgages on top of credit cards. All of it with companies unchecked by the government, allowed to charge interest and fees as they like in order to pay for the bonuses and salaries of their CEOs.

It's time politicians buck up. Go ahead -- point the finger at the American people. Not just those who lost all common sense and went on the vacations they couldn't afford. Not just those who take out more loans than they could ever pay back. But those who exploited the situation. Those who thought, "Yes, we'll take your money. Jack up the interest!" Everyone is at fault here, and we need to know that.

So, Mr. President, here's the question. What institution is more important to save? Is it really the financial institutions, or is the American people? How about instead of throwing $300 at us you actually do something that will really help us? Set up some serious regulations against this happening again. Regulate interest rates on loans -- they are through the roof! I'm tired of this trickle-down attitude. Remember how in February you said a recession wasn't coming? It's just a slow down, you said! Yes. A recession. Right? Well, it's here. And it's big. So are you going to use this as an opportunity to help bridge the huge gap between rich and poor -- currently the largest since the Great Depression -- or are you going to bulster corporate America and keep the vicious circle of exploitation goin'?

At least McCain is on his way to Washington to save the day. . . Oh boy. Time to start keeping your money in a mason jar under a floorboard . . .

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/24/bush.transcript/index.html#cnnSTCText