somewhere karl rove and dick cheney are celebrating

Ugh, this upcoming election has gotten even more frustrating and annoying than it was during that endless primary season. It's making me really glad that I'll be leaving the country tomorrow to study in Spain for the next three months. Besides the fact that Sarah Palin's voice is about the most grating, irritating sound in the entire world, she keeps repeating the same stump speech full of false assertions and dodging the issues entirely. Meanwhile, an old and bumbling John McCain keeps thumbs-upping (remind you of anyone?), riding the Palin wave, and flying under the radar (maybe he should have tried that tactic to avoid getting CAPTURED in Vietnam... ok that was bad of me, but come on, the man crashed like four airplanes. And none of that is relevant to his ability to govern). And now they've even hijacked Obama's change mantra, which simply does not apply to either McCain or Palin as the media has continued to reveal and the masses have continued to ignore. As his own campaign aide said, this election isn't about the issues; it's about personality.

You would think the American people would be smart enough to see through this facade. All the facts are staring Americans in the face: the scandals and ties to lobbyists, the voting records, the failed tax policies that promise relief to the very wealthiest and none to the middle and lower classes, the guarantee of continued Bush-Cheney policies on everything from the Iraq War to the economy, the skillful avoidance of discussing the actual issues. How can the Democrats even run an intelligent campaign when the opponent fails to engage? It's like trying to have a debate with someone who responds to every jab by sticking out his (or, more likely in this case, her) tongue and making googly eyes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of Americans lack the interest and attention spans for politics and fail to truly consider the issues beyond the political charades. Personally, I blame this at least partially on the ridiculously long electoral process that leaves everyone mentally exhausted and tired of politics long before the election takes places. If I'm completely tired of hearing about Obama and McCain, there can't be much hope that the majority of Americans haven't hit the proverbial mute button. Unfortunately, Rove-ian politics work wonders in a situation like that, and the McCain campaign is banking on the fact that most Americans don't care enough to really think about this historical decision. They're banking on ignorance, stupidity, and carelessness to get people to vote against their own interests. By focusing on babies, God, and hockey moms, the McCain campaign has effectively diverted attention away from the real issues. And that seems to work.

If McCain wins this election, Americans deserve for our country to continue the downward spiral of the last eight years. Unfortunately, the enlightened among us will be along for the horrible ride.