It wasn't until 2008 that I got off the boat. That was the year I voted for John McCain. I thought the guy deserved to lead.
In spite of his campaign mistakes I voted for him. I certainly didn't think that Barack Obama, a dedicated socialist, could do a good job.
During that same election year, if you'll remember, Norm Coleman, a Republican from Minnesota, was screwed out of his Senate seat by Al Franken in a strange vote recount. Ted Stevens a Republican from Alaska, was convicted of improprieties one month prior to the election which he lost; shortly after the election, Stevens indictment was vacated. These two Senate seats gave Barack Obama an impressive majority in the Senate to do with what he wanted.
That's when I began reviewing John McCain's campaign mistakes. Here were two:
During one debate, the subject of Bill Ayers, Barack Obama's friend, and a leader in the Weather Underground, came up. John McCain not only did not seize the issue, he stated in effect that he didn't care about some old radical. Really? You don't care about a guy who sets bombs off in federal buildings? Then why are you running for President? Aren't you supposed to protect us?
On one fine Sunday, Colin Powell appeared on Meet the Press and announced his decision to support Barack Obama. Thats fine; he's entitled to have an opinion. What irked me was his gratuitous gut-stab of Sarah Palin in which he stated that she was unequivocally unqualified to run the nation. What was John McCain's response? Something like this, and I paraphrase: 'Colin Powell is my friend. We've known each other for thirty years; I respect his judgment.' Really? Are you kidding me? Personally, if I had been the candidate, I would have had Colin Powell gutted and filleted on the docks for the gulls to pick apart within fifteen minutes of the show's ending.
These two incidents plus the strange goings on in the Senate elections convinced me that our Senate and Presidential elections are a dog and pony show courtesy of Corporate America.
We live in a shamocracy.
What did Mark Twain say over a hundred years ago: "If voting mattered, they'd never let us do it."
Now, the puppets at Snopes, always ready to support the elites, always champing at the bit to keep the shamocracy going, state that Mark Twain never said this.
Maybe not; but it sure sounds like something he would say.
John McCain was a weak candidate selected by Corporate America. He was a straw man set up for Barack Obama to knock over. John McCain didn't stand up for law and order, and he didn't stand up for his running mate. When he failed to do both, he lost his base.
Had he been miraculously elected, hard to believe after the way he ran the campaign, Corporate America would still have won. After all, John McCain was the leader of the War Party, and war makes Corporate America happy.