My Two Kuai

Well we have a week left until the election. Overwhelmed by attack ads yet? Say what you will about authoritative rule, but at least you don't have to go through that nightmare. But of course being the sadist I am I have watched most of them on the Internet. It's kind of sickening what the tone that these two campaigns have taken - a precedent that has accumulated over many an election cycle. What I wonder is whether this is a product of politics or a product of what our country has become. Perhaps this is what resonates with people, and that is the more tragic outcome of this process.

Of the issues that leaves me with a profound thought this evening is when we talk about nation building in other countries like Afghanistan on Iraq. What about nation building in America? Our country has become so divided over the course of the Bush years, and now it would seem that this current path that we are on will only reinforce that. There is no longer an encouragement of a dialogue - its just "us versus them." This framing of the debate has really made everything a two sided coin. Good and evil. Fact and fiction. Black and white. There is no grey area. But at the end of the day shouldn't we all be playing for the same team?

All of you know my opinion in politics, but I really think that this is being born out of closing out the other voices out there. Why shouldn't we encourage more than one idea in politics? What harm is there in talking about ideas rather than turning it all into a circus of character attacks, who's friends with whom, and who is a terrorist. This is silly; its demeaning to our national integrity and makes us look foolish abroad. This type of fr actioning of our country is dangerous and I'm growing discouraged and fearful over what will happen in the future.

We are seeing the disintegration of the Republican Party because some people are not buying the polarization anymore (and Palin is an idiot). This is what I've been hoping for; I'm looking forward to and praying that the Republicans get back to a restrictive government platform. They need to get to a progressive platform that stops taking all the anger the middle and lower classes have on their situations and turning it on gay people and illegal immigrants. I'm skeptical but I hope that this will happen.

At the same time, we will have to live with a democratic hold on our government. I know most of you reading this are probably grateful for this turn of events, but I am fairly nervous about this prospect. In all honesty this is probably McCain's best argument for being president (albeit a terrible one) and I'm surprised he hasn't used it. What checks and balances are there when a league of like minded people are making the rules?

Well we have a week left until the election. The forecast says Obama, and I hope this will be fair weather for the country. I hope Obama has the cure for every one's collective apathy and does not abuse the power that will be handed to him.