Ok, here's a sure fire way to make your decision next week. (thanks to npr for the inspiration)
Review all major news outlets (nyt, washington post, CNN, Newsweek, Time, US News & World Report, Weekly World News, USA Today, npr, bbc, abc, nbc/msnbc, cbs, comedy central) and their "fact checking" pieces.
Each candidate will be scored on the following scale:
Outright lie about their record (-7)
Outright lie about their opponent's record (-5)
Misrepresentation of their record (-5)
Misrepresentation of their opponent's record (-3)
Truthfull Statement of their own record (+1)
Truthfull Statement of their opponent's record (+25)
Total up the score, whoever has the highest score is the smallest freaking liar and vote for them. Due to our fallable two party system, this is your only choice.
If either of the scores are above zero, you need to go back and check your facts. You're either not paying attention, don't know how to read or are so partisan this entire exercise was only completed to deceive others into believing you actually put some thought into who you are supporting. Shame on you.
sots....
sots...
sots...?
I crack my eyes open and there in the still dark hallway is my little angel pointing in the air with that tiniest of tiny index fingers.
sots...
sots...?
She sees my face and moves up closer to the bedside. I reach over and lift her entire 18 lbs up onto the bed. She smiles, and when she does, the world becomes a better place. And as she lowers her head on my shoulder she again point her little hand in the air and says
sots...
sots...
I don't know what "sots" means, but it is by far the absolute best way to start a cold dark Monday morning.
A fellow blogger that I enjoy reading has achieved a major distinction. Let me introduce you to Google's #1 destination for UltraNormal > "Mormon Weirdo"
Looks like Sunday nite is going to be my nite to think/write about politics. There was a great scene in American Dreams tonite with a very early who performance on Bandstand. They came out playing "My Generation" while all the preppy bandstanders sat in the stands leaning in unison side to side. Half way through, Roger Daltry incites the kids to rush the floor and join with the band. All this was going on as a back drop to several side stories of personal conflict. I was really moved at how well the moment was captured.
Is there a comparison to our times in this little weekly teleplay? I don't know. But I have been giving it some thought for the last couple of weeks. Now I find myself the nite before the big show wondering where I stand. I think I figured it out.
I don't like either of my choices. Kerry strikes me as someone that has always felt self important and how better to show the world that to become President of the United States of America. Bush strikes me as the son of a famous-powerful man that eventually arrived at the conclusion that he needed to so something outside the shadow of his Father. What better way to that than to become a two-term president?
We can debate about what would have happened if Bush had lost the first time and stale Al would have been elected. How would he have handled those school children on that September morning. Because I don't think it made any difference in who was president, we were going to be attacked no matter. Where the difference comes in is how we have reacted to it. Up until the point we invaded Iraq President Bush was our President Kennedy facing down the commies.
So, who do we vote for? Well, I think I've figured it out. I'm going to vote for Bush. Not because I think he's the best man, but because he is the least bad of two very well intentioned men. (More on this another nite).
So, this leaves tomorrow nite. I am going to the Vote for Change show because I love the music. In fact, music I love is music that is highly emotional and highly personal. And the four major bands playing would all very easily fit into this category. So, I'll pay my money to Kerry's 527 and offset it with a Nov 2nd nod to W.
I just want to rock. Please let there be rock and no whining.
Ok, now I'm too tired to finish my thought. I'll come back, tomorrow and finish
Next week I will be attending the concert referred to at The Onion | Irrelevant Pop Stars Unite Against Bush. I just want everyone to know that I am there for the freakin music. I am currently undecided, leaning to the right, but still undecided. A bunch of whining rockstars, no matter how much I love their music, is not going to change my opinion. They don't live in my world, they don't deal with my issues.
I can only hope that the screaming kids attending the show with me will understand that.