election season

This election season has been brutal for me ... watching and listening to the barely truthful (seemingly incessant) campaign spots grate my nerves.  But even worse, for me, was the so called First and Main series on Morning Edition.  Too many mornings I was roused from sleep listening to earnest Americans give their negative opinions about our president... except these opinions sounded like they came word for word from Fox News.  It was more than disappointing to 1) hear people unquestioningly spout less than half-truths rooted in prejudice and hate, and 2) that the so-called journalists rarely questioned the remarks. 
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This post will necessarily be a little disjointed because I wrote it over several days ... after collecting some articles and not having the courage to write it ... and finished after I watched my president speak.  I needed this convention like I have never needed one.  I am a newshound... this is overwhelmingly clear from this blog, so I would have tuned in anyway.  But I found my way home in time to watch as much of it as possible.  And I sat, tears in eyes, most nights, talking back to the tv and wishing, for the first time in my life, that I was there -- and that is nearly ten years after I rescinded my membership in the democratic party.  So here are my thoughts, issues and musing on this election season, so far. No doubt, there will be other posts.
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This piece about the other side of Mitt Romney was interesting and thought-provoking. However, like the author of the piece, I was not sure how it translates into what Mitt would be like as a president.  Frankly, I am less concerned about how often, in the past, he can be shown to be level-headed, generous or forward thinking.  I am worried that his performance during the primary (and now regular) election season, as the party-line towing, hardest-ass Republican there ever was, demonstrates that any backbone he had was sold to the devil for the nomination.  How can we know who will show up as president?!  I don't think we can survive more of this staunch party line votes and behavior ... not that we won't get it from the other side as well.  Just to say that, as far as I can see, it doesn't matter how human Mitt was in his previous incarnation, that is actually no predictor of his future behavior.
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Jon Stewart facetiously named his coverage of the 2012 Republican Convention: The Road to Jeb Bush 2016.  It is hard not to see the real life aspect of this little joke, when you read pieces like this.

Please let me say that I agree with Deval Patrick when he said we need to grow a backbone... but, of course, that includes our president.  I love me some Barack Obama, but I recognize that somehow he has not been standing up for himself ... for what he believes in, for us, frankly.  And this mess about how we would "cave" in to criticism about OUR PLATFORM from Republicans is truly unconscionable.  

I was needing some bucking up after all the crazy campaign commercials, etc... so I tuned into the DNC on Tuesday (9/4) ... and then again on Wednesday (9/5) -- though it was not as all around fantastic -- there were many bright spots.  Thursday was the main event, but I wasn't sure if I'd get to watch it live because I had an appointment. I made it home in time to catch a piece of Vice President Biden ... who was looking and sounding as presidential as I have ever heard him.

If you want to be inspired, you should listen to the speech given by Michelle Obama.  She really did knock it out of the ball park.  The day after, there were those who argued hers was the best speech of the night; and others that thought that Julian Castro (and his twin brother and family) was the star.  Personally, I thought it was Deval Patrick.

Or, you could listen to Cristina Saralegui tell you why she is, at least, one Cuban American for Barack Obama.

  Elizabeth Warren was another beacon not to be missed...

and, of course, Bill Clinton preaching and teaching like only Bill can... "now listen to this, this is serious..." he admonished the crowd that was enjoying his speech so much they were annoying Bill with their laughs.  "THIS IS SERIOUS!"

Barack, proving he is MY president, said this:

"We, the People, recognize that we have responsibilities as well as rights; that our destinies are bound together; that a freedom which only asks what's in it for me, a freedom without a commitment to others, a freedom without love or charity or duty or patriotism, is unworthy of our founding ideals, and those who died in their defense."

What has been most painful about the Republicans sell of their candidates this year is that they seem to be suggesting that their followers only respond to mean-spirited, ungenerous, and spiteful rhetoric.  The country they want to lead has nothing to do with how I feel about my place in this world.  The fact that they believe that this is the only way to reach their base makes me cringe. 

I will happily admit that my president's speech accepting the honor and responsibility for four more years brought me to tears.  Mostly because he called on us not only to vote, but to see our recovery, our way forward, as our charge ... not residing in someone or some body out there -- to take the step forward and say, as citizen, I accept the challenge.  Yes, we must vote.  [I feel another post, perhaps a letter to the occupiers on the importance of voting.] But this is the least we must do.

This is getting overly long... so I will end this and post here, with hope in our better selves.