Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Please sir, can I have some more!

This debate was particularly frustrating for me....It was my fault for choosing CNN as my network of choice to watch the debate. CNN carried the debate without interruption as all the other networks did with one exception, along the bottom of the screen they had a graph with immediate reactions of independent voters streaming in real time. There were 2 lines, one yellow that represented women, and the other green for men. So as the debate went along viewers could see the positive and negative reactions that these two demographics were having to the things being said by the candidates.
I imagined these people in a little room in comfy chairs with buttons to push indicating a positive or negative feeling about what they were hearing. I found myself mesmerized by those little lines. I don't know how much of the debate I "saw" as I was drawn to this little graph like it was my lifeline to understanding. This is where the frustration began.
Literally every time that Barak Obama (or John McCain for that matter) spoke of a policy based on giving Americans more stuff, meaning programs and entitlements the lines went into the positive to the extreme. When Barak pronounced that health care was a "right" the lines almost jumped out of the screen and spilled yellow and green ink all over my living room floor. When Senator McCain called it a responsibility our little line folks were so low they almost needed Prozac. Women were especially taken by these pronouncements of gifts from the government and I was fuming mad every time it happened. The men were just as bad just not quite so slap happy about it. Then each time the candidates stood and talked of less government or government getting out of the way, the lines dropped like flies and people weren't so happy (or so the little lines said).

Almost every time that I was pushing the positive button in my mind the lines on the TV were going the opposite way. This tells you one of two things. One, I am very out of touch and need to leave politics alone, or this world is changing very fast right before my eyes. I assume that I have lived too long in prosperous times where people were ready to take responsibility for their lives and take hold of their future. We know from past history that when times get bad people are much more ready to have government give them a hand-up.

Now I don't want to act like a scrooge. I in no way believe that government shouldn't be part of our lives or that we don't have legitimate health care problems. I am not a Libertarian yet, I just see that role as being much more limited than the current political climate is pushing toward. When people are hungry they will too easily turn over their power in hopes of relief. The problem is, that power never comes back to the people and we inch slowly and painfully toward socialism.

I trust Sarah (this blog administrator and my co contributor) will post and give great analysis of the debate last night as she always does, as for me I am still washing off the yellow and green ink that spilled out of my TV while viewers held up their little proverbial wooden bowls and asked "Please sir can I have some more!"

5 comments:

okbushmans said...

Honestly, I don't want to do an analysis. It is mentally exhausting to make sense of where the candidates are willing to take our country. And where people want to be taken. I will have to probably take some time, and form my words carefully (refraining from expletives). I can promise you this, I will no longer promote McCain. There will be no McCain*Palin sign in my front yard. I may vote for him as a vote against Obama, but I can't get behind either candidates! Where is Mitt when we need this rescue?

okbushmans said...

P.S. Gale, GREAT post! I can't watch the 'independent voters' barometers, it is maddening.

Jen said...

Gale, Travis and I were sooooo bored watching the debate last night. I almost can't handle this political season for much longer. I am in total agreement with you. I think that government needs to back off and let us make decisions. I seriously am reminded of Satan's plan whenever I hear someone speak of big government or say over and over again "I can do THIS for you and THAT for you". I don't want you to do THIS for me and THAT for me, I want the freedom and agency to choose for myself. It's funny how you mentioned the Libertarian party. My sister and I were talking about that very subject the other day. We were in agreement that we feel the republican party is leaving us (Like Ronald Reagan said "I haven't left the Democratic Party, the Democratic Party has left me). Same goes for Republicans. Is the only place I can go to engage in my conservative values the Libertarian party? This country is quickly going a direction that I just don't understand. It takes me back to President Eyring's talk when he refers to having hope and says "The Lord is Coming". Also, Elder Oaks said, in his opening phrase, We are living the perilous times that John the Revelator was referring to. Ok, revelation fulfilled, scary! I'm just grateful that I don't need to live in fear because of my faith.

Sara@iSass said...

We watched local channels so I didn't see the graph. I have to say I'm glad I didn't.
I have had the same thoughts as Jen. Things are happening. Obama is a yes man, a false promise maker. My vote still stands with McCain. Though in my state I doubt it really matters. MN elected a pro-wresler to be Gov. and now they'll soon elect Al Franklin for Senator.

L said...

Let's not forget that all politicians are 'yes' men and women. All make false promises. All learn foreign policy by being able to see Russia out of their window. (Oh, wait, that's just Sarah Palin.) It's how they get elected. But let's be serious, because of the dire consequences of our financial institutions running amok, whoever gets elected will have his hands tied. They just won't have the money. So, unfortunately, very little will change for the better, in either case. Trust me, if Obama's elected, the world will not end. (Now Sarah Palin on the other hand, with her McCain copresidency...she'd probably make sure it would.)
And yes, I'm the only one that voted for Obama on your survey. Had to give him at least one...