vovat | Pre-Election Jitters

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Pre-Election Jitters

I get annoyed when people claim that race isn't going to be a factor in the presidential election. I KNOW race is a factor, because I've heard people say, sometimes explicitly and other times in thinly veiled code, that they don't like and/or trust Obama simply because he's black. It certainly SHOULDN'T be a factor, and I'm sure it isn't for many people, but claiming that it won't be at all is demonstrating ignorance (and probably willful ignorance) that racism is still alive and well in this country. I really hope that people can overcome their racism enough to elect Obama, but I don't think it's a guarantee.

One thing I have to wonder is how many people actually fall for the weird campaign techniques that the media keep talking about. I mean, I've heard that there really wasn't a significant movement of Hillary Clinton supporters to Palin, but you certainly wouldn't have thought that from watching television around that time. And now there's McCain telling people at his rallies that they're ALL Joe the Plumber, and having them define themselves as "[Name] the [Occupation]." But is this actually a big movement in the country, or is it really only the people who attend McCain rallies who buy into it? I know I don't want to be compared to Joe the Plumber. And what also gets me is how the McCain campaign is trying to sell being ordinary as a positive thing. You know, that's not the world I live in. It's always been my thought that everyone wants to be EXTRAordinary, and we all consider ourselves to be better and smarter than average. But now it's apparently a great thing to be average, and "Joe Six-Pack" and "hockey mom" are compliments. Come on, the middle of the road is not where anyone WANTS to be. It's where they end up when they've given up all hope, and don't really mind if they get flattened by a gas-guzzling SUV. I'm a notorious pessimist, and I haven't resigned myself to a life of ordinary obscurity, so I have to wonder just how bleak things are for the people who have. The funny thing is that McCain's poster boy for ordinariness ISN'T settling for an average life, but rather hiring a publicist, trying to get a recording contract, and even contemplating a run for Congress. And if McCain is still trying to sell Joe the Plumber as a typical hard-working American, well, I doubt the guy is fixing all that many sinks while on the campaign trail with Johnny B. Goode and Sally Six-Pack. I'm just saying, is all.

Incidentally, Joe's actual last name is Wurzelbacher, which I assume means that he's from a proud line of manufacturers of circus organs.

Another election I'm concerned about is one in which I can't vote, because it's in California. After the judiciary system decided that gay marriage was legal, some genius decided to let the public vote on it. I say there are some issues too important to be decided by the masses. I learned in my high school government class that our system isn't supposed to be based simply on majority rule, but rather on majority rule WITH a focus on minority rights. I mean, do you think slavery or segregation would have ended if it had all been up to the voters? So why should the majority be able to choose whether or not certain people can get married?

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I'm so totally in agreement with your post, I almost could have written it myself, except then it would have been full of hysteria and jumbled grammar.

I went to vote on Halloween because I just have this awful feeling it won't matter by the 4th. My husband thinks I'm superstitious and overly dramatic, but, hey, this country has proved it's capable of incredible mass stupidity in the recent past, so I'm not taking it as a given that we've learned anything. Ever since the "Republican base" wormed its way into McCain's campaign and took over, the husk that used to be McCain has been saying what they tell him to. The California powerplay is designed, of course, to get its voter base out to vote, so that we can all be saved from those awful gay people wanting to love each other and take care of their kids (I mean, just, ewwww!), and as a special bonus, defeat that socialist (is he black? I hadn't noticed) guy.

People want to believe that being ordinary is somehow better than being elite, because many people have long since stopped even trying to be special. Some of this is not our fault, it's due to the fact that the struggle to live and succeed gets harder all the time, for most of us, it ends up being the struggle to survive. Forget success. Oh, and you still want me to pay taxes for this? And listen to some ivy league... smart guy, as if he is better than I am? Oh, and you want me to care for people who are doing worse than i am, hey, let them struggle just like me! And, of course that black guy got a pass to be where he is (he must be a communist muslim)! Where's my gun?

Boy, do i hope we're both wrong.

PS - and, no, we'd still have slavery if we worked this country by majority rule!

Ever since the "Republican base" wormed its way into McCain's campaign and took over, the husk that used to be McCain has been saying what they tell him to.

Yay! What I think. I used to really like McCain, before he ruined his campaign by rallying his own party and forgetting that the people he REALLY needs to impress are the Independents, who aren't too impressed by the Republican Rhetoric.

Back to the main post, because I don't feel like posting separate comments: I must be an Okay Ordinary American, because I have my occupation as the last part of my lj username!

I think the people who fall for typical campaign techniques are the ones who were already going to vote that way to begin with. They just use those things as validation.

I used to really like McCain, before he ruined his campaign by rallying his own party and forgetting that the people he REALLY needs to impress are the Independents, who aren't too impressed by the Republican Rhetoric.

Yeah, I get the feeling that the Republican base is generally going to vote Republican no matter who the candidate is, because their other options are voting for a Democrat or a third-party candidate. Of course, trying to win over independent voters can be difficult, because they could be independent for very different reasons. Some fall in the middle, or like and dislike some aspects of each, while others might be farther to the right or left than the mainstream parties. But McCain really does appear to be trying too hard to appeal to the base, and apparently has hired a lot of the same people who helped Bush defeat HIM back in 2000.

Back to the main post, because I don't feel like posting separate comments: I must be an Okay Ordinary American, because I have my occupation as the last part of my lj username!

So do I. What, you didn't know I worked as a large container used for storing liquids? :P

Yeah, I know Jason was going to vote Republican no matter what even though he thought McCain was Too Liberal, so I think that was really a waste of campaigning strategy.

I went to vote on Halloween because I just have this awful feeling it won't matter by the 4th.

That's certainly possible. I know I've voted by absentee ballot and it hasn't counted. I mean, that was apparently because they'd determined it was impossible for the other guy to win the state (and it went for the candidate I voted for anyway), but it still makes the process seem rather futile. I'm voting on the actual day this year, though. Let's hope they count it.

People want to believe that being ordinary is somehow better than being elite, because many people have long since stopped even trying to be special.

I think it's disturbing that a fair number of people seem to be convinced that everyone's either "ordinary" or "elite." Whatever happened to everyone being special WITHOUT having to be convinced they're better than anyone else?

And listen to some ivy league... smart guy, as if he is better than I am?

With this in mind, it's pretty absurd that the candidates these people go for are often ALSO Ivy League graduates. But I guess they're the lesser of two evils because they didn't get very good grades at those institutions.

What I did was advanced voting, not absentee. In Georgia, we've been able to absentee vote for the last 45 days, advance vote for the last week. Voting goes fairly smoothly here, and I normally vote in such a small precinct that I don't think there will be any crowd-related problems on Tues. No, my superstition stems from the fear of something happening to Obama. My vote in this red state probably won't end up counting, but we'll see.

I think they have advanced voting in New Jersey as well, but I didn't know about it until it was really too late to take advantage of it. I'm pretty sure they don't have it at all in Pennsylvania, where I used to live.

Yeah, my mom's the, uh, the person in charge of running the poll place in my hometown, and she was just saying how she can't imagine having to do voting for days in a row! Apparently PA works just fine without advanced voting. But seriously, have you seen the pictures of people LINED UP OUTSIDE to vote DAYS AHEAD OF TIME? Do those places have less polling places than other places? One-day voting would be HORRENDOUS if there are lines like that DAYS AHEAD OF TIME!

http://www.gallup.com/tag/Key%2bIndicators.aspx

I was looking at this poll because they actually called me for it. Look at the breakdown by gender and race. Race is certainly *some* kind of issue in this election.

As far as the California thing goes, they are trying to amend their constitution, which, while I disagree with their goal, is certainly within their rights (at least until some federal court makes a ruling, and I am not holding my breath). I mean, slavery was essentially ended legislatively wasn't it- the thirteenth amendment and all? I read that they need 60% for this proposition in California to pass, so I am hopeful it will not.

Well, I understand that most black voters tend to go for the Democratic candidates anyway, but I think race is going to be a bigger factor than usual this time around.

There seems to be *one* category of people that approve of McCain, anyway.

While I agree that most of us want to be anything but average, I think I disagree with your basic point on this issue. Most voters *are* Joe the plumber: just regular guys, who wants to not only make a living, but get ahead in life and make something of themselves. If Obama hadn't approached him he'd remain one of millions, but it's those millions who are the engine that keeps America going. Where would the world be without the regular guy? He (and she) are average by definition: the average Joe wants to be something more, yes, but if they all become something more than they just move the average up a notch! Those are exactly the kind of people who are most important to our society -- if your toilet backs up at work or home you don't call for a lawyer or professor.

As for race, I live in rural Indiana and still have not heard so much as a hint about race being a factor. (Granted that I don't make it a point to hang around with racists.) I know it is to some people -- the Klan and the Skinheads are still around, after all -- but I really don't think it's a big deal to the vast majority. In fact, for every redneck idiot who hates Obama because of his color, there's most likely some black voter who's voting for Obama *only* because of his color. We all know that there are racists of every race. I would guess it cancels itself out.

I think the point of the OP was that, while most average people want to become extraordinary, the message from McCain/Palin was that Joe the Plumber and Susie Six-Pack were just fine with being average and that we all hate those people who got those gosh-darn educations that Joe and Sue can't afford for their kids! They shouldn't be so high-striving, showing off how far they've gone (and y'know, how'd they got there, anyway? *wink*)

If my toilet backs up, I won't call Joe, because he's not a plumber. But more than that, I'd like some smart person to invent a toilet that won't back up! (PS - I don't think that "smart" person can only be smart via college degrees, but he ought to be able to go to college without bartering his soul)

If my toilet backs up, I won't call Joe, because he's not a plumber.

He'll also probably be too busy recording his album and answering policy questions to bother with your toilet. :P

I didn't see that as being their point at all. If anything, I see their message as being that we're all regular guys, and as such we all deserve the opportunity to be able to work hard and get ahead in life (and go to college!). It's that whole pursuit of happiness thing.

As for Joe, he most certainly is a plumber. Because he works for a plumbing corporation, he's not required to maintain his own license (which I don't personally think is a good idea) but he's been doing the same job as a licensed plumber for six years or more, and has been in an apprentice program for three years. Like his opinions or hate them, he is what he is.

None of this really matters at this point, of course; we've all but seen the last of Joe, who from what I've heard is trying to capitalize on his sudden fame (as most of us would) but probably won't get anywhere. I'd imagine we've all but seen the last of Palin and maybe McCain, too.

he is what he is

OK, I accept your definition, he's a plumber.

I'd imagine we've all but seen the last of Palin and maybe McCain, too.

I'd be so happy if that were true about Palin. As for McCain, if he isn't the president, he'll still be a senator, which is, in some ways, even more powerful than a president.

I wouldn't necessarily mind seeing more of Palin if there's no chance of her gaining any power. Her total inability to answer questions is pretty amusing.

If I was McCain, I'd go off and have a happy retirement in southern climates! He's certainly earned it, and doesn't exactly need the money. But McCain seems to be one of those people who's happiest when he's performing services for his country, no matter what they are.

If I was McCain, I'd go off and have a happy retirement in southern climates! He's certainly earned it, and doesn't exactly need the money.

And he might well already have a house down there that he forgot about. :P

Actually, all those houses are in his wife's name. I want a wife like that! You know -- rich.

Where would the world be without the regular guy? He (and she) are average by definition: the average Joe wants to be something more, yes, but if they all become something more than they just move the average up a notch!

Okay, but once you get your own publicist, I don't think you count as a regular guy anymore. And why can't lawyers and professors be considered "regular guys"? Just because the work they do isn't manual labor?

Aside from that, if I wanted some guy to represent the everyman, I'd want to choose someone a little nicer. I mean, Joe is telling people that a victory for Obama would mean death for Israel.

I know it is to some people -- the Klan and the Skinheads are still around, after all -- but I really don't think it's a big deal to the vast majority.

The people I've heard making such comments certainly don't belong to any organized racist groups. And if that's what people are saying in a blue state like New Jersey, I only imagine what's happening in places like Alabama.

Maybe it all comes down to the definition of "regular guy". You could make the argument that virtually everybody is a regular guy: lawyers, professors, Congressmen, the President -- they have pet peeves, favorite TV shows, hopes and fears, worries about their families, and simply good days and bad days. I've been thinking on this, and have come to the conclusion that we're all regular guys when you draw back all the trappings of fame and power. (Could we make exceptions for, say, Albert Einstein, or Mother Teresa?) If anything, that's exactly what's so great about America: This was, and to an extent still is, one of the very few places where anyone can use his brain and elbow grease to work his way up in the world. L. Frank Baum was just a regular guy, and a few years later he was the most beloved writer in the country! Bet he was still a regular guy, though; I want that for myself, and if I get it ... I'll still be just me, only with a nicer car and a newer laptop.

As for Joe, nobody chose him to represent the regular guy; he was picked by fate, and the fact that he turned out to be far from perfect just makes him even more of a regular guy. It wasn't his fault that his history has been probed and exposed as much as the candidates' were.

I maintain my belief that the white racists in our country are probably being matched by the black racists, at this point in our history. I really do think they'll cancel each other out, as far as voting goes. The more important question is, how can we eradicate that kind of thinking in this country? We can't just tell people not to be racist; we can't take their kids away and "reeducate" them. We certainly don't want to live in a country where the police bust down your door at 3 a.m. and haul you away for being stupid. I think the internet has helped by exposing us to other cultures, but some people just refuse to get smartened up.

As for Joe, nobody chose him to represent the regular guy; he was picked by fate, and the fact that he turned out to be far from perfect just makes him even more of a regular guy.

I guess I can see that, but the guy seems pretty radical in some of his views. Obviously he's not perfect, but I wouldn't say he's exactly average, either.

I maintain my belief that the white racists in our country are probably being matched by the black racists, at this point in our history.

While some (perhaps even many) people might be voting for Obama simply because he's black (although they don't seem to be anywhere near as vocal as the people who wouldn't vote for a black guy), I wouldn't necessarily call that racist. It's more misplaced loyalty, or perhaps a desire to make a historic choice rather than to elect the person best suited the the job. (Mind you, I think Obama IS the most suited to the job, but I didn't vote for him based on his race.)

Hm. I've still not heard a single person who said they wouldn't vote for Obama because of his race (I've heard stories about others, of course -- skinhead jerks. Where has the Klan been lately, by the way?) Well, anyway, I remain happily under the impression that Obama won for reasons other than the color of his skin.

Yes, I think he did, too. I'm glad my predictions about race being a major factor apparently DIDN'T come true.

I only imagine what's happening in places like Alabama.

Now you've hit a sore spot. I'm Southern (and white) and well aware of the racism of all stripes here in the South. It was venal and horrible in past generations, and it's only slightly less so now. It still exists. But when I hear people make comments that it's worse in the South than in the North or the West, I have to disagree. There is every bit as much racism in Illinois or New York or California as there is in Alabama, you just don't hear it or see it until the racists feel threatened. Even then, it's couched in code, and practiced in the secrecy of the voting booth. In Alabama and other Deep South places, people are so proud of their ignorance, they'll look you in the eye and proclaim it. They even wave a cute little flag to let you know. And while such crap makes me sick, at least you know where and who the enemy is.

But when I hear people make comments that it's worse in the South than in the North or the West, I have to disagree. There is every bit as much racism in Illinois or New York or California as there is in Alabama, you just don't hear it or see it until the racists feel threatened. Even then, it's couched in code, and practiced in the secrecy of the voting booth.

That's definitely a fair point, and I apologize if I implied the South is more racist overall. I guess what I meant was that, if people are VOCAL about not wanting to vote for a black guy in the Northeast, they might well be even MORE vocal about it down south. (I was going to say "past the Mason-Dixon Line," but then I remembered that I actually live south of that line. {g})

My state (Indiana) was pretty much the capital of the Klan for many years, O I couldn't argue that one if I wanted to.

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Pre-Election Jitters

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