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Election tension--is it getting ugly out there? Yet another good reason to vote early if you can. Get it over with, and leave the election ugliness behind.
And may I also recommend turning off the tv and enjoying autumn. Take a nice walk, read a good book, do the things that made life fun before we all started to obsess on the election.
Things haven't gotten ugly at all where I live (Stamford, CT). At least there's nothing on the news indicating "ugly things happening."
I know what you mean about enjoying autumn. This is a gorgeous time of the year, and during this heated election, people tend to cast most everything else aside and focus on it alone.
Not yet Normie. I was chatting with a friend last night who is a McCain supporter and when I started asking her questions about what she thought about his background (her main reason against Obama was the terrorist/muslim associates) she had no idea. His first marriage, his voting record against Vets, his anger problems, etc.
I sent her some links so maybe that will at least help her be more informed, don't know if it will change her vote but she was very interested and open minded to what I had to say.
So far I've met more Obama supporters out and about, a lot of republicans I know say they are voting for him. Who knows though until Nov. 4th.
I'm just very happy to see so many people involved in the process.
It is the worst that I can recall, but historically there have been many nastier elections.
Thomas Jefferson proclaimed himself champion of the common citizen, but pro-John Adams papers said he represented "cut-throats who walk in rags and sleep amidst filth and vermin." Jefferson's camp alleged that Adams had two mistresses specially imported from England. Adams's camp made an issue of Jefferson's affair with one of his black slaves and warned that he would legalize prostitution. They also charged that Jefferson favored adultery, incest, and the spearing of children. Not quite the dignified image of our Founding Fathers that you gleaned from textbooks.
Andrew Jackson's supporters nicknamed John Quincy Adams "The Pimp" because he introduced the tsar of Russia to a young woman, with whom the tsar later had an affair. They also charged that Adams had installed "gambling furniture" in the White House (he had bought a pool table). From the president's followers came this mature rejoinder: "General Jackson's mother was a COMMON PROSTITUTE brought to this country by British soldiers! She afterward married a MULATTO MAN, with whom she had several children, of which number General Jackson IS ONE!!"
The election of 1876 (if you believed the dueling campaign literature) came down to a choice between an alcoholic, syphilitic con artist (Samuel Tilden) and a man so venal he robbed corpses on the battlefield during the Civil War and once shot a gun at his own mother (Rutherford B. Hayes).
In short, American politics was never an elegant debating club guided by the values of Miss Manners.
The current campaign of 2008 is downright civil in light of history!
I'm in the central Pennsylvania/far western Philadelphia fringe where people complain about everything but at least they know the issues up and down, back and forth, inside and out. Its kind of a melting pot of conservative and liberal, people exchange ideas and you don't find extremists on either end making much of an impact. The rest of the state and country should be so lucky. So they argue and educate themselves and generally meet more or less in the center so exchanges don't become heated and violent. Its the yahoos that never hear other peoples views and never get a free exchange of ideas and can't open their minds that make things bad. States like California, Massachussetts, Alabama, Mississippi, these are the flashpoints.
I'm in Austin, which is a liberal bastion in Texas, but the things you hear on our talk radio are hilarious. The whole Obama is a muslim/terrorist/socialist/communist/marxist/revolutionary and so on.... It's wierd in a sense that so many people are hoodwinked by the pseudo-everyman McCain and his robo-sidekick Palin, but I guess it's easier than actually waking up and looking around.
Location: Democratic Peoples Republic of Redneckistan
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Quote:
Originally Posted by normie
Election tension--is it getting ugly out there? Yet another good reason to vote early if you can. Get it over with, and leave the election ugliness behind.
And may I also recommend turning off the tv and enjoying autumn. Take a nice walk, read a good book, do the things that made life fun before we all started to obsess on the election.
It is really getting tense around here.I own a business in a VERY rural area where farmers,hunters,truckers,coal miners,construction workers and other locals gather for breakfast and lunch.The topic of discussions for the last 2 weeks has turned to NOTHING but politics(bow season is even in and they hardly ever mention it now).We are located where four counties come together,three are democrat and one is VERY strong repub.
I ran around in bars most of my adult life and I have NEVER seen this kind of animosity towards fellow human beings in the worst/toughest bars as I have seen in my place lately(mouth whippings,but not physical ...Yet...thank GOD).I hate to even go in there right now because I HAVE to remain neutral inside the doors or risk offending someone and losing their WHOLE family and friends as customers in the future as this is a VERY clannish area and family and friends stick very close together on all aspects of life from pickup truck brands to politicians.
The local politicians make it harder on me by coming in there to do a bit of campaigning(we are the only gathering spot for miles around) and I have got to be fair and keep my mouth shut(I usually find something that needs done outside) while they are there.I refuse to allow ANY political paraphernalia whatsoever on the property,but they always try to appeal to your greedy side with a box of free matches or something with their name on it.Not interested.
I for one will be glad when this election crap is put to bed and I hope Obama does well and gives them very little to cry about.I think he's got his hands full,but he'll do better by far than what we've had for the last eight years.That sure isn't asking for much.
Nope, not here. We are all to busy working around here. But then again, so far our local economy is good, not many people hanging around anywhere.
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