Political Blindness

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers.

Why do we have such a hard time seeing our politicians for who and what they are?

Before I start this, full disclosure… I AM going to focus on the two politicians who made up the republican presidential ticket last year, because they are the two who have recently come to my mind. And before any of you start whining that I'm as blind about Barack Obama as any republican is about McCain or Palin, I will remind you that in this blog I have taken President Obama to task for not keeping his campaign promises. One in particular, while I'm thinking about it, is his promise to close the tax loophole that allows American corporate entities to profit by outsourcing our jobs. Get on it, Obama. You've only got eight years.

Now then. Let's start with Mr. McCain. I was watching a documentary recently called Poliwood, which is about a group of "movie people"; actors, producers, writers and directors who traveled to the democratic and republican primaries last year. In one scene, a group of actors (led by Tim Daly) sat down with a group of who I will assume for the sake of argument were "REAL AMERICANS" and not set dressing planted there by the republican party. One of these women got very upset about (not quoting here, quotes only to indicate dialogue) "How dare these hollywood types get up and think that they speak for the American people? How could someone who makes millions of dollars per year and own eight houses think that they can represent the American people?" All the while wearing a pin bearing the name of John McCain… a man who makes millions of dollars per year… and owns eight houses… and who SHE apparently thinks can represent her. Tim Daly was very nice to her. Personally, as a REAL AMERICAN, I can't help but wonder if she was dropped on her head. RECENTLY. I would also remind this lady that every actor who has ever run for or been elected to a federal post (Ronald Reagan, Sonny Bono, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fred What's-his-name from Law and Order, Gopher from the Love Boat) have all been elected by REPUBLICANS. Personally, I can't think of a single democrat who has served in the house, the senate or the white house that used to be an actor. Even Clint Eastwood, who served for a while as Mayor of Carmel, California is a libertarian, which is a republican who smokes pot. Personally, although I call myself independent, the libertarians have more of my heart than EITHER of the two major parties.

The other one that came to mind recently is Sarah Palin. At my day job, I was ringing a customer up, thought that I had finished with her, and then, as her cart was rolling past me, I noticed that "Going Rogue" had gotten folded up into the child seat. I have a really difficult time calling this "Sarah Palin's Book" since she admits that she didn't write it. Anyway, I got the book out, and the customer said "I wonder how she got there?" I said, joking of course, "Probably hiding from the media." The smile vanished from the customer's face as she said "That's not likely." I said "I was just making a joke about the fact that she claims that the media's stalking her, and then every time that they stop paying attention to her, she does something to get them to pay attention to her again so that she can claim that they're stalking her." The customer's reponse? "Oh, you must be a democrat." You guessed that, right? I said "Actually, ma'am, I'm an independent. Forty years ago, when such a strange creature existed, I would have been called a "liberal republican"." She didn't know how to respond to that. But her initial response amused me. Like the statement that I made is true for democrats and false for republicans. The truth is the truth, people. Learn it, live it. This is not my opinion, just as saying that McCain makes millions of dollars and owns eight houses is not my opinion. It is simply the WAY THAT THINGS ARE. If Sarah Palin didn't want press attention, she wouldn't have been Miss Palmer. Or run for governor. Or run for vice-president. Or resign her governorship after less than six months into her new term. Or been on SNL. Or written a book. Or gone on the talk-show circuit to hawk it. THE WOMAN IS A MEDIA WHORE. And just like any whore, she finds it easier to sleep at night when she can blame her troubles on the source of her income rather than herself.

See them for who they are, people.

Peace.

Rev. Randal