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Candidates' Stories Tell Us What We've Become »

Posted by: Spadecaller 2 years, 10 months ago

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"The U.S., with its war, racism, sexual restlessness, religious confusion, and economic disparity, is a nest of festering conflicts. Politics is the set of stories we tell ourselves as a way of seeking resolution. The campaign already shows how the beginnings of those stories are usually happy and why their endings rarely are."

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Spadecaller

Welcome to my profile. About me: I'm an artist of several kinds; from bull to painting. I don't spare too many words. Most ...

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Comments: 23

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Spadecaller
March 6, 2007, 9:14 a.m.
The contest for the presidency is a competition of stories : Edwards and poverty, Romney and minority religion, Giuliani and 9/11, McCain and the glory of military sacrifice -- the trailers for each candidate air daily. It is nothing new to us. With Clinton's issues of gender, sex, and privacy, and Obama's hope for racial resolution and peace, Americans once again observe how reality and fiction are woven into the dark fabric of campaign politics.
Beyond the national spectacle of marketing images and biograhpical stories, we know that bloodshed is real, war is ruthless "waste", corruption is rampant, and peace is our most precious treasure still unrealized.
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spkguy
March 6, 2007, 11:20 a.m.
You know I'm just an observer, I get to watch as some have called it the countdown to 2008.
And I thought the lead up to your mid terms was way top long.
Wow two more years of watching the press analyze and pick apart every word of these candidates.
When the amount of press time already being devoted to this (in my opinion) is ridiculous, as your country has far pressing issues to deal with at this time.
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Spadecaller
March 6, 2007, 1:17 p.m.
Found somewhere in this glop of political rhetoric are the meaningful desires of a people that still cherish the ideals expressed in the Bill of Rights. That hope persists despite all the discouraging evidence, which so often eludes our recognition.
Let us not forget that we can make a difference -- that, in fact, we do make a difference. In the midst of brutal warfare, economic servitude, and subverted freedoms, it is sometimes difficult to perceive how much worse this world would be if we remained silent.
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Amazing1
March 6, 2007, 2:09 p.m.
Thomas Jefferson once said, "from time to time, the Tree of Liberty must be nourished with the blood of patriots and tyrants."
Has that time come? Do we cling to these elections as a great hope that there are some we elect who will do the jobs we want? Is it foolishness on our part to believe that any career politician gives a rip about the desires of the people when the promise of great contributions for campaign coffers weighs in the balance? Can we believe any of them? Can we believe the media? Or are we on a sinking ship, hoping that our analysis of the situation is wrong?
It is time for real charactor, real back bone. These weasels must be impeached, and if Congress will not do it, they must be turned out as well. I have contacted every member of Congress to express my opinion on this matter. Replies I do get are few and far between. And filled with the undigested pap of obfuscation.
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not2needy
March 6, 2007, 4:15 p.m.
Poor McCain, he is constantly having to rephrase his public comments in order to keep his party happy, what an awful position to be in.
I think he is probably a good man, but just not presidential material. He is too easily intimidated, but that's what the Bush admin wants, that way they can continue to rule after their term is up, they rule through McCain, what an excellent idea for the Bush team!! EGAD!
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Spadecaller
March 6, 2007, 5:06 p.m.
I have no sympathy for McCain. When he abandoned his heartfelt convictions of upholding the Geneva Convention, he sold his soul to the devil. He deserves to suffer the spiritual consequences of his hypocrisy. Of all people, he knows that as a surviving POW to forsake the statutes of the Geneva Convention that protect prisoners of war is tantamount to the betrayal of his fellow soldiers and those that may not get the opportunity to survive the trials that he, himself, endured.
When the lust for power and prestige surpass the desire to serve honorably, the first virtue lost is personal integrity. However, this sacrifice requires a willing volunteer.
The real concern should be for those harmed by his betrayal. Have we not seen enough of what people like this can do to the world?
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Spadecaller
March 6, 2007, 9:27 p.m.

SoundOfReason:
Who's left?
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ETproductions
March 7, 2007, 12:59 a.m.
Are we that insipid? Shouldn't the contest he about who has the greatest capability and best plan to lead this nation, and not about who makes the best bedtime story?
If you wonder what's gone wrong with America, look no further than this. Many of us don't even bother to register to vote. Of those that do, about half get around to the onerous task. And a majority of them are voting for the best bedtime story.
Given that kind of political involvement, what can you expect except more of the same?