Moving to Canada because...

so Dee (in the comment to my last post) is forcing me to lose the political anonymity of this sacred blog space that, up until now, I have tried to reserve for just strictly talk about my children and my crazy hectic personal life.

but *sigh* while the topic is on my mind and as I pack my crap up in my preparation for my trip up north, I might as well explain my decision....

alas, isn't CANADA the place where all Americans threaten to go when things aren't going their way in the StateS?

*sigh*

The 20pt lead that the McCain/Palin ticket recently gained amongst white women has gotten me frustrated and thinking that American women (not part of the Republican base already) ARE that dumb that they would vote for a candidate because they like her, she's a mother, she's cute, witty and/or because they like her rimless Kawasaki glasses.

I am moving because I am frustrated that people, especially Democrats and independents, would actually think of voting for a ticket despite the fact that party of that ticket was responsible for record joblessness, a declining economy, rising gas prices, a housing bust and record foreclosures and a RECESSION over the last 8 years it was in power. And all that, if the war, low morale and terrorist threats looming over us aren't enough reasons to want the REPUBLICANS OUT! *BIG SIGH*

Meanwhile, after watching the Republic National Convention and following the rhetoric of the talking heads and the policy advisors, I still did not and could not take away any tangible plan of how McCain will change much of the last 8 years. In fact, I was surprised to hear him even mention the word "change" especially after openly stating he backs his man Bush...repeatedly before the RNC convention.

Initially, we all questioned McCain's move to select Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate because she is:

1. a woman who he had only met in person once before announcing her as his VP pick. (check out this hilarious spoof of the voice mail message McCain left inviting her to the ticket); and

2. a person with only less than 2 years Governorship and who was mayor of a rural town of less than 7,000 people, which as we know from this popular Jon Stewart clip, would ordinarily be deemed unqualified a la Karl Rove

She blatantly lied during her RNC speech when she said she said no thank you to the "Bridge to Nowhere" and continues to lie even since the reports are rampant that she hired a political lobbying firm to bring in 27 million dollars in Federal earmarks to the state as Governor. It was part of her gubernatorial bid campaign and she stopped it only after it looked like it would fail. I wouldn't call that "saying no to Washington." LIAR! I won't get into her obvious skewing and lying about Obama's tax plan and his past experience. The woman wants to come out with boxing gloves on and then retreat to the speech writer's camp to not be seen or answer to her accusations. The RNC is clearly hiding this woman from the press.

Also, let's not forget that while Obama's camp is calling off the attack dogs and asking the campaign to be sensitive with Palin's pregnant 17 year old daughter, Bristol, had it been Obama's 17 year old daughter in that situation, we know very well Republicans (like O'Reilly also in the Jon Stewart clip) would be blaming the Obamas. As stated in this article, historically, young black teenage moms are talked about in terms of being loose, immoral and blights on the country, contributing to a welfare state, but we're not hearing the same castigation in this case. Why not? Why the double standard? For decades, the statistics showed that most people on welfare were poor, white and from rural middle America states. Unfortunately, the media imagery of the welfare mom is a poor black woman in the ghetto. Just as those folks don't deserve the harsh finger wagging often relegated to them, maybe they too, are like Bristol, having made an innocent mistake. They too should be commended on keeping their children rather than aborting them. Their families, too, should be patted on their backs for being so supportive.

Also, I dare say, the issue of the pregnancy can and should be an issue because it reflects a clear fault in Palin's abstinence only education stance. Perhaps had her daughter had been educated about birth control options in high school or some other place, she wouldn't be in the position she is now. And it is a bunch of baloney what the boyfriend's mom released a statement saying that her son and Bristol had planned to get married anyway. The boy's Myspace page (which has since been set to "private") clearly stated "I don't want to have kids." What red blooded American boy would choose to sacrifice a few years of his young life dating, living life, traveling or just being a kid, to settle down and get married so young?? I dare say, even in sleepy towns, where most people don't necessarily go straight to college after high school, getting married right away is usually not an option most would elect. Those kids are often being forced to get hitched. It is clear from their faces. Written all over. So obviously, a few hours frolicking in the barn has earned this kid a ticket to be a member of the potential first family. What a riot! Lucky Kid!

The RNC is pushing these young immature children into a situation that is not ideal all for the sake of saving face. I do not believe the McCain camp one bit when they say they knew about the pregnancy. It would been a better decision to show that card on the table upfront, so to take the steam out of the press uncovering that detail on its own. Instead, I believe the RNC was hiding it from the American people, hoping it wouldn't get discovered until after the election. They obviously underestimated the power of the investigative press. Clearly, the McCain camp hadn't thoroughly vetted the woman before announcing her as the running mate, but by the looks of things so far, that isn't necessarily a bad decision...yet.

Finally, everyone knows Palin is not qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency, but the RNC are asking the media to not beat down Palin and are treating her like a "victim" but under the same vein and in the same breath, they will use her to make a sarcastic speech where she challenges the qualifications of a Harvard Law, Columbia graduate while she herself (per the Associated Press) (1) took 6 years and 6 colleges to complete; (2) a 4 year degree (3) from a mediocre, not top ranked college. This is the same woman questioning Obama's credentials!?! Give me a break!

Yeah, these may be borderline elitist things to point out, but there are certain things that can be said about the smart people who make it into very selective schools. And I am miffed at the Republicans for calling the media elitist! The Republicans who do nothing for the poor and are often looking to give big businesses massive bail outs and tax cuts every chance they get. The masterminds behind the so called "trickle down economics" of the Reagan years.

Let's not get into economics. (I won't even go into the fact that Palin only first traveled outside the country as an adult, but is supposed to have foreign policy experience because her state is closest to Russia, right Cindy McCain?) It was revealed that Palin inherited a surplus in her town, Wasilla, which she put the town $20 million in debt by the time she left office! This woman is obviously not qualified or knowledgeable enough to know the economics of running a tiny town, let alone the country! In these tough economic times, I don't want this person handling the books. No thank you.

Just yesterday, she made her first political gaffe and called Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, essentially too big and wasteful of tax payer dollars,. She obviously does/did not know that at the time of her remark, both companies were privately run and were not tax payer funded! DOH!!

No wonder the RNC and the McCain camp are keeping her away from the media. They are fearful she will show her true unprepared colors. While she is hiding, she's in bootcamp trying to learn the issues. Isn't that what took her so long to surface during the days before her historic RNC speech? She was hunkered down somewhere practicing a speech and learning the issues? Can I not have a VP candidate take Cliff Notes for the role?

And all of this is distracting us from the issues and John McCain... all this Tina Fey rimless glasses talk!! My friends on the email circuit are saying that this move towards Palin is an easy way for people who are very nervous about casting a ballot for a black man to do so and use Palin as a scape goat and to ease themselves of having to come to grips with their inner racist. I do not necessarily agree with this train of thought. I actually think as she continues to be vetted, the press will uncover more dirt (like the fact that she used Alaskan tax payer money to fund her kids' plane travels and her alleged affair with her husband's business partner) and eventually the weak fragile plate that she has been served upon will finally shatter and break into tiny pieces.

but who cares what I think, IM MOVING TO CANADA!