The New American Civil War

What happened to us? We used to think for ourselves. We used to have a diverse array of beliefs and ideas. I always thought that partisanship was something that regular folks like me and you would ignore as stupid political bickering, but now everywhere I go I see Blue people and Red people.

I went to see Religulous last night, which is admittedly a far left movie, but I saw it because I just like Ball Maher. When I walked in, these two middle-aged women said “Oh good another smart person” and laughed. It was a small joking comment, but it really got me thinking. Are people really of the mindset that just because someone disagrees with them about religion or politics, that they are stupid?

Don’t get me wrong, those people who stand outside Political events and shout about Barrack Obama being a terrorist Muslim are idiots. I’m talking about regular people who less than 3 years ago would never be so closed-minded and confrontational. Something about this Presidential race has turned our country against itself. It’s as if we are two separate countries at a cold war with each other. Both sides have ridiculous propaganda, both sides are overly-defensive, and both sides have enormous mouths with tiny ears (the opposite of Ross Perot).

So what are the issues that are tearing this country apart one neighborhood at a time?

Is it Iraq?

No, it can’t be. People have generally stopped talking about it completely.

Is it the Economy?

I doubt it. Everyone I’ve spoken to seems to agree whether they are on either side. Everyone hates that everything is expensive and no one wanted the fucking bailout to go through. Amazing how that happened. So much for no taxation without representation. Many people speak as if this is class warfare, but I haven’t known anyone (rich or poor) except for a few very lucky people who are doing better now than they were a few years ago.

Is it Terrorism?

At first it seemed that way, but lately people don’t seem to trust either of them to keep us safe. McCain comes off as senile and bungling even in his supposed strength, foreign policy. Barrack Obama hasn’t proven anything to me in this line except for his ability to look very diplomatic on television. I frankly think that the best defense is a good defense, so the day we pull our soldiers out of other people’s countries and our noses out of other countries’ businesses I think we will be significantly safer. Neither candidate has this in mind.

Is it The Environment?

While Obama generally gets the credit for winning over the Greenies, the only difference between him and McCain on the surface is his disdain for Oil Companies. Yes, his energy and economic policies include alternative fuels, but that is mainly for the economic windfall it would create, not because he wants to save the whales. Just because Al Gore endorses you, doesn’t mean you’re strong on the environment. I doubt that the environment is high on either candidate’s list.

What Is It?

These are the issues that seem to be why people are really choosing their sides:

• Abortion
• Religion
• Racism or Reverse Racism
• Gay Rights
• Healthcare

Yes, there are other issues that are important, but these are the deal breakers from what I’ve been hearing.

So Who Wins?

Abortion is a strong majority Pro Choice from my experience, but these people don’t vote as frequently as the ones that are Pro Life. It never fails to surprise me how many people will spend their votes entirely because of their stance in this matter.

Religion is another toss-up. Because of the Media everyone has seen Barrack Obama’s pastor, and most people who are paying attention have seen Sarah Palin’s. I haven’t seen anything from McCain regarding his religion in any way except for the extremely awkward-looking meeting with the Dalai Lama. And of course his speeches in the more religious states. While most coverage of the other candidates’ churches has been negative, it still seems to net McCain zero points in that department because of his seeming lack of attendance. In addition to that, the non-religious are also a large portion of voters. I have only met 2 non-religious people that are voting for McCain, and that was in the Primaries.

The Racism argument is mostly against Obama, but there are several people who are voting for him because he would be a symbol. I’m not talking about Black Americans picking their own guy or White Guilt setting in. I’m talking about people who want there to be a strong black president to signal to everyone all over the world that our government may not be all that bad.

Democrats always win the Gay Rights argument, but its only as a lesser of two evils reasoning because both Barrack Obama and Joe Biden have said that they do not believe gays should be allowed to marry.

Healthcare is what I believe is winning this election for Obama. McCain never brings up healthcare unless someone else puts it to him. When he does, he is non-specific and appears uneducated. Obama brings up Healthcare every chance he gets and has strong arguments and solutions for the issue people really seem to care about. I may not agree with him on his proposals, but I definitely can’t choose someone who wants to tax my Health Benefits right after I’ve finally become lucky enough to have them.

What Are We Fighting About?

The fighting that goes on down here on the ground is all about the blame game. People who hate Bush have become aggressive, bitter, and blind with rage. Lefties everywhere have turned this political fight into real, unhealthy animosity. It is not just them of course. A large part of the Leftist aggression is because of how aggressive and condescending the Right has been for the past 4-5 years. Fox News has been using their entire 24 hour newscast to bash the left and make excuses for the Right for a long time now, and people got sick of it. Now NBC has been playing catch-up pretty much since the Presidential Campaign began almost 2 years ago.

The Media has been fanning the flames for a long time and it is impacting negatively on everyone.

Is there really any fundamental argument that warrants the kind of animosity we see between these people? With Religion/War I can understand the fervor, but these are things we’ve had differences about for centuries. America is supposed to be a place where people with different ideas and backgrounds can live together in peace and prosperity. Why is the one who disagrees with you the enemy?

Why are there only two choices?

Most people in the U.S. do not want either candidate to be President. If you look at the numbers in the Primaries and the polls regarding the issues, a strong Majority would prefer it if neither Obama nor McCain were President. This means that everyone is choosing either their 2nd or 3rd choice… or just the lesser of two evils. Is this what Democracy is supposed to be?

It should go without question that we need drastic campaign reform in this country. The Two-Party system is making a mockery of Democracy and turning this country into a Caste system where only the richest, most connected, and most ruthless of the “Nobility” has any real power. Think about this: Who do you think would win the election if Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John Edwards, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney were ALL on the ticket with equal media and debate coverage? Would it be a bad thing for the American people to have more choices?

I am stuck in a pit here where I know I’m not alone. I want peace, not just and end to the war in Iraq, but an end to our endeavors in Afghanistan, Iran, and Russia as well. I don’t think we’ll ever catch Bin Laden. And even if we did, what would change for us? The next craziest guy would just take over and we’d still have our soldiers in their land, which was why they have been attacking us in the first place. We’d be right back where we were on September 10th.

I want my (lower-middle class) taxes to be lower. I don’t want universal healthcare. I want privatized schools. I want an end to foreign entanglements. I want Solar, Nuclear, and Wind Power to charge my Hydrogen-Powered Honda. I want American jobs to stay in America. I want to stop inflation and pay down the national debt. I want The Fair Tax. I want to de-criminalize Marijuana, even though I do not and would not use it.

Who do I vote for? Neither candidate agrees with my point of view on the most important issues I have. Maybe I’ll vote for Ralph Nader because he’s the closest thing I have, but I have yet to see him on TV for more than 10 minutes since the Two Party Nominations went through and I have yet to see him debate.

Do I really have a choice?

Think about that. Are you voting for your first choice or the lesser of two evils?