Expat bloggers for change

Posted by on 9 September 2008

Oh boy did we miss some, um, interesting political news coming out of the homeland during our vacation. Usually I take in all of my US news filtered through the brilliant brain of Jon Stewart in order to make it more palatable, but this time I had to learn about things the hard way: from CNN. At least it was CNN international, which is mildly more intelligent than the US version, but still, not good.

The addition of Sarah Palin into the election mix is too much for me to handle. It makes me so angry I could kick a puppy. I feel personally assaulted by this choice. How dare you take an idea so dear to me (a woman president) and twist it around into something so revolting, Mr. McCain? I feel like I’ve been put through some sort of Clockwork-Orange-style reconditioning.

Jon Stewart, can you make it all better?

Anyway, given my inability to handle such topics like an adult, you probably won’t find me blogging too much about US politics here (beyond encouraging you to register to vote if you’re a US citizen). But plenty of other expat bloggers are speaking up, and I’m happy to see them do it:

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Comments (19)

  • Snooker
    September 9th, 2008

    I must say that I’d underestimated the interest that the average German could have in American politics. It seems like soon after I meet up with one of my friends, they always turn the conversation over to the presidential run. They don’t even care (or in some cases know) what is happening in their own political realm… but they are all over the Obama McCain thing.

  • Sara
    September 9th, 2008

    watching 10 minutes of CNN last night made me so mad!! I just want to shake the American people, WTF how are people so stupid????

    I also have decided to just stay out of all of it (aside from voting) as all it does is raise my blood pressure everytime I think about it

  • headbang8
    September 9th, 2008

    I’m glad you weren’t wearing that little ticker-monitor when you found out. The thing would have fritzed.

  • Jul
    September 9th, 2008

    Snooker – I get the feeling that some of the German interest has to do with them being tired of having to hate the US. Which I understand, because I’m tired of it, too.

  • naechstehaltestelle
    September 9th, 2008

    I agree with you about the Palin choice. It angers and scares me.

  • Susan May
    September 9th, 2008

    Hi, I’m probably not in the right blog neighborhood – I’m voting for McCain-Palin and I really like her. The fact that I’m from Alaska has nothing to do with it (ha) – not everybody votes Democrat out here in blog-land. The folks I know in Alaska are crazy about her. Just throwing in my two cents. (pausing here to think about whether I want to include my name) – picture me smiling here as I type this …

  • Diana
    September 9th, 2008

    I agree,Jul. McCain makes me ill and scares me to death. Obama2008!

  • Sarah
    September 9th, 2008

    I was kind of plunged into despair after I heard about the Palin pick, myself. Besides her policies scaring the bejeezus out of me, she also has that look that many of the most crazed, type-A moms of kids I went to school with had. Those people always got on my nerves.

    Then I decided it was time to do a news fast. I’m feeling much better now.

  • Chantal
    September 10th, 2008

    Thank god another young expat woman blogger feels the same way. Yuck. God and Guns, no thank you. I can’t vote for a leader that didn’t have a passport until she was forced to get one to go to Iraq in 2007, give me a break. Talk about no interest in the rest of the world. America needs a leader that cares about international issues if we are to rebuild our image.

  • Jul
    September 10th, 2008

    Susan – I have to ask, what is it about the republicans that makes you want to vote for them? Is it the fiscal irresponsibility? The denial of rights to gays and women? The military aggression? Or do you just really hate it when people receive affordable healthcare? Oh wait, I know! You like bridges to nowhere, right?

    (I warned you I was not able to have a mature discussion about this. Also smiling…) :-P

  • Jul
    September 10th, 2008

    Sarah – I do news fasts, too. In fact, I believe my last one lasted from the 2004 election to about 3 months ago… perhaps it’s time for a new one!

    Swiss Miss – The passport thing! I can’t believe that people are OK with this! I am terrified we are going to end up with her as a president. Do people really think that other countries are irrelevant unless we are bombing them? AAAAAAAAARGH.

  • Susan May
    September 10th, 2008

    Juls – It’s a bit harder to smile at this point … but I’m trying. I’m not inclined to answer your question because I didn’t post my comments earlier to get into a political debate. My motivation was A.) to stick up for my fellow Alaskan ;-) and B.) to let you know that not everyone who takes a look at your blog agrees with your politics. I probably should have refrained from commenting in the first place.

  • Dave Hampton
    September 10th, 2008

    ‘not a fan of Ms. Palin either, although i have a brother who lived in Alaska and she seem s par for the group. They are forever talking about their rugged independence while they dine at the trough of government and oil company handouts. She is in the Ann Coulter mould of mouthy conservatism, long on arrogance and short on insight.

    It makes me sigh to think that the sort of red-meat campaigning that we saw in her speech is what we have to look forward to for the next few months. Worse, it does appear that she’s making a difference for the ticket.

    I just don’t understand what people can be thinking to consider four more years of the last eight…

  • cliff1976
    September 10th, 2008

    Juls – It’s a bit harder to smile at this point

    Now look what you've done — you've scared away chance at a rare glimpse into the motivations of one of them.

    The true test for me will be to actually listen to the argumentation — which I honestly would like to hear from someone in person, without yelling. But I hope it doesn't happen in Bremen later this month. I also fear that discussion.

  • scatterlined
    September 10th, 2008

    Susan, no harm in commenting. Personally, I am curious as to what your reasons are for supporting McCain/Palin over Obama/Biden.

    Everyone should take a test like this and see what their key issues are and where the candidates stand. (I couldn’t find a test that listed Palin’s positions, but this one at least has everyone else.)

  • Jul
    September 11th, 2008

    Susan – comment all you want. And if you want to stick up for Palin, go for it. Tell us how she’s not evil. We’re all ears.

    Dave – exactly. I have a hard time imagining why someone would think that we need more of this kind of government. Who’s better off because of it? Oil executives? Surely they aren’t that big of a voting block…

    Cliff – I know, I know, I have a tendency to scare them away with my loud noises. I’ll try to stick to stage whispers next time.

    Scatterlined – I’m going to deem your little test accurate, since it correctly identified my dream candidate. If only…

  • Bluestreak
    September 11th, 2008

    great post. Palin scares the crap right out of me. Anyone that is pushing Abstinence Only with a teen pregnancy in their family needs go to Stupid Camp and come back with a brain.

  • The Big Finn
    September 15th, 2008

    I took the test, and Kucinich (don’t know anything about him) came out the highest with Obama coming in second.

    Since I’m a Canadian citizen, I can’t vote. However, the selection of Palin as McCain’s running mate made me 90% certain that I would vote for Obama/Biden if I were to vote.

    That being said, me being a checks and balances kind of guy, there is one major thing that REALLY bothers me about the prospect of Obama becoming the next president:

    A DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENT WITH DEMOCRATIC MAJORITIES IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE.

    Isn’t that kind of like writing the government a blank check? Taxes will almost certainly go up, and I’m not sure about how much incentive there would be to cut the government’s wasteful spending.

    The Economist (August 30, 2008) expressed this concern well when they wrote: “…Ironically, the surging Democratic tide gives tactical voters a reason to back Mr McCain. When one party controls both Congress and the White House, its more extreme elements can flex their muscles without hindrance. Historically, presidents have been slow to veto their own party’s bad laws and wasteful spending plans. United government typically leads to fiscal incontinence, AS HAPPENED IN MR BUSH’S EARLY YEARS [caps mine]. Voters may decide that a Democratic Congress needs a grumpy Republican watchman.”

    McCain does have a reputation of being a junkyard dog when it comes to pork barrel spending. Obama? He has shown a penchant for voting for pork.

    I guess I would like to see all the waste eliminated before anybody even talks about raising taxes.

  • Jul
    September 15th, 2008

    TBF – Kucinich is my guy, too. He rocks.

    I’ll admit to trying to get comfortable with the idea of a McCain presidency. Not because I want it, mind you, but I have to admit it’s looking likely. And every time I go down a path of trying to think “it won’t be so bad”, I am jolted back to a panic by one thought: Supreme Court. Our civil liberties can’t handle any more Republican appointees.

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