Caution: The following is an extreme rant. Persons easily offended or blindly partisan should probably go read Salon or something to spare themselves distress and/or an attack of high blood pressure.
Alright, I swore I wasn’t going to clutter up my page with a bunch of stuff about the non-election we’re engaged in, but what I dreaded is happening, and I need to vent my spleen.
An election decided by lawyers and the court system is no election, and any President who gains the office through tactics of legal manuvering has no legitimacy in my book. Neither Bush nor Gore has any honor whatsoever, and in both cases their actions since Election Day have been distinctly non-presidential, violently partisan, and blatantly power-seeking. Neither of these two “men” deserve the title of President. Frankly, both should be ashamed to show their faces in public. Their behavior has been despicable.
Consider one telling point - Richard Nixon acted more presidential and with more honor, in the 1960 election, than either of these silver-spoon licking, petty little power-seeking, poll and focus-group driven pathetic excuses for “leaders” has. I may be old-fashioned and “unrealistic” in my impressions of what this office stands for, but I am repelled by this entire ridiculous process. I never thought I would see anything more pointless, power-grubbing, partisan, and revolting than Clinton’s impeachment process. Now we have this abortion.
To you all, the American public, I have to say wake the fuck up! Can’t you see what’s going on here? Are you all so slavishly lulled by the media that you can’t see the disgusting truth of this process and the two individuals in question? Both of these men want this too much! No one who is so entirely consumed by the lust for power that they would wrangle over “dimpled chads” this way should ever be trusted with the office of President of the United States. These men are obsessed with winning, so much so that they obviously don’t care what damage occurs to their public image as long as they obtain the seat of ultimate power. The question that should be laid before the Supreme Court is not whether or not recounts should be allowed, but whether or not these two should be exiled to some gods-forsaken corner of North Dakota until they learn to act like adults.
I am a believer in our system as it was originally conceived by the framers of the Constitution. Further, I am a believer in leadership, and responsibility, and in the idea that our national leaders are obligated to place the interests of the nation, the entire nation, before their own. Anyone unwilling to subjugate their personal desires to the welfare of the nation simply shouldn’t be running in a national election.
One of these men should have conceded by now. Frankly, I wouldn’t have much cared which one did it, and I would have respected whoever did it far, far more than I am likely to respect either of these two at this point, regardless of who becomes President. Don’t prattle to me about morality, and family values, and “the will of the people” and then prove through your actions that you aren’t worthy of respect, admiration, and trust.
Boys, you lost me for good when you called in the lawyers. This isn’t some corporate bun-fight over control of board seats or some shit like that. This is an election for the President of the United States. This matters a damn sight more than who is chairman of GM or Microsoft. Damn it, this is important.
There are those of you out there who call yourselves “realists” and will no doubt, on reading this, say things to yourself like “He expects too much. After all, our politicians are just normal people, just like him or me.” Bullshit. These people must be held to a higher standard in their conduct of the affairs of the nation. That’s what this office means. It is our responsibility to elect great leaders. We all piss and moan about government all the time, but it’s our very unwillingness to demand a higher standard that has created the mediocre, self-serving mess that we have to put up with. We should not tolerate it.
Usually, a rant makes me feel better. Unfortunately, this time I only feel more disgusted.
