Every four years the United States sadly seems to take on the personae of Stephen King’s fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. Never has this been more true than in the past few weeks.
You remember Castle Rock, Maine the location for the book and movie “Needful Things.” One by one, the people of Castle Rock obtained their heart’s desires for little more than a promise to carry out a few mischievous pranks for an elderly gentleman named Leland Gaunt.
When the citizens of Castle Rock newly opened store named Needful Things, “they are all greeted by the seemingly kind old man, Leland Gaunt, and they all ignore the sign hanging in his shop, “Caveat emptor” (“Let the buyer beware”). One person after another buys the treasures he has in stock, paying surprisingly low prices and performing small “favors” (pranks) at his request. The person doing a prank usually knows the target, but has no real quarrel or relationship with him/her. Little by little, the pranks worsen existing grudges between the townspeople until they start turning violently against each other or themselves. ” – Wikipedia
Well the past few weeks political campaigning in the US has reminded me of the scene in which teenager Brian Rusk threw a barnyard full of turkey feces all over freshly washed sheets that were drying on Wilma Jerzyck’s line. Of course, Wilma was certain that her imagined nemesis Nettie Cobb had done it and tragedy ensued.
Here’s McCain spokesperson Michael Goldfarb throwing his own load of turkey poop during an interview with CNN Reporter Rick Sanchez.
And in the following video, McCain supporter Charles David Ficken attends an Obama rally in Raleigh, North Carolina with a 10-foot tall picture of Barack Obama in East African attire, shouting the United States doesn’t need a “Muslim-leaning” person for president.
In a recent poll of Texas residents, 23% believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim.
Leland Gaunt would certainly be proud.
Now if you haven’t read the book or seen the movie “Needful Things”, I’m not going to give away the ending. However, I will leave you with this sentence from Wikipedia’s description of the movie:
“Those who have survived the entire harrowing ordeal find themselves
facing an uncertain future in what is left of Castle Rock.”
Aides to Sen. John McCain anonymously attacked Palin in several reports today, criticizing the Alaska governor for diverting from the McCain campaign’s message, suggesting Palin was unhappy with certain campaign aides and accusing her of thinking more about her political future than about the success of the McCain-Palin ticket.
In an interview with CNN today, one McCain adviser anonymously called Palin “a diva” and said “she is playing for her own future” political prospects.
“She is a diva. She takes no advice from anyone,” the advisor told CNN. “She does not have any relationships of trust with any of us, her family or anyone else. Also she is playing for her own future and sees herself as the next leader of the party. Remember: divas trust only unto themselves as they see themselves as the beginning and end of all wisdom.”
Sen. Ted Stevens was found guilty Monday on seven counts of concealing more than $250,000 in gifts from wealthy friends — becoming the fifth U.S. senator ever to be convicted of a crime.
The verdict comes about a week before Alaska’s voters will decide whether to re-elect the Republican senator to an eighth term and at a time when his party is fighting to stem its losses in a tough year.
How does this conviction affect the McCain/Palin campaign? Isn’t it a little odd that Sen. Stevens can still be elected to the Senate, but as a convicted felon, he can’t vote? Let me know what you think in comments.
Barack Obama made a “closing argument” to the American people that sounded a lot like the opening argument he offered nearly two years ago, putting forth a broad and optimistic message that emphasized the economy, downplayed partisan politics and promised this election can “change the world.”
“In one week, we can choose hope over fear, unity over division, the promise of change over the power of the status quo,” Obama told a roused, capacity audience at the Canton Civic Center.
“In one week, we can come together as one nation, and one people, and once more choose our better history.”
It was not happenstance that Obama began the final front of his campaign in this state. A victory here, where President Bush locked up his reelection four years ago, is crucial to Republican John McCain’s electoral strategy.
The candidates both are campaigning here and in neighboring Pennsylvania today.
A few days ago, I posted on my blog, New Wave Grrrl, about the gaps surrounding Sarah Palin’s purported policy priority of addressing the needs of children with disabilities. I questioned the McCain-Palin ticket’s ability to put our money where their mouths have been on the subject of more funding for people with special needs. On October 24th, Palin gave a speech in my home state of Pennsylvania, on just what she and John McCain planned to do in order to better serve children with disabilities.
Although Palin’s speech was heartfelt, and I believe she truly cares about disability issues as a parent and as an aunt of children with developmental disabilities, her speech and the so-called McCain-Palin plan for children with special needs (which comes less than two weeks shy of Election Day) still falls flat, and still lacks any real promise of change in the quality of life for individuals with disabilities.
One glaring reason for this is the complete lack of policies that support people with disabilities beyond childhood. People who live with physical, developmental, cognitive, and multiple disabilities need various levels of care and support services throughout their entire lifetimes, in order to achieve a better quality of life and live fully within their communities. This includes not just vocational services for people with disabilities who can and want to work, but actual Medicaid dollars to fund the programs that provide for independent living in the community and not in State institutions, regardless of the severity of one’s disability.
We are only days away from the most scary important presidential election of our lives. And, it’s getting more and more ugly with each passing day. So…For the sake of my sanity, and yours, let’s have a little chuckle.
Saturday Night Live Video – George Bush Endorses John McCain and Sarah Palin
Many people, like myself, feel that the way in which a society supports its most vulnerable or disenfranchised citizens is a critical indicator of how healthy that society is, and where it is headed in the future.
The issue of disability policy and the improvements that are necessary to elevate the quality of life for children and adults with disabilities in this country has rarely made it into the mainstream discourse during this election. Unfortunately, this is not surprising as individuals with disabilities are typically excluded from the larger social and political environments, both by actual physical barriers and by traditional social practices in our society which make them invisible.
I’m getting pretty sick of the “Joe the Plumber” stuff. Joe isn’t even a licensed plumber, and he blatantly lied to Barack Obama, with his question on the economy. Now, the McCain Campaign is using this in negative ads. I don’t see how having more people “claim” to be Joe the Plumber, over and over, is a smart campaign move? And, this ad is just ridiculous. Let me know what you think in comments.
So…What are they saying? Are they just like Joe the plumber, who makes over $250,000.00 a year? Do they know that guy isn’t a licensed plumber and doesn’t make even close to the income he claimed, and he never had any intention of buying a small business? Do they know, that under Barack Obama’s plan, Joe the plumber would have his taxes lowered? Do they realize, that unless they have incomes greater than $250,000.00, their taxes would be lower too?
What do you think of all the “Joe the Plumber” hoopla? Are you sick of it? Let me know in comments.
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