Last Days

"Nightmares of the night (nightmares)
Nightmares, they're alright (nightmares)
Cause they just show imagination of reality (nightmares)
Just keep telling yourself that they're make-believe (nightmares)"
-Dana Dane

The nightmare alot of us are having around this time is John McCain and Sarah Palin being voted into the White House. Yes, we all hear the reports of how Barack Obama is leading in the polls and is real close in some of the red states; however Senator Obama is still a black man and this is America.



The latest overnight sensation, yes "Joe the Plumber", and others that subscribe to his way of thinking represent the boogeyman in these nightmares. Logically, he should be supporting Obama's policies. He doesn't make anywhere near $250,000,000.00a year (licensed plumber or not) and even if he was to buy the company he works for he still wouldn't fall into the higher tax bracket thus receiving a tax cut on top of another cut as his business would create jobs here and not abroad (then he might be able to pay on the taxes he owes). Joe, however, is the stereotypical (I am not familiar enough with him or the residents in his part of town to use typical) middle America white male whereas rather than see a black man as president with new ideas and policies that he would benefit from he would rather acknowledge how he would benefit but still vote for the other guy who will keep in effect the same if not very similar policies as those of the current president that has the country where it's at. Not to mention the guy he's voting for in an attempt to connect with and show "Joe" that he's fighting for him got his name wrong. He doesn't even know your name "Joe". And Joe, the tax cuts McCain is talking about, almost 60% will go to the wealthiest 1% of Americans, not you, not Joe Sixpack, not Joe Crack. You may say well when I get my business, but that may never happen and if it does you still won't be in the wealthiest 1%.
In about minute 7 1/2 of his 15 minutes "Joe" spoke to some reporters about his views on the war, immigration and social security. In regards to the war he said he was proud of the troops (we all are proud of the troops, we all know they didn't make the decision to invade, they are merely honoring their committment). As I listened, I wondered why all these people who are so happy about the "fight against terrorism" (quotes because in my opinion we have captured and executed a cruel dictator at best and the terrorist is still out there) didn't sign up, I' sure the troops who have come back and are still there that realized they should have never been over in Iraq could use their pep talks and encouragement. Especially those who lost limbs and can't get proper medical treatment, benefits, Bin Laden is still free and gas is still over three dollars a gallon.
I'll skip right to social security as I agree with "Joe the Plumber" that borders should be closed to those who try to circumvent the proper channels of immigration. "Joe" feels he should be able to access his social security monies and invest them as he deems fit. Had social security been privatized where we would have been able to do so; could you imagine the uproar when Wall Street went from all good to all gone.
So each night, after tuning in to all the political pundits on the various shows and hearing the rhetoric going back and forth along with the recent history of presidential elections I myself can't help but be leery of the outcome. I know that I am not alone in my suspicions. My prayer (hope floats, prayer works)is that everybody eligible to be registered to vote is and does so based not on the rhetoric being spewed but on close examination of the issues and the policies that the candidates will try to put in place. Many people say they are going to vote for the candidate that is going to do best for them and that is where we go wrong. We need to vote for who will be best for America that way we all are included though sacrifices have to be made. The main focus point among the issues is taxes. Obama has been attacked for wanting to share the wealth. It is quite simple or I am extremely naive but if the middle class and poor are given breaks that puts more money into their hands and big business and the wealthier pay more it balances out as the middle class and poor will spend more which means money goes back into big business and subsequently the wealthier. What big business needs to do is cut back on salaries of CEO's and redistribute that money among the worker bees who are truly the force behind these corporations. At some point the money needs to be redistributed. It takes us back to when we were all kids and our parents use to tell us to do something and ultimately were given the warning "Do it or I'm gonna do it for you"; none of us wanted them to do it for us if you know what I mean. It is the same way, if you don't want government doing it for you then you need to do it yourself. As the greatest nation (status is in serious jeopardy) if one of us is homeless or out of work or struggling then we all are.
In closing we need to either disregard the rhetoric coming from the McCain-Palin camp or call them out on McCain's ties to Acorn (two years ago, as opposed to Obama's tie which was thirteen years ago, he spoke at one of their events at Miami Dade College and even said "what makes America special is what's in this room tonight"), as well as Palin's unethical actions in Troopergate and her tie to a member of the AIP (Alaska Independence Party) who happens to be her husband. Let's call them out on these as they spew out rhetoric questioning whether Obama can be trusted or not. Leave your comment, pass the word on to "Joe the Plumber" and get out and vote.