Ten Days To Go

Until the US Presidential Election - and no doubt far more than ten days to go until we have a lawyer approved decision - ick, it better not be like 2000 - let's do a recount of electronic votes, yeah I can see that happening LOL. First article of the morning about it, from the LA Times, says that the Dems have given up on the South for this campaign, well apart from Florida.



Hmm, a bit of a downer on the start of the World Series, a Boston student killed by a 'non-lethal' cartridge hitting her in the eye, all that CSI tape just around the corner from Fenway's entrance apparently. Who to blame, the unruly and quite possibly drunk celebrants or the cops who did the shooting, there was a bit of cars burned and rubbish bins through windows going on at the same time. Still, anarchy doesn't deserve death - will wait to see what the investigation shows.



Good article about Formula One here - saying how the British Grand Prix is under threat but that no matter what happens Bernie Ecclestone will get richer, and the interest in the race is who comes second to Michael LOL. Best humour bit was the kid pressing the crossing button even though his mother doesn't want to cross LOL.



Hmm, Kobe Bryant is talking to the media again - and even more surprisingly the Denver Nuggets want to sign him - yeah, that would be good, have him playing in the state where his accuser got too stressed out to go ahead with the case - distinct difference to not guilty in my mind, more a no contest plea. Ick. Oh, and by the way, who won the basketball last season? Wasn't sure whether they were still playing but I saw the phrase 'season opener Nov 2' in the article hmm.



No wonder the Simpsons chose Springfield as a name for their fictional town LOL, there are SEVENTY ONE of them in 36 states in the Union. Article about the election from Springfield Missouri is where I got that nugget of information from LOL.



For all the talk of constitutional amendments and stuff, this quote, from the Missouri article is very apt - '"People are so short-sighted," he says. "They can vote against abortion but there'll still be abortions. They can vote against gays but there'll still be gays."'



Ick - the Republicans have brought out a new fear ad, with wolves gathering waiting for a Kerry win - I hate to say it, but if it is in the right markets (which I'm sure the Republicans have figured out) it could be very effective. Security moms etc - reminds me of the ads saying that mortgage rates will rise under a Labor government in Australia the election just gone, or there was an ad in New Zealand in the 1975 election with dancing cossacks, saying that a vote for Labour (we keep the U in the NZ spelling LOL) is a vote for the Soviet Union - most memorable ads ever in a New Zealand campaign LOL, and had nothing to do with truth - ah the 70s LOL.



Security moms pfft, worried about keeping their families safe from terrorism, has anyone actually gone out and asked that (in a non-biased way lol, do you want to keep your family safe from terrorists is a loaded question), are you WORRIED about terrorism in Grand Falls North Dakota LOL - yes, September 11 was horrid, but New York and Washington were the cities hit, it wasn't as if there was targetting of Michigan or California or whatever. This is very much a fear election, and has basically been a fear presidency.



Oh, this is interesting, if not altogether unexpected LOL - 'The president, meanwhile, has surprised some of his supporters by deciding to take a rest from the trail, withdrawing to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, for the weekend.' It's obviously been all the stress of having people disagree with him LOL.



Good article in the Washington Post here, the Prez has been to Pennsylvania 41 times since being President - is he ever actually in Washington LOL - well he ran last time on the premise of bringing an outsider's view of the Beltway. Oh, there's just too many lies and misleading statements from both sides to even start trying to list them all, lol I just link to articles you can read the information just as well as I can :)



Mmm, Bubba aka Slick Willy is going to make election appearances this time around, based on doctor's advice of course, what with bypass surgery a month or so ago. If Gore had just used Clinton a bit more in his campaigning rather than twisting himself in knots on whether to use brainy Bill or Monica Bill, ah, what iffing LOL.



Statement from John McCain on one of the talking head shows today - 'He added, "The rhetoric in this campaign is as bad on both sides or worse than I have ever seen it -- on both sides."' - this was after saying that Bush was a safe pair of hands in Iraq, well he would have to say that wouldn't he - mmm President McCain, thinking that he would have gone with the Powell rather than Rumsfeld Doctrine in Iraq. Arrgh, what iffing again LOL.



Is it just me or is the debate much more toxic this time around than anything I have seen previously in US politics? Oh, well apart from the 2002 mid terms and the Willie Horton Dukakis sinking ads in 88 LOL. The Republicans will say if Bush gets in that of course we have been right in everything we have done in the last four years, even if the pinko media kept harassing us - the Dems will be well at least that is over and by the way you stole the election last time around LOL. Just a feeling I am getting about the motivation behind each campaign.



Oh, and this is good, an Iranian newspaper is supporting Dubya winning the election. Oh, and that creep in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi wants the Republicans back in as well LOL.



Just had a disturbing thought, if there is a terrorist attack on a polling booth or city or something on election day, will there be contingency plans to extend the voting or will the voters have to turn up at a poll even though they might be bombed on polling day? Scenario from an article I read a couple months ago. The results would be seriously skewed if half of the voters were too afraid to venture out for the day or glued to their TV sets...



Another tax break that was too good for Bush to pass up LOL. Read about this in this week's Economist actually - will get rid of export subsidies (good) but will be a big lolly grab for lots of companies in the short term - up to $136 billion I think I read. Now that will be covered by the federal surplus of course LOL - what, we are in deficit, get rid of the reality based thinking and it is all God's work LOL, and He works in mysterious ways :)



Okies, gotta get offline for a bit cos there are phone calls expected or some crap. Get a second line would be the best option, and make sure it is ADSL or ISDN LOL. Remind me that I want to mention the movie Falling Down next entry (hopefully later this afternoon).



Pauly