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I will make every effort to never write like Moore. Yuck!

An Average Joe [YUCK!!] or Average Jolene [YUCK!!!] would be devoured alive by the predators in American politics. The economically powerful don't take radical chances. Obama was presented as that chance and radical change, a departure from what has been.
But look how visibly things have stagnated or regressed under his presidency. The vast majority of gains from the rebound of the great '08 recession went to the top 10% and the biggest winners were the 1% earners. Business as usual. Consumer debt has also continued climbing. Federal, too. *Both candidates* for 2016 are presented as radical change, a departure from what has been. As if an iphone in every pocket, mandated healthcare and legal gay marriage were enough.

Obama is dark-skinned, Hilly & Palin have uteruses and Trump has a forked tongue and grifting-performer gravitas. Each one has been paraded out like "here's the fix!" "see? progress!" "it's different!" but the concessions made are inconsequential social issues to the decision makers with wide margins at stake.
American society is visual, high emphasis is placed on face value. We no longer dress in Sunday best to go out in public, but make no mistake image is everything. The public is sick of being told the shit sandwiches are tasty and nourishing, they're just eating the wrong way. If you've been eating shit sandwiches on white bread, a shit sandwich on pumpernickel or an everything bagel is still a shit sandwich! But enough people return to keep the shit sandwich shop in business. Even Bernie, who wants only locally-sourced fair trade shit in the sandwiches.

You gonna eat that? I politely decline. Just give me the bread.

Nope, not a shred of difference to be seen, not a substantive difference at all that would raise any flags. http://bigstory.ap.org/70541105d2f149cc ... 9310406365


So would the dystopian future in Dollhouse class as cyberpunk, or just the hardware-augmented people in it?

Hardware upgrades are totally cyberpunk.

I thought Bush was supposed to be a pseudo-"average joe" candidate?
I mean, if the average joe was an oil baron whose father was also president. But that's, at least, how he was presented, I think.

In any case, the likelihood of finding an "average joe" candidate in a sea of lawyers and people who went to prestigious colleges is probably as low as the probability of finding a politician that isn't corrupt in DC.

I feel bad for Obama, sure he's had some questionable views here and there, but damn has he not tried to make a difference, only to be driven to a corner and cage by Congress. It's been so frustrating seeing politics turn to the most petty of fights. It stop being about policy itself but about stopping him. I mean, remember when the ACA was originally sponsored by none other than Mitt Romney? Congress sure as hell didn't,instead pushing the idea of obamacare and all. Or the times the closing of gizmo have been shut down? Or hell, the most pathetic way in which Congress is keeping Obama's supreme justice nomination from even entering the chamber.

The worst is between this Congress and trump the feds have have taken a circus. I mean, it's too early to say how trumps campaign will change politics, but it feels a lot like the old Kennedy/Nixon debates during the dawn of television. No matter what you say posturing will always win.

jrfox92 wrote:I thought Bush was supposed to be a pseudo-"average joe" candidate?
I mean, if the average joe was an oil baron whose father was also president. But that's, at least, how he was presented, I think.

Correct.
cue the George Carlin quote about dragging someone kicking and screaming into the White House.

Iommic Pope wrote:This is why you guys should have compulsory voting.

That'd never work.

I didn't vote for Obama, but I respect him because well, he's my President. I think he's tried to do a lot of good and been shoved off a million times. It's bullshit. I've never seen a President treated with such disregard as him.

I've said this before but I'd fucking vote for Obama in a second over any of the other candidates that have been in this election process.

The choices we were left with are absurd. It's a sad state of affairs. Oh well. The next four-eight years will be very interesting to say the least.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLBKOcUbHR0[/youtube]

Gone Fission wrote:Nope, not a shred of difference to be seen, not a substantive difference at all that would raise any flags. http://bigstory.ap.org/70541105d2f149cc ... 9310406365


So would the dystopian future in Dollhouse class as cyberpunk, or just the hardware-augmented people in it?

The proud racists and all manner of extremists have been voting in each of the previous elections, too. It aint new or substantially different. The xenophobic white nationalists are voting Trump and historically lean GOP. The antiwhite, PC fascists are voting for HRC and historically lean democrat. They've all been voting in our lifetimes. Both sides are fans of state power so long as they are in control...and both sides loathe state power when their political opposition has the reigns.

What raises flags to me is a reductionist political narrative saying "to beat the villain we've gotta vote for the hero!" when both hero & villain are situationally interchangeable. It suggests the candidates cant stand on their own platform/merit and the truth is too ugly, too disruptive for keeping up appearances.

This election for some reason makes me think of Cash


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ht7mxF9XZiA[/youtube]

jwar wrote:I didn't vote for Obama, but I respect him because well, he's my President. I think he's tried to do a lot of good and been shoved off a million times. It's bullshit. I've never seen a President treated with such disregard as him.

Same. Didn't vote for Bush either but he was the president. I adapted, paid respect to the achievement. But it was tough to get out of that era with my sanity. Couldn't stand listening to him. Same goes for Obama. Not interested in powerful, connected people trying to tell me what's important and attempting to pander with platitudes.
Life is too short to allow transplanted anger into my headspace and have it weigh on me. I haven't contributed a single penny to any campaign, ever. Would rather spend the money on fun stuff that sounds good or a few extra cans of food to drop off at a pantry. Also feels much better not having those votes burden my conscience like "I'm directly responsible for the shitshow taking place"

I now continuously choose to make a difference by seizing opportunities to share joy, be a good neighbor, paying random acts of kindness forward & expecting nothing in return. I remain optimistic things will balance out & return to equilibrium. Big believer in poetic justice...whoever the next president is, I view as this too shall pass.

"Praise Bernie Sanders' Lord, I'm outta here!"

she done seen the light

Just thinking out loud here...I feel like the very best thing Hillary Clinton can do at this point, if she really wants to win the election this fall, is figure out a way to have Michelle Obama surgically grafted to her body in some fashion until after election day...then just run as some kind of freak Siamese twin thing that only speaks from one of its two heads.


Are ya with me?