Thursday, September 4

A Call to Action

There’s been a lot of negative talk this past week about John McCain selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate. But in spite of her shortcomings, Sarah Palin has been wildly successful at doing one thing: Rallying the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Those of you that watched any of the Republican National Convention saw politician after politician take the stage and spew vicious and cutting rhetoric (without actually talking much about policy) that cut down the Democratic Ticket and labeled McCain and Palin as political mavericks.

This came to a head last night as Sarah Palin mocked Barack Obama’s experience while celebrating her own "accomplishments."

The crowd leapt to its feet in cathartic cheering at every jab. The conservative base loves this woman.

The far right (or so I’ve been told by my conservative friends) votes primarily on two issues : abortion and gay rights. Sure, war and immigration are also important issues, but they fail to mobilize conservative voters in the same way.

The conservative base has outvoted moderates and liberals in every election in recent memory (with that streak ending with the 2006 midterms. Way to go Dems). Their incredibly strong voting record is the reason that they have power.

Conservatives run this country because conservatives vote.

For too long have young Democrats and Independents sat idly by as the conservative base of the Republican Party has taken over national politics and altered this country's political landscape.

For too long has political fear mongering reigned supreme.

For too long has nothing been done.

I will not let my incredible frustration with the Republican Party strip me of my ability to rise above their cheap politics of insults and fear-mongering.

Instead, I propose a call to action.

Now is the time to do something, to make something happen.

I implore all of you that, like me, believe wholeheartedly that Barack Obama should be the next President (or at least are terrified of a John McCain presidency) to get out there and VOTE.

But don’t stop there. Encourage your friends! Call people you know in Southern and swing states. Help out somewhere, somehow.

Now, more than ever, this country needs to live up to the ideals of Democracy. Now is the time to show the world that America wants to get back on track. Now is the time to take back our standing as the world’s greatest nation.

Now is the time to make your voice heard.

Thanks for reading.
-Paul

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Craig Ferguson apparently went on a diatribe about this topic on his show the other night.

http://blogs.kansascity.com/tvbarn/2008/09/my-fellow-ameri.html

He just became an American citizen, and I think he made some excellent points, and I like the passion he's trying to inspire into his viewers without giving an obvious bias towards one side or the other.

Also, I think he's funny.