UNPRODUCTIVE THOUGHT AND NAVEL GAZING

Our local paper features a local "guest columnist" who is so far left that he is entirely off the page. He teaches at a local "alternative college"... and -- you cannot make this up -- he teaches peace studies and social thought. Around town you don't even have to use his name... people say "the local professor of unproductive thought and navel gazing". He is a "peace at any cost" guy (he once wrote a column on how we could solve all the world's problems if neighbors would just talk to each other over their fences... I wish I was kidding) and a "change for the sake of change" kind of guy as well.

The local paper (which has endorsed John McCain) published a column of pablum by this guy today... here are a few select quotes:

But there's much more on the line here. This is also a generational contest, a match-up between "age and experience" and "youth and excitement." John McCain presents himself as a political elder with the right pedigree and history to lead us in these difficult days; Barack Obama represents a generation unafraid to be innovative and speaks in the forward-looking, media-friendly language of this era.

ok.... "youth and excitement" last I checked were not qualifications for President of the most powerful nation on Earth... and neither is the ability to speak geek. Are you joking???

Also this:

The question really is who will best fit the times ahead, not who has served in those [sic] past.

So experience and a solid record of accomplishment is meaningless?? I repeat, Are you joking??? and McCain doesn't just PRESENT himself as such -- he ACTUALLY HAS THE EXPERIENCE (the "Pedigree" if you will) TO LEAD US!! McCain's background and experience are FACT ... Obama just "hopes to be..."

He says to look past "black and white" and tells us about Obama,

In his life story are contained the complexities of the postmodern, globalized era of combinatorial processes.

Huh?? Is this double speak for a culturally diverse individual with ties to the Muslim world? Combinatorial? It's a term of pure mathematical theory -- not the combination of social, genetics or ethnic traits or modes. And it serves as just another example of the so-called "elite" intelligentsia that is supposed to make up the left -- as if their language and reasoning is so much superior to those of the middle or the right. Yah.

And he follows on with this,

McCain harks back to the bygone binaries and well-worn cultural referents of the so-called "greatest generation,"

Binaries?? Binaries?? more gobblygook... binaries? like star systems? fortran code? news feeds? Or do you mean, he's a white guy with honor who has fought and served this country selflessly for his entire life span?? Well-worn cultural referents? Like Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, studying hard, working hard, being successful?? I'll take those well-worn referents ANY DAY.

But he has his concerns about Obama -- but it's not Obama's lack of sound economic plans or unfair taxation nor his unsavory associations (which this guy NEVER even mentions) nor Obama's complete lack of experience... It's because Obama ISN'T FAR ENOUGH LEFT FOR HIM!

Despite these important potential shifts, I have some concerns about a President Obama. His "run to the right" strategy includes nods to outmoded energy inputs including "clean coal," offshore drilling, and the use of nuclear power. He has championed the corporate "bailout" to the tune of over a trillion dollars. He chose a running mate who supported the war in Iraq ...

See... even though Obama HAS THE MOST LIBERAL VOTING RECORD IN CONGRESS -- Obama has strayed too far to the right! And he hasn't done it slowly -- but has RUN to the right. And this guy is such a small thinker that every source of power in the U.S. other than wind and solar -- and maybe biomass -- are unacceptable and must be considered part of the vast right wing capitalist conspiracy... apparently his thinking on the subject hasn't produced any solutions to the energy crisis... but hey easier to just say, "No."

ahhh... then we find the real source of his discontent... it's not McCain... his raging Bush Derangement Syndrome rears its ugly little head...

...it seems a fitting resolution to the last eight awful years to have President Bush pass the torch to someone who, personally and politically, is nearly his polar opposite.

and finally, he doesn't see Obama's "spread the wealth" as being any indication of socialism... and points to McCain's support of the bailout as proof

It's also interesting that Obama is branded a socialist for wanting to "spread the wealth around," even as McCain too supported the massive corporate welfare package. Apparently, some feel it would be better if wealth stayed at the top where it belongs, and any redistribution should commence from the ground-level in a perverse "trickle up" process.

First, most of the people who have "wealth" (what's that number these days?? $120,000 already?? ) got it the old fashioned way -- they EARNED it. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people like Randall here find the thought of people holding onto the money they earned as some nefarious plot to deprive the rest of the world of something. As for the "perverse 'trickle up' process"? What Obama proposes is trickle up poverty -- until everyone at the "top" is just as "not rich" as those at the bottom!

and Randall, dahling, Obama & Joe the Plumber were talking about redistributing INCOME via TAXES... his comment was not about the bailout... but it IS about socialism -- you're just too left of socialism to see it.

I have had Obama supporters tell me to "take a little time to read their web sites and see what both candidates are advocating as policymakers and political leaders. Make your decision based on what they really say they're going to do in office.

I have found this attitude so prevalent in the left and liberal base -- that somehow we HAVEN'T looked and read and INFORMED ourselves??

and as for "what they really say they are going to do in office"?? words. just words.

As for me?? I look at

1. what they SAY they will do


2. the candidate's actual record of accomplishments,


3. solid meaningful experience,


4. whether a candidate has held and supported their position for more than a presidential campaign,


5. their character references

I see that as +5 in the McCain column and a big "0" in the "O" column.

The only thing this guy was even close to being correct about (because it would be an insult to call him "right") was this:

In the end, no matter how this plays out, we'll still have a lot of work to do. Waiting for Washington to solve our problems, whoever's [sic] at the helm, isn't a viable plan. Change may be in the air, but the power to make it happen rests with all of us.

so get out and vote Nov. 4!!

Here is Randall's" opinion.