An election diatribe

Well, maybe "diatribe" is too harsh a word, but in truth, this won't be a touchy feely post.

First, let me qualify what I am about to write, by stating this: I am a registered independent, so what I say isn't rooted in an automatic slant (like so many others) toward my party. I chose the candidates on their platforms, and where they stand on the issues. Okay, now that the house keeping is done....

NPR- National Public Radio. This station has held a small amount of interest for me over the years, due to it's human interest stories- you know, coffee growers in Columbia being dis-enfranchised, or Mexican workers in the USA struggling to get by. I think it is important that we, (who by and large are not suffering the same level of dis-enfranchisement, and maltreatment) should learn, and keep abreast of these issues and try to affect change.

NPR is however, so completely and 100% anti-Conservative/Republican, it has lost any thread of respect I had for it. Let me illustrate why. In the past few months, I have made a point of tuning into NPR, because I wanted to hear quality, cogent discussions about the candidates running for office. This was not what I heard.

What did I hear on National Public Radio? A THREE HOUR diatribe on how the Republicans stole the election, not once, but TWICE. And, exactly HOW they did so. There was an author discussing the content of his book, which described for the reader how the Republicans stole the elections. The most popular method was to throw out (figuratively and otherwise) votes for the Democrats. Then there was the threats/menacing of voters- that got another big group out of the voting pool. Then, there was the tampering with voting machines. Then there was the making it impossible to GET to the polling location, and of course, the real biggy, not allowing folks to register. This DIATRIBE went on for THREE HOURS. It was then that NPR was dubbed NDR (National Democratic Radio) by me, and I have no doubt thousands of others. IF NPR indeed wants to represent the PUBLIC, there should have been equal time on the other side of the coin allowed by another author who had a different take on the situation.

Anyway, after listening (remember, I want to try and understand as much as I can about each candidate before I vote), all I can say is that this stealing of the election business, and how this conspiracy was propelled and run by the stupid Bush followers- which, if you think about it, is an oxymoron- how can a group be STUPID and also be able to pull of THE BIGGEST conspiracy not once, but twice?) I felt like I was listening to stories of Area 54 and the aliens that had been seen, but the govt hid. Were there ever aliens? Were there enough votes for Gore? Did the govt hide the evidence on the aliens? Did the Republicans hide the proof of their stealing of the election? I doubt we will ever know. I will say this though. IF the Democrats so strongly believed that they election was stolen the FIRST time, why on this green earth were measures not taken to ensure it didn't happen again? Why? because it didn't happen. That's why.

Another issue I have is with this not allowing folks to register to vote. WHERE HAVE THESE PEOPLE BEEN? You know, when I was a high school senior, upon graduation, we were not allowed to leave the building until we registered to vote. Now, I wasn't even OLD enough to vote, but I did. It wasn't even a Presidential election year, but I still registered. Why do people wait until weeks before the election to register? Do they now realize that this is a governmental process, and it will take time to get the paperwork settled? When you plan to travel overseas, do you plan to get your passport weeks before you go? No, because odds are there may be a hold up, and you certainly don't want to stay home because of a paperwork glitch. I have absolutely NO sympathy for the latecomers who complain they can't get registered. Get off your butt oh, I don't know, a few YEARS before the Presidential election, or be quiet- it's your fault.


It appears that Obama will win the election, and I don't necessarily think that that is a bad thing, ESPECIALLY if all the Area 54 fanatics will finally shut up.