tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19679733.post6351424543922032095..comments2023-05-19T04:55:25.171-04:00Comments on White Noise Manifesto: Done With PoliticsChad B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/00262764330310145789noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19679733.post-8152757636911888522008-11-08T09:26:00.000-05:002008-11-08T09:26:00.000-05:00A political outsider, maybe...a maverick???Truth b...A political outsider, maybe...a maverick???<BR/><BR/>Truth be told, as elections go, this one didn't seem quite as bad as the 2 most recent ones. Sure there was mudslinging from all sides, but I think it was better than 2000 and 2004. At the very least people finally seemed to stop listening to a lot of the false information and spin (e.g. Obama is a Muslim, doesn't love America, is a socialist, etc. etc.). Since he was ahead most of the time, Obama didn't feel compelled to directly attack McCain that much, and stuck with Bush bashing. GWB is an easy target these days, often it's justified, but sometimes not. To McCain's credit, I think he resisted the political operatives desire to run a Bush-like campaign. Having been a victim of these tactics in 2000, I think he was sympathetic to at least scaling back the vitriol (I'm not sure the same can be said for Palin). There were even glimmers, particularly late in the campaign and in his concession speech of the John McCain that many people admired before his ~2006 transformation to the far right when he was trying to get his parties nomination. Had he been able to secure the nomination as the "real McCain" not the re-package ultra-conservative version, it might have been a more competitive race. You might be done, but I think it will be interesting to follow both Obama and McCain in the coming months and year.<BR/>BTW, until the electoral college is abolished there is even less chance of a viable 3rd party.Shawnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02633935985970527303noreply@blogger.com