Grow Up McCain

Here’s something I really don’t understand about the American electorate, particularly the ones that fall into both of the following two categories:

• Those who are voting for McCain, and
• Those who are extremist religionists

I know that the right-wing Christians don't actually care about the day-to-day problems of this country because they are more concerned about whether Dan Savage is raising a kid in Seattle. But forthose who are not right-wing Christian wack jobs (and with that, as with many previous attacks on the Christian right, I have barred myself from every running from office) and are voting for McCain, why are you supporting the trivialization of issues and problems that face you every day?

In 2004, the economics of either Bush or Kerry didn’t affect me. I make enough money to weather any storm then raging and the struggling middle class American didn’t describe me the way it did others. I say this not to brag, but to make a point. Today, I don’t know a single person, no matter how well off they are, who is not in some way affected by the unbelievable state our country has become. Gas prices, knowing someone (or loving someone) who is at risk in a pointless war in Iraq, job loss threatening everyone, the horrible state of our foreign affairs. Even read about the uber-rich in Vanity Fair and they’re losing millions on the sales of their homes and can’t afford to gas up their Lear jets. NO ONE IS IMMUNE!!

And yet, despite that, McCain supporters are allowing him to trivialize this campaign. While Obama tries to talk about the issues, the different plans, the ways to make America better, McCain is talking—falsely—about kindergarteners and sex ed and lipsticks on piglets. He’s reducing this campaign to the stupidity of the lowest common denominator.

For those I cannot convince to desert McCain for Obama, I beg you do one thing. Make your candidate run on the issues. Hold him to his word that he would run a different sort of campaign. Make him live up to his own promises.

I seriously don’t know if I can stand it if another election is won or lost on a distortion of issues and phony culture war scare tactics. If anyone believes that Obama really wants kindergarteners to learn about fellatio, they’re idiots, pure and simple. I however, like that Obama wants to teach five year olds how to recognize sexual abuse and report it. I think that’s a good thing. What’s not a good thing is trivializing the very real, very huge, very relevant problems in this country by refusing to address them.

McCain, you're too old not to be a grown up.