trip reports interrupted by politics....

[lagilman]

Up at 5am to watch selected speeches and roll call via YouTube, because my only other option is CNN and...bleah. My connection's not great, so streaming videos problematic, but I'm getting the audio feed clearly, at least.

I don't agree with every point made by every politico on stage, but for the first time in years I'm not feeling beaten down into anger and apathy by what's happening in American politics. (also: Joe Biden rocked). The Roll Call was clearly choreographed but it made for great showmanship, and that is what a political convention is all about -- the deals have been struck already and now the machine (in use both good and ill) rolls on. We have a non-white, non-Old Guard Democratic mainstream candidate for President, hello History, and yes, I will be casting my vote for him. Not that there was a chance in hell I was going to vote for "No Fair Wages, no Choice for Women" More of the Same McCain, but y'know, some of you might have wondered. There it is.


And to those folk who are already online screaming about how the vote was "rigged" and Hillary Clinton didn't get her full chance? Dudes, HILLARY moved for popular acclaim. If you think that she was robbed, maybe you should ask her what cut she got of the robbery -- or do you think she is so weak or easily cowed that she would do that without fair compensation? And if you DO think that -- man, you're dissing her worse than anyone you claim to be protesting against! *eyeroll* Hillary was, as she always has been: a politician, and a gracious and charismatic and intelligent one at that, an I look forward to her continuing to work toward her [and my] goals in the coming years.

Oh, and because I am allowing myself snark this one moment: to the people who have called her a "shrill bitch" and the "anti-christ" and a variety of other things in my hearing in the past few decades? How you liking your representative choices these days? I'm liking mine -- and their ideas about governance -- just fine.

Anyway. Democratic Presidential candidate Obama? Please, please... do as you've promised. Be someone we can talk about with pride, with enthusiasm, with respect -- not just now, but eight years from now!

/political segment

Comments

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

::nods:: I agree with all of that! I hope that Obama is going to be able to live up to his promise and not be what my parents keep saying he'll be... because goodness knows McCain won't bring any hope to this country.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

If he's merely 80% of what he promises to be, it's going to be rays of bright sunshine peeling back the gloom.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

True, I guess, but it really depends on the 80%... if he drops the 'change' thing and keeps the rest of it, well then it still won't be so great. The vote on wireless wiretapping still has me nervous. It wasn't how I expected him to vote, it wasn't how he really said he was going to vote since he said he was against it. ::shrugs:: I'm too jaded to have worryless hope, I suppose. Too many years of trying to stay on top of all the crap (see the birth control rule-change issue going on right now).

[neadods.livejournal.com]

That reminds me, I have to draft my comment and send it in. Can't decide if email or snail mail will have more impact.

[lagilman]

I'm told that snail mail still has more impact, at least with the established politicos and their staff. E-mail is still just phosphors that can be easily deleted.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

And that deletion is *exactly* what I'm afraid of. Snail mail it is. With a cc to Biden, which may mean nothing cosmically, but at least means two sets of admin assts will have to throw it in the trash.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

::laughs:: Unemployed as I am at the moment, I emailed. Even stamps and envelopes cost money, and goodness knows I don't have any! Last time I sent an actual letter... graduation invites a year ago!

Because of that, I'm sure an actual letter WOULD have more of an impact, just because it comes so rarely! My bf's aunt sent me a letter a few months ago, and it was even handwritten on lined paper... I was absolutely shocked!

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

I will vote for Obama, but Hillary's speech made me cry, and I haven't done that since JFK.

[arouraleona.livejournal.com]

Omg! Me too! Um, not that I cried watching JFK, I wasn't alive then, but I did cry during Hillary's speech. I thought it was very, VERY well done. And the fact that Bill was tearing up really got to me.

[sfmarty.livejournal.com]

amen

[rwglaub.livejournal.com]

I'm more than ready to vote for Obama. I just want to see a whole bunch of the this administration's office holders in jail for treason and other high crimes and misdemeanors.

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

Don't forget subverting the Constitution. I'd like to see them all tried at the Hague, or whereever such things happen, starting with The Penguin aka Dick Cheney.

[camille-is-here.livejournal.com]

The Tubman section did me in.