Time is running down again, the airwaves are being filled with FUD (a.k.a. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt), although not quite as much mud as in the past (thankfully). Yes, election day is drawing near, and the shiny new political wannabe's as well as the slightly tarnished political alreadyare's are out stumping for your vote. Here in Illinois, aside from a president, we have a new senator to elect, as well as a slew of state and local folks wanting to "represent" us. Who I choose to vote for is, of course, my own business -- but as an over-opinionated netizen, I'm going to tell all anyway.
I'm going to have to go with Slick Willie on this one. Contrary to Republican propaganda, he has done a good job as president -- note -- I didn't say he's done a good job running the country. Again, contrary to Republican propaganda, the president does not run the country. What he can do himself, without the cooperation of the congress, is rather limited. Congress, on the other hand, can manage to pass laws without the approval of the president. If Gingrinch and company had managed to gain a larger percentage of congress, they would have done just that. So when Dole says Clinton did this, or Clinton did that -- so did all his fellow Republicans in congress. Actually, it's kind of tough -- I like Dole. He was one of the most effective Senators our congress had ever seen -- flexible enough in his beliefs to make the deals needed to keep the government going, but not willing to give up on what he felt was important. That, perhaps, is why I don't plan on voting for him. He's given up so much of what he once supported in order to kowtow to the radicals in his own party. I realize that Clinton has also been guilty of waffling -- but he's gone from the left to the center, whereas Dole went from the center to the right. His running mate, Kemp, is an even bigger disappointment. There was a time when I almost admired Kemp. He seemed to be the only republican with a heart, a genuine concern for people who didn't give money to the republican national commitee. Now he's gone even farther right than Dole has. The biggest gripe is the dogged belief in Reaganomics. Please, we had them for 12 years, and they didn't work. The rich got richer, the middle class got poorer, and the poor got shafted. Just because rich people (and large businesses) get more money, mean they will invest in themselves to grow and provide work for more people, thus causing the economy to grow. For 12 years the rich bought up the small, and gutted it for anything of value, leaving the middle class and the poor hanging in the breeze. At least the tax and spend liberals can show proof that there philosophy worked once (for those of you who don't know about FDR's policies in the '30 & 40's, go back to school).
If you think I'm voting for Al Salvi, you're deluding yourself. The man has no qualification whatsoever, except for a worship of Gingrinch and his puppets. His ads have the unmistakable stench of Republican Mud on them, and I don't like it. His biggest complaint against his rival, Congressman Dick Durbin? The fact that Durbin is supporting cuts in Social Security and Medicare, that will keep the programs living just a little bit longer. He points out that Durbin will get $1,500,000 a year when he retires. What Salvi doesn't mention is the fact that his will probably be even more if he gets elected. Durbin is an experienced legislator, and the idealogical successor to Paul Simon (another noteworthy senator, who is retiring this year). Durbin also spends his campaign budget telling us what he's done, and what he plans to do, rather than flinging filth at his rival. Al Salvi is a Rich, Chicago Lawyer who wants to make life better for his cronies. Chicago already has a US Senator (Carol Mosely-Braun, who has so far been an embarassment to her race, sex, and state), the rest of Illinois deserves representation too. Let Salvi go up against Braun next time -- then maybe I'll vote for him.
The choice for representative this year boils down the the incumbent Julie Curry, and a former classmate of mine, Jerry Stocks. I don't know much about Curry, apart from the fact that I haven't read anything bad about her, and since I've only seen Jerry once since graduating 14 years ago, I don't know much about him. And he doesn't seem to be too interested in telling me either -- one of his campaign ads consists of a picture of a baby girl in a crib, while a voice over tells me that she will face drugs, murders, and gang rapes before she reaches voting age, and that Stocks is the the only hope she has. I have a small daughter only slightly older than the one in his ad. I also grew up in the same town as Jerry did -- a more whitebread, republican hot-bed suburb you'll not find very often in this world. For only 5000 people we have 10 churches, the average price of a new home is in the $250,000 - $350,000 range, and you can actually see people taking evening strolls at 10:00 at night. Curry has experience, Stocks has FUD. I have an above average intelligence. Sorry Jerry.
Lest you think I'm all Democrat, let me stress that in the last election, I voted almost entirely Republican. I find, on the whole, that although the Democrats traditionally try to tell us what to do (help support poor people, hire minorities - even if white's are a little bit better, don't litter, keep the air and water clean, preserve the environment - even if it costs you money), the Republicans are rapidly becoming the party telling us what we can't do (don't get an abortion, don't put smut - or anything we don't like - on the Internet, don't burn the American flag - even in protest of an opressive government). I'm not particulary interested in supporting abortion (I find it personally offensive, immoral, disgusting, and tragically sad), wouldn't want to burn a flag (except, of course, as a proper method of disposing of an old and worn flag -- as ye ole Boy Scout handbook said to), and don't post smut on my pages (although a friend does, and some of my reviews can be a bit racy). I just don't see where these frequently old, rich, and self deluded Repulican men get off on telling me that I can't. It's not thier decision -- the Constitution says so. So, if the teenage girl down the street gets in trouble and has an abortion, I will not condemn her and add to her problems -- I will not deny the angry young men their rights to protest the frequently unfair practices of our society and government -- and I will not try to erase my friends web pages, just because he likes naked women. I will, however, vote for people I think will do what is right, regardless of political affiliation, and I urge you all to do the same. But what ever you do....