Beyond belief

Just when I thought that things could not possibly get any more insane than they already were in the worlds of politics and finance...today happened. Yesterday, I said this situation in Washington was turning into a circus. Today, I realize I may have been too generous in my assessment. At least you know what to expect in a circus - some animals, some clowns, some crazy stunts performed without a net as the audience holds its breath...oh, wait. That sorta is what today was like, when you get right down to it.

I have never seen anything like this in my lifetime. I have to ask: if you're a McCain supporter, just what the hell exactly is it that you're supporting at this point? I mean, do you even know what the hell your candidate is supporting? Because after he spent the day riding in on his white steed to rescue the economy, nobody seems to know what he was there for. People IN HIS OWN PARTY could not explain to reporters what McCain's position actually is. Does he want to see a modification of the Paulson plan? Does he want something else altogether? Does he want a glass of warm milk, a blankie and a nap? There's no way of knowing, because he STILL hasn't taken a stand or made a statement that explains his specific concerns or criticisms on the bailout plan. After bringing the race for the White House to a grinding halt, forcibly party-crashing the proceedings on Capitol Hill, and pissing off David Letterman, there has been no result, no progress, no clarity. NOTHING.

I am at a complete loss. How can he still have people of sound mind who would vote for him? I cannot, for the life of me, understand it. After this past 2 weeks, he appears to be something more than people may have bargained for. They wanted a maverick, and he really was one once. But now? Well, now he's just a loose cannon - a schizophrenic shape-shifter who changes gears so rapidly and recklessly that you can hear the engine grinding from miles away. Careening like a geriatric pinball from talking point ("The fundamentals of our economy are still basically strong") to talking point ("America this week faces an historic crisis in our financial system"), contradicting himself in ways that cannot possibly be ignored or explained rationally. Throwing out half-baked ideas, one after another, in a desperate attempt to sound like he's being decisive - let's form a commission! No, wait - let's fire the head of the SEC! Oooh, no, I got it - we should try that newfangled "oversight" thingy I've heard so much about! Yeah, that's the ticket!

This is not what should happen. This man has sold himself as the man with the plan, the one who could get things done, the reformer, the bipartisan enabler, the voice of experience and know-how. I ask you, in all honesty and in all seriousness: have his judgment, his demeanor, his actions, his words, his entire response to the economic meltdown, impressed anyone as being good enough? With so much at stake, and with so little room for error in the way this is handled, does it make ANYONE out there feel better to see how confused and erratic McCain's message has been? I don't know...I can only speak for myself, but this guy has me scared shitless. I know Obama's supposed to be the one with no experience, but McCain has failed spectacularly at his attempts to play the role of the capable leader in a time of crisis. The way he went from cluelessness about the true scope of the problem, to the other end of the spectrum where panic reigns and the sky is falling, just boggles the mind. And the childishness of suggesting that the debate should be called off, and that if things weren't resolved to his satisfation by Friday night, he wasn't gonna show up - well, that's just the most inane thing I've heard in a long time. To dictate to his opponent, the Debate Commission,  all his hosts in Mississippi who spent so much money, time and effort preparing for this event, and the American people that this debate could only go forward with his say so...it is arrogant, presumptuous and outrageous, and one of the least presidential statements he could possibly have made.

I know there are voters who still -STILL! - feel he is the best choice to lead our nation out of its current circumstances and into better times. But based on this past couple of weeks alone, I don't think those people are basing their vote on McCain's abilities as much as they are basing it on a dislike of Barack Obama. There is nothing scarier than the idea that people would knowingly and willingly choose someone who is already screwing things up in Congress (they had a bailout deal in play before he showed up today), before he even gets elected, just to avoid voting for someone like Obama.

You know what, folks? Obama's not a Muslim. He's not a terrorist. He doesn't hate white people. He doesn't support extremists or radicals. He has known, and even worked with, people who have dubious views or conduct (just like John McCain). He himself has never shared those views or engaged in that sort of conduct (unlike John "Keating Five" McCain or Sarah "Troopergate/Witchcraft" Palin). He is a legal US citizen. His middle name is Hussein. He comes off as a bit too cocky sometimes. He has not been in Washington as long as his opponent has. He is liberal. He is black. And all things considered, he is the better choice in this presidential race, so put your country first and get over it.

Beyond belief