Once upon a time, before robocalls, swiftboating, twenty-four cable news, sound bytes, blogs, and internet fundraising, when pundits did not yet cover the land like locusts, presidential campaigns involved things like torchlight parades, whistlestop tours, buttons, bullhorns, barbeques, straw hats… and theme songs.

<lj-embed id=”3″/>

Can you imagine the ridicule if either McCain or Obama rolled out a campaign theme song like this in the present political climate?

It was a different age, truly. But I am the Ancient One, and I remember.

Current Mood: null

Parris and I voted on Tuesday. Big turnout here in Santa Fe for early voting. Good.

If any of you reading this live in a state that offers early voting, I urge you strongly to go and vote NOW. The crowds on election day are likely to be large, which could mean long lines, confusion, waiting. Take advantage of early voting. It will help ease the crush, and make things easier for all concerned… especially you.

Current Mood: null

The McCain campaign has been spending a lot of time lately hammering Obama for alleged ties to ACORN, which they’re portraying as some kind of extreme radical group engaged in massive voter fraud.

It’s all bullshit, of course.

Take a look at this if you want the truth about ACORN — who they are, what they do, what this “voter fraud” consists of.

<lj-embed id=”2″/>

McCain talks about an assault on the very fabric of democracy, but there’s far more of that coming from the right, with its efforts to disenfranchise minorities, the young, first time voters, and the elderly than from anything that ACORN has done. It worked in 2000 (Florida) and in 2004 (Ohio). We have to make certain it does not happen this time.

Current Mood: null

Some of you may have seen the mind-boggling and horrifying HARDBALL interview with the Minnesota congresswoman who wants her fellow members of Congress investigated for anti-Americanism.

Her comments provoked such a storm of national outrage that her opponent immediately received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions, from all over the country.

And I’m pleased to see that Colin Powell shared the outrage.

<lj-embed id=”1″/>

Current Mood: null

Another week in the NFL. The Giants won an ugly one over the Niners, and the Jets lost an uglier one to the Raiders. I have to admit, both games frustrated the hell out of me.

The Giants defense showed up again, after having taken off the Cleveland game. Six sacks, lots of pressure on the quarterback, three turnovers, even a safety. That was the good news. The offense left much to be desired, however. The G-Men are now 5-1, but the creampuff portion of their schedule is over. Next week they face another 5-1 team in the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we’ll get the first true indication of how good they are.

As for the Jets… sigh…

The whole team played like crap in Oakland, but I have to blame the coaching for this loss. After Brett Favre passes them down the field with a minute left to set up the field goal that sent the game into overtime, the Jets win the coin toss… and Mangini and Little Schott turn more conservative than Rush Limbaugh. Run on first down, run on second down, throw on third and long. Not once, but on all of our overtime possessions. The Raider defense was gassed and demoralized by the end of regulation; if the Jets had come out in overtime and continued with the same wide-open passing attack that had tied the game, I’m convinced they would have claimed the victory.

Sad to say, the Jets are not playing like a playoff contender at this point.

Current Mood: null

“Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?”

That’s what Joseph Welch asked Joe McCarthy at the Army/McCarthy hearings, and that’s what I asked of John McCain in my last post about the election.

McCarthy had no sense of decency, as it happens, and it appears that McCain has lost his.

The last debate is over and the election has turned onto the home stretch, and McCain’s campaign only grows more toxic. McCain and Palin both continue to harp on the thoroughly explained and thoroughly discredited William Ayers non-issue, despite his alleged desire to run a positive, issue-oriented campaign. This is especially hypocritical for McCain given his own ties to G. Gordon Liddy. In the debate, McCain tried feebly to say that Obama has gone negative as well, citing Obama commercials attacking the McCain health care plan. As if criticizing your opponent’s proposals on a major issue was somehow morally and ethically equivalent to saying your opponent “pals around with terrorists.” Is McCain that stupid, or is this the hypocrisy of desperation?

And now we learn about the robocalls the McCain campaign is making. Talk about disgusting. Can these guys go any lower?

I do think there’s a certain hideous irony in McCain’s insistence that he’s not George Bush, and the way he keeps promising change to rectify all the mistakes of “the last eight years.” Those years, of course, being the Bush administration. Notice, he never says “the last sixteen years.” In other words, he’s pretty well conceding that Bill Clinton was a much better president than W. In the debate, he accused Obama of trying to run against George Bush… ignoring the fact that he seems to be running against George Bush as well.

Current Mood: null

Ouch.

Current Mood: null

Wild Cards fans, take note.

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist is running another of their famous giveaways, this time for an Advanced Reading Copy of BUSTED FLUSH, the second volume in the new Wild Cards triad from Tor.

For further details on the contest, check out Pat’s at

http://fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com/2008/10/win-advance-reading-copy-of-grrm-and.html

Good luck and good reading.

Current Mood: null