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Political aroma
Originally published 11/02/06 on Cadet Spiff's Deep Space Log
Is that fall I smell in the air?
Nah. The mingled urine, sweat and vomit attacking my nostrils can't be the smell of autumn. Smells more like -- politics. Yes, Election Day is less than a week away. And, as has come to be expected each and every election season, it stinks.
Of course, we have the general mudslinging that cannot be avoided --it's become what we expect during campaigns. Every time you turn on the television or the radio, you get to hear how Candidate B is too liberal for Alabama or takes too much money from special interests. Of course, Candidate A is right, good, and wonderful, stands up for the Average Joe, and would appreciate your vote (as well as your money).
Yearghh. Smells like so much manure being slung around.
In addition to the general stench which lingers around politics, you can add another scent to the melange: Fear. Not just the fear that Republicans use in their drive to retain political power. But it is Republican fear; a nervous, sweat-stained fear, a shaking terror that the public is finally taking a good hard look at the bill of goods it was sold six years ago, and asking questions about the promised product that never materialized.
That's why, I'm supposing, that I'm hearing all kinds of pandering from right-wing pundits begging conservatives to go out and vote. Because they know that if they can't get out the moderate conservative vote, the Republicans are screwed.
Face it: This is not a good election season for the Republicans. Dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq is at its highest, and people are pointing a finger squarely at W. Mark Foley got busted with inappropriate e-mails to teenage male pages, and there's the possibility that fellow Republicans knew about Floey's actions years ago, and did nothing to stop it.
Fairly or not, these issues are affecting the Republican party at all levels, so they're going back to what they know best: diversion and distraction. Like a cheap sideshow magician, politicians are trotting out all kinds of tricks to get people not to notice what they can't keep out of sight.
So Iraq's a mess? Well, we're changing our strategy, the administration tells us. We're no longer "staying the course". Of course, we're not really changing anything we're doing over there, we're simply no longer using the term "staying the course".
Personally, I think Iraq may be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Bush. Four years in the making at this point, the war and occupation are unpopular both with Iraqis (no surprise there) and with Americans who don't see the benefit.
This is how long World War II took, with clear goals and a simple strategy -- unconditional surrender of the opposing forces. And there was a little thing called the Marshall Plan in place to rebuild a devastated Europe and govern the occupied countries.
Vietnam, on the other hand, took decades and was a war we didn't start and couldn't win. At least in Vietnam we were fighting against the spread of communism, against a known enemy. We just couldn't handle the guerilla tactics.
Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Sure, we toppled the power structure in Iraq. Along with most of the infrastructure. And now Bush looks to blame the Iraqis for not getting their house in order so we can leave?
"I know many Americans are not satisfied with the situation in Iraq," Bush said. "I'm not satisfied either."
No spin zone? Please. Nothing but smoke and mirrors for this crew. Don't mind that man behind the curtain. But when you build a house of cards, no matter how intricately and carefully you build it, the slightest mistake can bring it all tumbling down.
Which brings us to the event that got people to take a look at the Republicans: Tom Foley.
I'm wondering which is worse: Having a potential pedophile in Congress, one who looked to alcoholism as an excuse for his "inappropriate" behavior, or Congessional leaders who may have known for years about Foley's advances to underage pages yet looked the other way?
Foul, foul business, either way you look at it.
So the Republicans are doing everything they can to get people to go vote on Tuesday. Moderate Republicans may well hold the key to this election, and the GOP feels it must get out the vote; otherwise, the Democrats could well control Congress and leave Bush as a mortally wounded duck for his last two years in office.
In any case, it stinks all around.
But I'll be holding my nose on Tuesday while I cast my ballot, and I encourage everyone else to do so as well. Voting is the cleanser for the odor of politics; it's up to us to decide whether we simply freshen the air, or throw out the source of the smell.
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