How it is...

For the past 8 years corporate America has enjoyed corporate welfare under the Bush Administration. While corporate America and the rich elite get the greatest tax breaks, 95 percent of the rest of Americans have a higher tax rate than corporations and the rich elite. America feeds most of the world but the US can’t take care of the 20 percent of the Americans living in poverty? The rich Republicans are counting on people like you to keep the rich richer and the middle class and poor poorer by voting for McCain. Why is everyone so afraid of socialism? Is an egalitarian society really that big of a problem for people? Too afraid you might have to share your stuff? If humans want to continue to survive we've got to learn how to get along with each other and share. Just like your kindergarten teacher tried to tell you.

Here's what I find amusing about all of this. McCain/Palin are doing their redmeat thing, again, 7 weeks after the convention, because they've been forced to go back and try to defend the red states. That's why they're going at it with such nakedly biased language. It's too late to be doing that. Two weeks before the election is when you back off the harshest stuff, refine your language, try to look presidential, and make a big push to see if you can get any of your opponent's states that have started to waiver. The entire campaign is taking place in states that should be dead locks for a Republican.

Meanwhile, Sarah Palin is shameless polishing her own image for whatever her political future might hold. Over and over again she uses language that causes McCain problems with anybody who's not a red meat Republican, and casually mentions positions that conflict with McCain's. She still gets much larger crowds than he does and it's completely gone to her head. Forget all the stuff about whether she's smart or experienced enough. That's not the problem - the problem is when she steps in front of a huge adoring crowd, puts on her huge grin of delight, and starts into her schtick. She doesn't give a crap about McCain. She's all about "The Palin Show" now. She's starting fires he has to put out, and at the worst time possible.

The question is: Will the next president move America in a new direction, by sending a clear signal to the rest of the world that we are no longer about bluster and unilateralism and ideology?