The O'Finky Factor

Epitaph of a Hero

October 10, 2008

Looking at the stock market plunging another 700 plus points and watching John McCain, a man whom I have always admired, being demeaned and negated by the Republican Party Machine: both are equally numbing sights. Mr. McCain, unable to deal with the economy, with Iraq, Afghanistan or the Soviet Union, has had to stoop to a Karl Rovian level campaign. Who cares about William Ayers? Yes, Obama really was 8 years old when Ayers performed his “terrorist” activities. Yes, they were both working on a charitable project sponsored by Democrats and Republicans, including the Annanbergs. This is not even “up” to Rove’s standards as a diversion from real issues.

Meanwhile, we have Sarah Palin, an “energy expert,” but a social disaster, attacking Obama about things that happened when she was a child. Go Girl! Take Karl Rove’s word for it! Its what you guys do, isn’t it? Take any Tom, Dick or Harry’s word for it! I have a wonderful idea. Why don’t you call Obama (Hussein) a “N----- lover?” He did father two “N-----“ children, didn’t he? I mean, it worked for Junior Bush in his obscene attack on John McCain in the 2000 South Carolina primary didn’t it? Didn’t it girl, or was that before you grew up and became governor of Alaska? Watch out, you who are still impressionable. The “swift boaters” are using you again.

John McCain, you cannot escape yourself. You are a Democrat in Republican wolf’s clothing. You picked the wrong party. It is your family’s heritage, I know, but Ronald Reagan’s “fault.” He took most of the sane Democrats to the center of the Republican party. Most of your old comrades are dead now. Except for a few serving “statesmen” like Oren Hatch and Chuck Hegel, the Doles, the Senior Bushes, the James Bakers, Howard Bakers, the Percys and Goldwaters, the “Hearts of the Party,” are silent voices unheard by the abjectly ignorant young Turks. You are living in the land of the “Neocons,” truly financial monsters, religious fanatics and incompetent practitioners of “Voodoo Economics.” They believe in magic and you don’t. They believe that, magically, the international wealth of the Oligarchs will filter through the Swiss banks to trickle into the hands of peons like you and me and the unemployed, now homeless, factory workers of America.

You missed your chance, John. You endorsed a “dumb bigot” after he personally attacked your own family in South Carolina. You endorsed him again when you let him steal a presidential election in Florida. You attacked a man for attending the Church of a once patriotic clergyman who had clearly become demented in his later years, while you visited and praised a much more dangerous bigot in Reverend Hagee. You’re right about one thing, the people that you associate with can change you.

Barring some fluke occurrence, Barack Obama will be President of the United States. He has no “record” by which to judge him, he has conflicting ideas in his books. He is a little arrogant and reluctant to seek help sometimes or admit when he doesn’t know something. His votes have been a little too left wing for my taste. He is willing to throw out the entire Bush tax package without completely understanding it (“the baby with the bath water”). He didn’t read the Iraq Study Group Report (nor did you), so he dismissed the “surge” without proper study.

Mr. McCain, you had your chance! You could have stayed the “real” John McCain by stating the truth!!! If you had been President, there would not have been a 9/11 attack, no Iraq spending spree, no gifts of hundreds of billions of dollars to Halliburton, Exxon Mobil, Blackwater or the 200,000 Bush/Cheney carpetbaggers in Iraq. Rumsfeld would not have used privateers to bleed billions of dollars from our brave armed forces at the expense of first class armor, weapons and medical coverage. A true “maverick” would have sought justice for the murderous Junior Bush regime- at least a wholesale investigation. But, the great maverick, alienated and abused by his party, chose, not a wonderful statesman like Tom Ridge or a financial wizard like Mitt Romney as his Vice President, but a little girl! Under orders from the “black hole” he chose a little Shirley Temple doll who can raise money for a losing party at the expense of its own candidate. (The real Shirley Temple would have been a legitimate choice, ironically!)

You blew it on purpose, Karl Rove. You blew it on purpose, you abjectly ignorant, idealistic Young Turks. Every Democrat loved John McCain. You guys didn’t know it because you’re not Democrats, you’re not even people, you’re mindless Neoconservative zombies! The two dozen registered Republicans left in this entire country can’t elect anyone. The Democrats have to elect everyone! Look at the damn numbers! Look at the sorry, sorry numbers.

To me, you’re still a “loveable curmudgeon,” John McCain, but not a Republican President. We can’t afford it.