Friday 5 September 2008

You're listening to...


The Today Programme on Radio 4.

And a brief vox pop with some female American youth at the Republican whatever it is in St Paul Minnesota. They are extremely scary.

One of them, when asked by Jim Naughtie why she supported John McCain, said that she found her own beliefs echoed in those of the ageing Senator - such as 'the rights of the unborn and freedom.' These were her very own words. Her friend, or at least the other girl Jim was talking to, said that McCain was the kind of person America needed at the helm in these times of war. Jim was curious about whether these girls found themselves out of step with political opinion among their peers, whom he thought might have been backing Barack Obama, but the girls said most of those people were only wowed by Obama's presentation skills and were not informed about the policies. They were seeking to engage these easily-led kids by asking them what they thought Obama's policies really were, and the result had been that it was purely an agenda for 'change' without any substance.

I mean, Jesus H Christ, who are these people? I'm stunned that they actually exist, I really am. The 'rights of the unborn and freedom'??!! Gimme a break. This doesn't mean that I think Obama is possessed of any magic bullets. No sir. I actually tend to think that he does seem rather hollow, and - as is often the way with the Yanks - everything's so slick and he doesn't seem to have any shame. But he's infinitely the lesser of two evils. McCain and that repulsive beauty queen strutting around the place spouting shit really do turn my stomach. I'm just gobsmacked that anyone can talk about supporting him - least of all an 18 year old kid.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Obama is Tony Blair with more money and a better suit. And a slightly (but only slightly) less annoying wife.

They are actually making me think that a pair of pro-life creationists wouldn't be all that bad after all. No, really. I know which ones I'd rather go for a beer with.

Anonymous said...

But wait... I thought you didn't drink? Neither do they. Probably. Though in Alaska there's prolly not much else to do