Hellooooo 2008!

Let me wax politic here for a bit...

Like many people (read: democrats) I was very emotionally vested in the 2004 elections. I was tired of watching the current administration make every single effort that it could to pass laws contradictory to my opinions. I was tired of hearing about every coverup, every scandal, every violation of constitutional rights. I imagine I'm not the only one that gets the tight throat and barely-concealed scowl every time I see or hear our president on TV or radio. I could be sitting in a quiet coffee shop, listening to some soothing music in the background, but if Bush's (or Cheney's, Ashcroft's, Rumsfeld, etc. etc.) face showed up on a muted TV, I'd be ready to stand up and shout, or walk out, as offended and disgusted as if they had decided to play beastiality porn instead. Obviously, the feeling was very visceral.

Well, election day rolled around. I was excited. I walked over to my local polling place, two blocks away, to cast my vote at 7:30 in the morning. I then proceeded to go to work and stare at electoral-vote.com all day long. Arriving home that night I was starting to get worried. As Ike and I watched the results pour in on the 65-inch jumbotron, dissapointment set in. Four more years of the same crap: Torture, War, Wiretapping, Anti-scientific rhetoric, Polluting, etc. ad nauseum. It was devestating.

While I should blame it on "youthful indiscretion" and booze, I blame the
birthday debacle of 2005 on G.W. Bush instead.

Slowly, I came to terms with the state of the country. My interest in politics waned and I moved across the country, away from D.C. It was a relief. For a while I felt like I could relax and ignore the news as the country headed down whatever path it liked.

Things have changed since then. The country has gotten tired of the same old bullshit and started to move on. People are are fed up with Bush and the Rupublicans. Democrats control both houses, and it seems like it's going to stay that way, at least for the forseeable future.

I'd be pissed if I was a republican right now. Their presidential "hopefuls" are laughable. Huckabee is an ignorant fool, Romney is a fawning sycophant, Thompson is old and lazy, Giuliani is an immoral bully. McCain is the only one with a chance, and his own people are trying to tank him for stepping out of line a couple times... and being too old. Good luck with that.

This coming Sunday is a very important milestone for America. That day, January 20th, 2008, will mark the beginning of George Bush's last year in office. After those 12 months, there will be no more bungling speeches, no more stupid nicknames... Never again will we ever have to hear that dumb snickering laugh when he jokes about the "haves" and "have-nots". It makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

I don't know what your Sunday plans are this weekend, but if you've got the time for it, celebrate. Go out for a drink, toast with your like-minded friends. If you're feeling brave, hit up the closest nascar/redneck/cowboy joint, saddle on up to the bar, and order yourself a nice, liberal-pinko-hippie drink. House red? Cosmopolitan? Mojito? Then offer a toast to the worst president this country has ever seen... May he spend the next 366 (wohoo, leap year!) enjoying his lame duck-ness until he moseys on down into the sunset, never to leave Crawford, TX again.

Did I mention Sunday is also my (and Ike's) birthday(s)?!? Double fun!