Political Spew

I had a kind of disturbing political conversation today, so I need to vent a little.

The person I was talking to said that they were concerned about Obama winning because they had Jewish friends who normally voted Democratic but would vote for McCain if Obama were elected, because they didn't think Obama would support Israel. For these people I have one calm, well-reasoned question. Have you lost your minds?

By what calculation do you think Obama wouldn't support Israel? Because he's a closet Muslim? Because his Christian preacher made some controversial remarks? Do you really think that the president of the largest democracy in the world would turn its back on its closest (maybe only) democratic ally in the middle east? By going down this road you are buying into the right-wing propaganda and their framing of the issue. You're saying that the current approach is the only one that will work. Is this true? Just look at all the wonders Bush has done for peace in the middle east. Let's have more of that, yeah! Do you really truly think that a hard line attitude is going to keep Iran in check? I can't believe that smart people can actually believe this nonsense.

And of course by voting for McCain you're buying the entire right wing package in the process. Want some more radical anti-choice judges? Pollution? Rich made richer at the expense of the middle class and poor? Accelerated global warning? Uninvestigated corruption? Increased spying on US citizens? Endless preemptive wars? The same stuff we've been getting for the last 8 years? Yay! Go for it!

All I can hope is that people who say this kind of stuff come to their senses when the actual choice is presented to them. For the moment it makes me ill.