Up is Down and Down is Up

Because this time in Tucson we are trying to keep our costs down, we opted for a 'light' cable package from our DirecTv.  That meant that I, someone who loves to watch the MSNBC political pundits in the late afternoon, have had to go cold turkey as we get no cable news at all (I don't count Fox Business News.)

Finally I could stand it no longer and turned to the local channels for news-- in the process learning what most people get in terms of news. It's not encouraging-- superficial, banal, and long stories on nothing while ignoring real stories that will impact lives far more. Oh they fill the space all right, but with what? No wonder people are clueless-- as to get Cable news (and that means CNN, MSNBC or even Fox News) is pretty expensive at least with our dish.

Then there are the ads. Evidently the PACs consider Gabby Gifford's House seat important and they are tearing at Ron Barber. What they used to attack him is he supported Obama's Health care bill where everybody can get insurance and health care when they are ill. That's the accusation and maybe in some right wing communities, that's all it takes. Is Tucson that right wing? I have no idea.

The thing is there are a lot of rich people down here (who knows how the rich see this since they can afford their own care and may worry more that they'll be crowded out of their doctor's office), but there is also a sizable community of the very people who will benefit from health care changes. They are the ones, who if a family member gets something like epilepsy or any one of a number of chronic illnesses, they'd lose everything as many insurance companies have a lifetime limit on what they pay.

But maybe this is a far right community, and I haven't been here enough to know. I was shocked to go into Costco here and find big boxes of survivalist food and water supplies. Seriously what are these folks expecting? There has been nothing like that back where I live in Oregon (yet anyway), but Oregon is mostly (with some geographic exceptions) pretty left wing.

It hit home with me because I am editing one of my books for Kindle which will come out in mid-May. The story is a romance but revolves around a militia and fear mongering group that uses that kind of thinking to gain power for itself. I wrote that story in 2002 although I never tried to get it published. It's also a bit of a paranormal and maybe that's why I didn't go the query editors route with it.  It didn't fit a genre tidily. Well soon enough it'll be out there (with its own trailer), and it's as pertinent today as back then.

I saw the latest Romney PAC ad against Obama. The accusation is Obama is too cool. So let's just look at this for a minute. Everybody knows Romney is not cool. He's like the handsome nerd from school who was born into a wealthy family, made even more money for his own family, and makes the worst jokes, laughs at the wrong time, sings off key, and lies like a fiend. So how do he and his PACs combat someone like Obama, who is good at singing, can do a mean comedian routine, is handsome, cool, and a good speaker? You make being cool bad. While doing it, you ignore the accusation you are also making that Obama has done too much to change things and figure people will never check. So cool is out and dull is in?

That is so Republican, and it makes me wonder who really runs their whole system. Clean air meant more pollution.  Patriot Act meant hold onto your Bill of Rights as it's been undermined with airport humiliations, arrests with no right to a trial, and guilty until proven innocent. Can't forget the argument they make that wealthy people are job creators. Don't need to mention most of those jobs are either overseas or at lower incomes because the voter won't bother to check. I will tell you one thing, Republican leaders don't respect their own voters. They know they won't bother checking and will continue to believe right wing radio pundits no matter how ridiculous it is what they say.

Fear works and lies are no problem to a certain voter. I find it all amazing but what can I say here that might change any of it?

Stop believing lies?

Ignore TV ads?

Work and donate for the candidate in whom you believe because the hate and fear mongers are working for theirs?

Think what matters most when you vote and don't get distracted by silly, pointless issues that a president can't fix anyway?

Concentrate on the damage a man like Romney could do with more power, a man who has killed jobs every which way for his whole career, and don't let them distract you with the fact that Obama didn't do all you wanted (or did too much)?

How about this one in case you have already bought those survival boxes-- be sure you rotate their usage because if a real disaster occurs, and it's not in the near future, you will find you have nothing edible.

**************************

And one further suggestion for us lefties who feel sometimes we are going nuts-- get out in nature, listen to some good music. A good start on that is watch again one of the videos I created awhile back but recently added to my Rain Trueax channel on YouTube--

 John Day Country