I mentioned that the US election got brought up in class the other day, and I was not planning to say anything else, because good lord, there is enough being written about it as it is, but then you guys seemed interested, so here we go.
First of all, I am not really interested in politics. It's boring, as far as I'm concerned, and even acknowledging that elections ARE going to affect me, I can't muster up too much enthusiasm. (I did politics and law at uni before I came to Adelaide, so I know about the process of things, just not so much the current events.)
So I wouldn't be likely to speak up in any discussion regarding specific political things, although I do have lots of opinions on ISSUES. I do think it would be cool for a non-white male to be president.
We spent most of the time on Sarah Palin (and also, how the hell do you pronounce her surname?) and the internet gave me the impression she was going to be a liability, was not representing women (or not necessarily getting the female vote, y'know?), and that she needed to decide on a better work/family balance. I also got this impression (that she is scary) from someone in Australia who knows about politics, so my class isn't totally representative. They were all like 'yay young hot woman' and how she could bring youth or whatever to the campaign.
And then someone mentioned that this was really a race of the VPs because - and this I did NOT hear from the internet! - Obama was likely to be assassinated. And also the old guy (McCain? yeah, I'm very educated on this topic) was going to cark it. And here's where I wanted to say 'yes but that's why people won't vote for HIM, because they don't want HER,' but I didn't, because the internet hadn't told my class that it doesn't like Sarah Palin. And maybe it didn't even tell me that, I really have no idea.
That was all it was really, not a huge thing actually, but that class was annoying me anyway so I seized the opportunity to bitch about it.
If I was going to be President, I would do something about health care, ginormous college debts, and huuuge cars that use way too much petrol. And I'd stop fighting in stupid wars.
I would like to invite anyone in Australia/not the US who actually knows about this shit to leave a comment so that we can present an accurate view of our political take on all this. Cheers. And for those of you in the US, I'd be interested to see if I am actually picking up what the internet is putting down.
sarah palin?
ReplyDeletedo you mean Caribou barbie?
I assumed "Palin" is pronounced like the surname os Australian astrophotographer David Malin. (Which is a personal joke, since I'm not sure how to proniounce his surname.) Most people here pronounce it like Monty Python's Michael Palin: PAY-lynn.
ReplyDeleteThe reactions you have noted from your class do reflect the reactions of large swaths of Americans, especially the "yay, young hot woman." But McCain/Palin may have overplayed this: Plain is rapidly experiencing overexposure, and within a week or two people will be as sick of her as they are of any other celebrity du jour. Also, some of that publicity is very negative, so we'll see how things go.
And, yes, I think that's one thing that has gone unsaid: in the case of being "one heartbeat away from the Presidency", only McCain is expected to die prematurely of natural causes.
I misread your nexxt-to-last paragraph as "I would do something about...huuuge ears"! Look, they make him look like Will Smith, OK?
I hope you get a lot of responses from Australia and the rest of the world. I would love to know how the rest of the world views this race, and most of my international friends simply refuse to talk about it.
it wouldn't be just "cool" to have a non-white man elected president. it is essential, in this case, that we get this particular non-white man elected.
ReplyDeleteand it really doesn't have anything to do with the fact that he's not white.
although, i have to agree. it is pretty cool. but, not in a novelty sort of way. more in the way that it says a lot about the nation in question, and the nation in question has some ground to recover in the "coolness" wars, if you know what i mean.
and of course, it doesn't have anything to do with being
"cool." it has more to do with actually respecting the old-ass pieces of paper that you're willing to kill people to protect.
gah!
see! i'm trying to make a simple point, and it can't be done.
this be one complicated election, says i.
I want to read the comments from your fellow country men.
ReplyDeleteI think her last name is pronounced crazy religious wing nut. But I could be wrong...
Hurrah! There is some sanity coming out of the United States!
ReplyDeleteI am living in Australia, and attended those same politics classes as Missy did (alllllll those years ago!). No matter how hard I try, I just cannot get her to muster up some enthusiasm about politics.
My take on Sarah Palin, as an Australian? Terrifying. That woman must not be allowed anywhere near the Presidency and that Big Red Button in the Oval Office. There is a massive list of reasons why she should not be elected to represent the people of the US, and I will not go into detail here (although I'd just love to), but her line on the war in "Eye-rack" being "God's Will" sends shivers down my spine. If that isn't reason enough to view her as the beginning of the apocalypse, I don't know what is.
I've always had some interest in US politics, but never have I wanted to be there helping the Democrats win, as much as I do now.
Firstly, I want ti state clearly I know nothing about American politics.
ReplyDeleteSecondly I don't trust the info we receive about the candidates, filtered as it is through many layers of political spin before being thrown into the whirligig of the US press and publicity system.
But, I am strong on my prejudices and preconceptions, and this is what will motivate enough voters in the US to decide the election (not my prejudices - their prejudices).
So here goes:
I can remember the original broadcast of the Martin Luther King speech - and the idea that we have now come far enough to see a black bloke elected to the presidency is inspiring. So yay for Obama.
But, I'm not at all sure that he's the right black bloke! He says most of the right things, but somehow, I'm not ocnvinced. And how did he, a young man from a relatively poor background, get to be in this position? Who is behind him?
And his chosen VP is as boring as me!
As for John McCain, he apparantly can't even see that the Bush 8 years have been a disaster. He intends to do it all over again.
And his VP, based on her own statements, seems to believe the US has a god-given right to go anywhere, do anything, in thier pursuit of happiness and spreading of the doctrine of democracy (for democracy read capitalism, as she doesn't seem to know there is a difference).
I'm glad I'm Aussie, and don't have to vote for any of them.
Look at me! I'm a political blogger!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the responses, everyone. I hope you enjoyed hearing where other people are coming from as well.