The New Yorker has endorsed Barack Obama for President and in doing so summed up my feelings about Sarah Palin far more eloquently than I ever could. I have been trying to think of the way I could post my absolute bewilderment and sickening realisation this woman could lead the free world for a while and now I don’t have to.
We are watching a candidate for Vice-President cram for her ongoing exam in elementary domestic and foreign policy. This is funny as a Tina Fey routine on “Saturday Night Live,” but as a vision of the political future it’s deeply unsettling. Palin has no business being the backup to a President of any age, much less to one who is seventy-two and in imperfect health. In choosing her, McCain committed an act of breathtaking heedlessness and irresponsibility.
At a moment of economic calamity, international perplexity, political failure, and battered morale, America needs both uplift and realism, both change and steadiness… It needs a leader temperamentally, intellectually, and emotionally attuned to the complexities of our troubled globe. That leader’s name is Barack Obama.
Let’s be honest McCain will not win on the economy. He wants to retain the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, can’t remember how many houses he and his wife own and is on the wrong side of the American public on the subject of what rich is.
Obama on the other hand will repeal the tax cuts for the wealthy, stop giving huge incentives to big oil and hopefully will finally catch America up to the rest of the civilised world with free and equal healthcare. This should be a Democratic year but there is still some poll problems for Obama - no doubt helped by ridiculous rumors about his faith - that discredited internet lie pushed by Fox News and other right wing media outlets.
Not to mention the constant re-occurrence of ‘Elitism’. Right because a son of a single mother with a distant dad, living in Indonesia and Hawaii as a child - near slums in Indonesia. That’s elitism alright! Owning Seven houses on the other hand? Well… that’s just a good investment? Real down to earth with working families.
What is Elitism?
1. practice of or belief in rule by an elite.
…and what is an Elite?
1. (often used with a plural verb) the choice or best of anything considered collectively, as of a group or class of persons.
2. (used with a plural verb) persons of the highest class: Only the elite were there.
Awful isn’t it!
Oh! Did you hear!? Obama went to Harvard! Elitist! God forbid America has a smart President for the first time in 8 years. That would be disastrous. We remember what happened in 1992 when a smart President was elected. Record surpluses! Horrible thing that! Bush helped create half a trillion dollars of debt - what’s that about Republican’s and the Economy?
Lastly, what’s with the Media Loves Obama stories? The media can’t seem to bring up McCain without mentioning his war record. How’s that? Yes he was incredibly brave and honorable but what does that have to do with an affair with his wife, the economy or the War in Iraq? Nothing.
He may be a war hero - but his policies leave a lot to be desired for a country in the brink of self implosion.
It appears as if the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has won out against Community Station 94.7 The Pulse in Geelong, Victoria.
The ABC has wanted a ‘ABC Local Radio’ station in Geelong and now the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) appears to agree with a proposal which would see The Pulse kicked off it’s current frequency (which previously occurred in 2001 for Nova 100 to take over 100.3FM). Last time it happened was really a godsend, reinvigorating the station, increasing it’s broadcast area significantly and introducing a better presentation overall.
However this change would see it moved to 91.9FM which would suffer interference with a few Melbourne stations (and Channel Seven Melbourne) and is being reduced from 56kW to only 3KW of broadcast power. A huge blow to the Community. The “local” ABC station would not be local 24/7 with content networked from Melbourne and elsewhere during some time periods. The Pulse is local, it serves it’s community, offers training programs, local talk back, local music and a sense of community. Our only other two major stations are a duopoly and rarely discuss local issues with music dominating, along with a Religious station and low powered Country Music station, The Pulse is our only community voice.
This move would see a true local community station brushed aside for a Nationally run station with only limited local content. This is a sad day for the state of Geelong media.
Please speak out against this proposal. Submissions close 5.00pm on Friday September 19th 2008 AEST. Make sure to include file number “PF2007/2007″ in submission.
Email: aas@acma.org.au
Write:
Draft Variation to Geelong Radio,
ACMA
PO Box 78
Belconnen ACT 2616
