RUNNING ON EMPTY
Posted on: August 18, 2012
It’s my turn up at bat and I have a confession to make: I’m all tapped out.
With less than 80 days to go before we choose our next POTUS, the exhaustion has set in. It seems as if we have been having this interminable conversation forever.
Beginning with the GOP debates which offered a glimpse of the insanity to come, the last 18 months of never ending crapola has taken its toll.
This summer has been one of the hottest on record. My hatred toward humidity is no more evident than when my electric bill arrives and I have almost doubled my usage by turning on the A/C for comfort.
People are shooting at one another for no other reason than that they can. No longer bothered to sit down and write a letter to the editor to express indignation, just become a one man arsenal to get those feelings out into the open and blast away! It’s become almost a weekly event.
My beloved Red Sox are in the basement. The players hate the manager, the manager hates the front office, the front office hates the stats and the fans are pissed off. The pitching sucks, the players seem not to care, and those paying the price to sit in one of those pricey seats are getting ripped off. Another trying year in Red Sox Nation.
The partisan pundits have ramped up the decibel level to “11” and trying to make sense out of any of it is useless.
The GOP is stuck with one of the most unlikable candidates on record and though they may not openly admit to this fact, they know it. His emergence as their standard bearer was a fluke based on his being “less crazy” than his challengers when all was said and done.
His choice as a running mate has stirred up the conversation surrounding his role as the architect who will dismantle Social Security and every other program considered as safety nets for seniors, the working poor, and the middle class. Those defending this proposal are driving me nuts.
I am tired of listening to the “stupid”. Weary of the ignorance that passes for political discourse. Burnt out by the ugliness of campaign rhetoric. Disturbed by the quality of candidates. Troubled by the course this nation seems intent upon pursuing. Uneasy about the future. Terrified of the aftermath this election may bring forth.
We live in a world of lies. Blatant, “in your face whoppers” with absolutely no basis in fact. We reward those who escape accountability. Our faith in institutions has been breached. Our intelligence has been insulted. The rules no longer apply.
Limping to the finish line and running out of gas.
29 Responses to "RUNNING ON EMPTY"
August 18, 2012 at 9:02 am
Pat, I know what you mean. I was really hoping the Republicans would seize this opportunity and put forward a reasonable candidate, but looking at the original primary slate, they obviously didn’t have one. Not only do I find Romney/Ryan unlikable, but I find them both to be liars (or embellishers, or whatever you want to call saying two opposite things at two different times).
August 18, 2012 at 9:25 am
Cheer up Pat, the next election campaign starts in 81 days. end snark.
August 18, 2012 at 9:53 am
“Show me the tax returns!”.
“Show me the birth certificate!”.
How about somebody “show me” they are serious for once.
Nobody wants to answer the questions. “Trust me” is the response.
Meanwhile the earth is heating up, seniors are threatened with the loss of much needed programs, healthcare access is in jeopardy, the banks are sitting on piles of money, bonuses are being paid to thieves, women are losing their reproductive rights, and the MSM is “fascinated” by Paul Ryan’s abs.
And I am supposed to care.
August 18, 2012 at 10:05 am
It’s been a long, hot, difficult summer. I got nothin’ new to say about politics except that I don’t understand the “eye candy” stuff about Ryan. I find him creepy and unattractive.
But, hey, my Cincinnati Reds are having a great season! And it’s almost time for football! Bring it on. Quickly.
August 18, 2012 at 10:39 am
Paul Ryan is now addressing the seniors in Florida who live in “The Villages”. You have to have a lot of money to have a condo in this retirement facility.
Most of these people pay green fees that exceed the monthly Social Security payments to those in the 97% retirement bracket so “selling” them the idea of cutting costs for that group would not be difficult to persuade.
Chances are that along with their hefty retirement portfolios they also collect what they may consider “chump change” from Social Security which probably covers the cost of renting their golf carts to run errands.
Pathetic.
August 18, 2012 at 11:25 am
Beata, thank you for being the first to say that Ryan is not visually attractive, despite what is being written in the print media. I frankly find myself repulsed by his looks – his eyes project coldness, his face is too movie star cameo, his mouth – rather elongated and looking at the pictures, has a tendency to grimace rather than smile. Just my fanciful observations of course, however throughout my years, the people who I’ve found most trustworthy look as if they have lived through adversity. This man does not nor does our Prime Minister. Dog help you, my friends, if he and Willard are elected.
August 18, 2012 at 11:33 am
Although I think “repulsive” is a little strong regarding Ryan’s looks (now his policy, that’s repulsive) I do agree that I just don’t get the recurring comments about his “hotness”. It’s more of the media telling us not to believe our lying eyes. They’re desperate to take some of the youth voters away from Obama and they think that convincing people that Ryan is a hotty is the way to do it. Fugging idiots.
August 18, 2012 at 11:35 am
Actually, from a youth standpoint, when my daughter first saw the story about Romney picking Ryan she said, “I never thought they’d find someone paler than Romney!”
August 18, 2012 at 11:45 am
Janicen@9 – your daughter has excellent perceptive abilities. You should be very proud – she got them from you.
August 18, 2012 at 1:25 pm
I never thought I could say this, but I’m not voting for anyone — this is the first election in my lifetime that I’m voting against someone — Romney’s Ouija board policies will be simply devastating to the economy, simply devastating. Why on earth would anyone implement economic policies that have driven the Eurozone to the verge of insolvency?
Even the “professionals” he has shilling for him are as intellectually bankrupt as plagiarized fortune cookies. Honestly, when you have economists who shared neighborhood watch duties with the Unibomber base their opinions on etch-a-sketch data and then whiny and neigh about not being taken seriously — this can only be an election about who will do the lesser harm.
August 18, 2012 at 1:53 pm
“Cheer up Pat, the next election campaign starts in 81 days.”
HT @#3, you’ve made my day. Even though it’s gallows humor. But it’s so true!
August 18, 2012 at 2:25 pm
quixote, how else can one handle the travesty of the current election in the U.S. and elections around the globe. The plutocracy has truly taken over. The serfs just haven’t realized it yet.
August 18, 2012 at 3:57 pm
Pat, to quote Bill Clinton, I feel your pain. Prolix, I will cast a ballot. However, it will be for Jill Stein. It is a certainty that Romney will carry La despite it’s high Catholic population. Hmmm…perhaps the electorate there will identify wih Ryan because of that.
As a reminder to y’all, I’ve put up links on the right under Activism for the Ryan Medicare Plan and the Republican/Ryan budget. Take a gander if you wish.
August 18, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Also, as if we needed any convincing of it, Pew has a survey up documenting the decline in credibility of our lame stream media. It was really quite interesting to read and I think more or less confirms what wwe all thought about them to begin with. You can read about it here.
Further Decline in Credibility Ratings for Most News Organizations
August 18, 2012 at 4:03 pm
J.J.: I see you almost always “like” Pat’s posts. Wish you would comment on them. I, for one, would love to see what you have to say.
August 18, 2012 at 4:11 pm
Well I guess this is a victory for the anti-choice crowd:
Federal appeals court upholds law allowing Louisiana to shut down abortion clinics
Also, it’s interesting that it’s in the “crime” index on nola.com 
August 18, 2012 at 5:15 pm
Oh, man, the best thing I can say is that the next election starts in 81 days. I was hoping that the GOP might put up someone reasonable but I guess I should have known better. At least my vote won’t matter in GA no matter what I decide to do.
August 18, 2012 at 5:47 pm
Have you seen the interview with Chelsea Clinton in Vogue. It’s quite interesting. Check it out.
http://www.vogue.com/magazine/article/waiting-in-the-wings-an-exclusive-interview-with-chelsea-clinton/#1
August 18, 2012 at 6:10 pm
Ga6th: I think there’s quite a few of us in that same position.
HT: Yes I read that. As I said last night, it was also a really great pic of her too.
August 18, 2012 at 6:21 pm
You know what’s ironic? A lot of Republicans aren’t too thrilled with Mitt. The far right is very happy with Ryan which makes the ticket less likely to win. And of course, the facts about what Ryan did when Obama was in office and the facts of what he did when Bush was in office either infuriate them or depress them.
August 18, 2012 at 6:26 pm
Ga6th: LOL! It seems the Repubs are having the same issues that some of us Dems are having.
August 18, 2012 at 6:59 pm
Ga6 one can only hope.
Sorry Fredster, I didn’t realize you posted about Chelsea last night. I was abed at the time. Forgive me?
August 18, 2012 at 7:03 pm
Pat as respect to the Villages in Florida there are also a lot of modest seniors there also, I have visited friends there and I can tell you there are a lot of manufactured homes and trailer parks there also. I am sure its not to that crowd Paul Ryan is speaking though.
Just read the Constitution again Amazing document It should be required reading in America.
August 18, 2012 at 7:06 pm
HT: No problem! I was really struck by her photo. She really (imo) looks attractive.
August 18, 2012 at 7:19 pm
Well, look at it this way: the only and I mean ONLY thing Obama seems to be good at is winning elections even if he has to use the legal system to do so. Too bad he’s so sucky at governance. If he put half the energy into good policy that he puts into campaigning the country might be better off.
August 18, 2012 at 7:50 pm
Ga6th: And maybe so many of us wouldn’t feel as badly about the primary races last time around. (probably not though)
August 18, 2012 at 8:45 pm
Fredster great article in Vogue loved reading it she will go into politics I bet.
August 18, 2012 at 10:11 pm
Fuzzy, I would certainly hope so. I think she would be a natural!
Comments are closed.
August 18, 2012 at 8:32 am
Pat it is just hard to get excited about this election it is more of the same old same old,