Election Stuff

Ah, the smell of feces being hurled through the air! That can only mean one thing: campaign season!

The Republicans, if not for being such morons, would have had this election handed to them on a silver platter. And don't get me wrong - I'm not devoutly against Republicans as a whole. While I am liberal, I'm a moderate one. I vote based on the person, not the party. That said, yes, I do tend to cast a fair number of votes for Republicans. That does not change the fact that the Republicans are being bloody morons in this campaign season, though.

The TEA party is a big part to blame. Allow me to explain: the TEA Party is of course very politically active, and devoutly anti-Obama. In itself, not too big a deal. Hell, I was against Bush the lesser to the point of wanting a treason investigation on his administration. That's another story entirely however, and something I still stand by.

The TEA Party however is making its points largely by denying facts and obstructing. They tend to favor the most extreme candidates, usually religious fundamentalists (think Bachmann and O'Donnell). The candidate does well in rallies full of like-minded people, so they get the nomination. Then having the Republican party nomination, they do poorly in debates where there assertions and stances are actually questioned and exposed to contradicting facts.

Such extreme candidates tend to disgust moderates, even those who would otherwise be more inclined to vote against the liberal candidate. O'Donnell is a good example of this, as the one she ran against was openly socialist, if memory serves. Just let yourself consider that for a moment: people chose a Socialist over a Republican nominee. Republicans are in serious trouble.

Their presidential nominee does not help. Make no mistake - out of the choices of the ones that were allowed any exposure, Romney really was the best one, I think. But he still is an out of touch hypocrite.

Don't even get me started on the War on Women. That just keeps getting pushed further and further, with it now pretty much impossible to deny in good conscience that a War on Women is exactly what it is.

I think we may see in the near future the Republicans falling to the insignificance of "third party" status with the Libertarians rising up to their place. I don't know if it will be this election, but the way things are going now, that's what is coming.

War on Women

In general, I'm not fond of using such dramatic media/propaganda terms. However, a "War on Women" has seemed increasingly more real and less like propaganda.

It seemed to really start with the whole Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke mess. Not over abortion, but over birth control. Many may dispute that birth control is a women's rights issue, but I am in agreement with those who say that it is. I think we've all heard the sarcastic joke about how a woman's place is to be barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen. Well, birth control does give women some say in the matter. It lets women choose when they are pregnant, lets them secure an education and career... and most importantly with that, independence. And it's working.

Many of the conservatives may say to this, "well then, women should just keep their legs closed!" Ahem... let us not forget where the sperm comes from that impregnates women. Should men keep having sex with women while women keep their legs closed, and it all continues to be blamed on women? Does anyone else see the problem here?

I firmly believe that women are entitled to, shall we say, "enjoy life" the same as men are, and without men making their life decisions for them. It's easy for a misogynist to make a decision about something that doesn't concern him.

If the "War on Women" ended there, I may still be likely to grit my teeth about it being called such, though. Sad to say however, it does not end there:

See, we have the old standby's of calling her a whore, calling her ugly... whatever, that's nothing new. We see this every time there is a fight for women's rights. Susan B. Anthony faced similar adversity. Misogynists were emboldened by Limbaugh's statements of her being a slut (for having sex). Why is it that women get called sluts for having sex, but men are just called "lucky?"

Again though, it goes well beyond this.

Wisconsin lawmaker says battered women should just remember what they love about their husbands.

TN law would require detailed info to be made public about women who have abortions (institutionalized blackmail).

AZ law would allow employers to question (and fire) women over the use of birth control pills. 

GA law to potentially punish women for miscarriages (as murder).

Dildos illegal in Texas.

Mandated pre-abortion trans-vaginal ultrasounds for women in VA, even in emergencies. 

1 in 5 pharmacies hinder access to "morning-after" pill. 

Then let's not forget that the objections to abortion or even the "morning-after" pill stay intact even in cases of rape.

While yes, there is a smaller, more quiet war on men... there is no denying that the war on women has been revived. The misogynists we had hoped were gone have been emboldened, and extremism is now being seen as admirable, if not heroic.