Rednecks for McCain

So Darcy gets some political signs for a candidate running for president this Tuesday. (hint: not the old, creepy guy.) She put one up in the yard Saturday morning. I didn’t endorse this as I know how people are and how personally they take politics. I’m not out to change people’s political opinions, nor am I eager to display any such sign. But my neighborhood is littered with McCain/Palin signs, so I thought what the heck. As long as I don’t get a brick thrown through my window.

Sunday morning I look outside and the sign looks odd, but being around 2am I didn’t think much of it. When I got up at 6am though, mysteriously the sign turned from “Obama/Biden” to a McCain sign. Interesting…and it took less than 24 hours to transform. I think it’s something in the ground water since we are surrounded by so many rednecks and pickup trucks with Confederate flags, that it must be the water that infects them. Although, I’ve not been infected so far.

All I can offer is that I hope they got their jollies, and they can take our sign but not our vote.

At the risk of getting more political, I should say I’m not thrilled with any candidate. On the major issues they are pretty much the same. The deciding factor to me is quite simple though, and can be summed up by two words: Sarah Palin. Tina Fey had it correct: after she met her, she said Sarah was no smarter than she was, and that’s not good enough. I agree. Although, I can’t argue that during her tenure as governor, we have had very little issues with the Russians, so she was keeping an eye on ‘em for us in the mainland.

On the economy though, this financial bailout both candidates voted for in the Senate is pathetic. Back when I was buying my house in 1999 and 2000, I was offered several times one of those loans that would allow me to get a home well above my means- by a wide margin. Being an ARM, I could move in and roll the dice that in 2007, when the ARM converted to a conventional mortgage, I’d be fine since the interest rates were dropping and property values were rising…RIGHT. I didn’t even give it a single thought since this was my home we’re talking about, and I don’t care to gamble with it. At one point I actually called one of the lenders a bloodsucker to his face; those who know me know that’s a bit out of character, but it made the point during the negotiations.

Fast forward to a few months ago: McCain and Obama both made the argument that we need to help the homeowners who took out such a loan remain in their home. The justification to the homeowners like me was that having so many empty houses in a community would drive home values down. Know what? So what! I played the game by the rules, and now those who didn’t are being rewarded with the ability to get something they can afford AND get a bigger house worth more than mine? It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen regarding economic policy that directly affects me. Just like the banks that made the loans in the first place, I am all for letting them fail and dealing with the short to mid term pain.

Of course, just follow the money: by allowing those idiots who make maybe $70K a year live in their $800K houses, the government gets the taxes. Having an empty house doesn’t necessarily guarantee that revenue stream.

If the government really is going to reward these stupid people who spent well beyond their means, I think I should be rewarded for not missing a single payment through this mess and paying all of my taxes in full and on time. I wish they’d stop arguing about who is responsible (they all are going back to Jimmy Carter) and just let the free market run its course. Please, point me to a single policy instituted by this government regarding trying to turn the economy around that actually worked- it usually results in more trouble, which I’m not looking forward to at all. But we’ve already given the money to the people who made the problem in the first place. Isn’t that like giving money to an drug addict, and then being surprised when they blow it on more drugs?

Let me end on this: I don't care who you vote for; just vote. Don't have time or don't want to for whatever reason? Go watch the opening 30 minutes of Saving Private Ryan. Tell those people in real life who took part in the invasion (or any American veteran who served for that matter) that you're not voting.