So it's 2008. Can you tell?
What gives it away? The Olympics? Maybe not. I was thinking it might be all the bumper stickers showing up. They seem to show up every four years and usually have some catchy, meaningless phrase on them - followed by some intitial or nickname like "Bill '96" or "W'08" or my favorite, "BO'08" The last one is so pungent - it makes me smile through my scrunched nose. Can I just ask a question? Are we really so naive that we would think a bumper sticker might swing someone's vote one way or another? All it does is jack up the back of our cars. We end up spending $6.00 on Goo-be-gone and 2 hours trying to scrape off the goop once our guy loses anyway. Either that or we end up looking like the Clampets discovered disposable tatoos - then we get pulled over and the officer simply asks, "Sir, can you really see out the back window?"
"Oh yes officer. In fact I see you don't have one - here I have extras. I donated to every campaign! Take your pick sir."
I tell you it's an election year madhouse these days! Are you tired of it yet? Oh well if you are - it's only the begining of the madness. Good luck getting through it if you're already sick of it. As for the rest of us - it's been quite a nightma...uhh...adventure!
Strange thing about it all though - with all of the hulabaloo and news stories coming out of Europe these days you would think that the world was voting in our Presidential race. I guess I missed the memo, apparently Barack Obama is running for President of the World! It's funny how, for the last decade, you hear nothing but complaining from the rest of the world that America sticks its nose in all of their business. Enter Barack Obama and - no problem! Go ahead and stick your nose wherever you want to! In fact we love you so much we're going to endorse you! Never mind that this is an American race and an American tradition.
I must hand it to Barack though. Here is this candidate with no foreign policy experience, who puts his mouth in his foot whenever he talks about foreign policy (not unlike Bush in 2000), so what better way to go to the voters in November than to go toting this one week whirlwind tour of Europe and the middle East! Foreign policy experience? Check!
On the other hand, correct me if I'm wrong but I don't think a major candidate for President of the United States has ever stuck their finger in the faces of the American voters and trotted off to Europe in the middle of a campaign. Gutsy. Could be brilliant...or could be...merely the move of another Gooseknuckle!
