Monthly Archives: November 2010

GOP Closing Arguments (Or, Last Ditch LIES and Distortions)

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Last night on her show, Rachel Maddow showed segments of a new 20-MINUTE ad being put up by the GOP in key swing states. I have to say.. I was left speechless, and then furious. I’ve really never seen anything before that was quite so twisted,  distorted, disrespectful (not just of the president AND his wife, but of the intelligence of the people it is being run for). It is just so manipulative and so completely dishonest… This was just frankly disgusting. I am still in shock.

Oh, and don’t miss the chanting in the background about halfway through.. Sounds like men who are chanting “Allah”, or some kind of tribal chant. Is that supposed to be a subliminal thing proving the president is a Muslim?? Did you catch how they fade out to REALLY dark a couple of times, making him seem EVIL and SCARY?

That is followed by this (from this 20-minute ad):

“During his election, he wound up with a record-shattering $750 million dollars in his campaign. To this day he refuses to report from whence it came. One reason MIGHT be that some of it originated from the terrorist group Hamas.. [shows pictures of scary terrorists with guns]“

You like how they just sort of slipped that in? It gets worse..

So let me get this straight.. The president is a Muslim, his election was funded by terrorists, he’s foreign, he’s evil, he bowed to dictators, he’s a commie/socialist, he’s coming to take your money, he’s racist against white people, don’t forget he’s black, and he’s coming to get you. Did I miss anything? Be very afraid.

How do people get away with this stuff..

Are YOU tired of the “be afraid, be VERY afraid” meme that continues to hammer us with ad after ad after ad, and lie after lie after lie?? Then go out today and do something about it. Practice the most important right you have as an American and VOTE!

The Watering Hole: November 2 – Elections Live Blog and Open Thread

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picture via: Boogie Woogie Flu

 

 

So, this is going to be the big day. The very latest Polls can be found here:

Senate, House, Governors

And here’s what some in Europe think:

The Guardian:

Should the Republicans storm the country in the elections, as some think they might, they will have a shot at passing the magical number of 50 Senate seats needed to snatch the majority from the Democrats. That holds the prospect of Christine O’Donnell going down in history as the woman who cost the Republicans the Senate. (read more)

The Independent:

As the last frantic campaigning wound down and Americans prepared to vote in congressional elections today, the party of Barack Obama searched for even the slightest glimmer of hope, but found almost none. Revenge for 2008 seemed so close for Republicans and their allied Tea Party insurgents, they could taste it. (read more)

Der Spiegel:

The US mid-term elections on Tuesday are shaping up to be a referendum on President Barack Obama’s administration. SPIEGEL ONLINE spoke with former US Labor Secretary Robert Reich about demagoguery in US politics, economic inequality and the parallels between 2010 and 1929. (read interview)

The Economist

FOR months now America’s pundits have been predicting that next week’s mid-terms will be a “wave election”, in which a torrent of opposition victories sweeps the incumbent party from power. Recently, however, they have begun to up the rhetorical stakes, talking of floods, tidal waves, tsunamis and, inevitably, the perfect storm. Or as Peter Hart, a Democratic pollster, likes to put it, a hurricane is definitely coming; the only question is whether it will be category 3 or category 5. (read all)

If I should venture a guess, a really uneducated one for I have only followed the news from over here, I’d say Democrats will not lose as badly as projected. But then I am counting on every sane body to go out and vote! I would love to see a really calm day here at The Zoo while polling is ongoing, because you are all out to vote! Do it and come back afterwards, so we can have a lively discussion here. OK?

 

The Watering Hole: November 1, 2010 – When the Saints Come Marching In

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In the Catholic Church, November 1 is celebrated as All Saints Day.  This is a Holy Day of Obligation which means that Catholics are obliged to attend Mass.  There is a connection between celebrating “Saints” and Halloween.  The word Halloween is representative of “All Hallows Eve“.

The vigil of the Feast (the eve) has grown up in the English speaking countries as a festival in itself, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. While many consider Halloween pagan (and in many instances the celebrations are for many), as far as the Church is concerned the date is simply the eve of the feast of All Saints. Many customs of Halloween reflect the Christian belief that on the feast’s vigils we mock evil, because as Christians, it has no real power over us. However, for some Halloween is used for evil purposes, in which many Christians dabble unknowingly. David Morrison explains the proper relationship between Christians and Halloween. Various customs have developed related to Halloween. In the Middle Ages, poor people in the community begged for “soul cakes,” and upon receiving these doughnuts, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day “trick-or-treat.” The custom of masks and costumes developed to mock evil and perhaps confuse the evil spirits by dressing as one of their own. Some Christians visit cemeteries on Halloween, not to practice evil, but to commemorate departed relatives and friends, with picnics and the last flowers of the year. The day after All Saints day is called All Soul’s Day, a day to remember and offer prayers up on behalf of all of the faithful departed. In many cultures it seems the two days share many customs. See the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church for more information.

Read something else about this day. (H/T to 2ebbandflow)

This is our Open Thread.  I have no further comments about religion.  Now it is your turn to Speak Up!

(PS.  Don’t forget to VOTE)