Election2012: The Invented Patois

Election season is full of anger, snide remarks, and arguments. But looking back, it's fun to see some of the most humorous things that were said. Invented words and sayings are some of my favorites.

We talked about numbers. I was told that I was part of the 99% back in 2011. But now in 2012, I'm apparently in the 47%. So, does that mean that next year I'll end up being in the 1%?! Sounds good to me...

Last summer we were concerned about hitting the "debt ceiling." Now we're worried about falling off the "fiscal cliff." How did we get toward the ceiling last year? Can we use that to keep us from falling off the cliff this year?

In the medical care debate we have RomneyCare vs. ObamaCare. No offense, but I wouldn't want either one of them bringing me chicken noodle soup. I want DoctorCare or MommyCare, if we're just being honest and making up sayings for what we want when we're sick!

The candidates made up words to describe each others' policies during the campaign. Obama described Romney's tax ideas as "Romney Hood"--Robin Hood in reverse. To me, Romney Hood sounds like a form of knighthood: the level to which all businessmen aspire.

A few weeks ago, Obama also mentioned "Romnesia:" the condition Romney's supporters must have had if they really forgot Romney's voting record. Romnesia sounds like a country:

"Once upon a time, in a far away land called "Romnesia," there was a King named Mitt. King Mitt had the six largest castles in all of Romnesia and the Knights of Romneyhood defended their ivory towers with a ferocity rivaled by none." I will leave you to imagine the ending of that story. Hint: the dragon called "Obama" and 51% of the peasants go after King Mitt, so he escapes to one of his other castles, where he will look longingly out the window for four years until the next election comes and gives him the kiss that turns him back into a candidate.

Romney came up with "Obamaloney," referring to Obama's rhetoric. Now, I'm not a connoisseur or anything, but I'm not sure an obamaloney and mayo sandwich would be very good; not to mention making meat like that is illegal in most states.

According to a lot of news networks, this race was "razor tight." What is razor tight? I am not the only one who asked this question. Stephen Colbert did, too:

The Colbert Report
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Humor is the best way to feel good, especially after an election as venomous as the one we just had. No matter what side you were on, please feel free to laugh at all of this. I know I did!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Election 2012: Victories Beyond the White House

What a night! I am so incredibly happy to have volunteered for President Obama for the last few months; honored to have been a part of this historical election.

These are the historic results of the night (as they're being reported now):

• The U.S. re-elected the first African-American president.
• Three more states passed marriage equality acts (Maine, Maryland, Washington).
• At least 19 women will serve in the U.S. Senate, a record number (20, if ND elects Heidi Heitkamp).
• The first openly lesbian U.S. senator was elected: Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin.
• The first openly bisexual U.S. representative is projected to be elected: Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona.
• Two states legalized recreational use of marijuana (Colorado, Washington).
• This is the first time since 1801-1825 that we have had three two-term presidents in a row.

For the record, I am incredibly thrilled about the marriage equality laws that got passed last night, but I think it's pathetic that we are voting on other people's rights in the 21st century. The fact that the first openly lesbian senator was just elected, but the state that she represents (WI) banned same-sex marriage in 2006, is wrong. Marriage was defined as "one man and one woman" in Arizona in 2008, which means if Sinema is elected to the House, she will also represent a state that wouldn't support her if she fell in love with a woman and wanted to get married.

As for President Obama, I think it is great that as the first African-American to get elected president he got re-elected. I feel like race wasn't really allowed to be talked about in this election, and maybe I' not "allowed" to talk about it now, but I think it's important. I think that it proves to ourselves and the world that we do care about the content of someone's character more than the color of someone's skin. I don't know if it would have been said outright or not if Obama had lost, but I really feel like the far right would have ended up subtly hinting that we need to go back to the "traditional America." They (FOX News) did mention "traditional America" yesterday, when they realized that there are more people of minority races than white people in the U.S. now.

Nineteen or twenty women in the Senate is a record? That's only a fifth of the members! I think it's great that more women are getting elected to Congress, but we need to push that number up. Women make up more than half of this country's population; we need adequate representation in Washington.

I don't have an opinion on recreational marijuana use. It is my view that it should be allowed for medical purposes, but beyond that I don't see a reason for it. Just because I don't see a need for it, however, doesn't mean that I really care one way or another if other people use it.

Overall, this was an incredible campaign (while I am aware that there were problems on both sides, I'm spending today being happy about the win; there's time for criticism later). I was in tears last night when our president was re-elected. I was so overwhelmed. This is the most emotionally invested I have ever been in a political campaign, and it paid off! All the hours spent calling people, talking to people, getting up early, and going to bed late paid off. Listening to President Obama's victory speech last night made me feel delighted, honored, and proud to be an American.

I leave you with my favorite quote from last night's victory speech and a photo:
"I have always believed that hope is that stubborn thing inside us that insists, despite all the evidence to the contrary, that something better awaits us so long as we have the courage to keep reaching, to keep working, to keep fighting."

I got interviewed on my way out of the polls.
Great way to end the campaign!

"Be the change you wish to be in the world." --Gandhi

DNC Speeches and Wolf Hunting

What a night at the DNC last night! I was so thrilled to be watching the speeches! I'm not going to go really in depth on anything said, but I am going to post links to four speeches I thought were fantastic! I could write ten posts on these speeches--they were exactly what this 2012 campaign needed. As a friend put it this morning, "Michelle may have just won the election for [Barack]." :) I hope so!

Illinois House Candidate Tammy Duckworth's Speech -- Tammy is an Iraq veteran who lost both legs after the helicopter she was piloting was hit by enemy rockets. Great message, good delivery.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick's Speech -- Governor Patrick is the kind of speaker who will bring Republicans to the left, in my opinion. He has the same kind of tone as every speaker at the RNC last week had: this is our policy and we're not changing it. I don't totally agree with that way of conveying a message, but it seems to be very popular among Republican voters.
San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro's Speech -- Keynote speaker Mayor Castro. What to say about him...Castro 2016! That might be premature; he doesn't have any Congressional experience yet...Castro 2020! I adored his speech. He is so charismatic; he reminded me of a young Obama at the 2004 DNC giving the keynote address. Hmm...foreshadowing?
First Lady and Mom-in-Chief Michelle Obama's Speech -- She absolutely nailed it! I want her for another four years! She can connect so well to the audience, and by this morning, Obama was back in favor among women voters! I could go on and on about Michelle; she is truly the largest asset to the Obama campaign.

In other news, this story came up today. It is about how wolves are being taken off the endangered species list in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming and, come October, they will be allowed to be shot on sight outside Yellowstone National Park. I am furious about this! I spent a few days every spring in Yellowstone with my family while I was growing up in Montana. Some of my best memories include these absolutely majestic animals. In fact, this summer when I was in Yellowstone and got engaged on the Lamar River, it was a wolf that we saw first after we got back in the car and were leaving the Lamar Valley.

It has taken us so long to get to this point of having a good number of wolves again! Before 1978, when grey wolves were put on the endangered species list, they were hunted nearly to extinction! I understand that cattle need to be protected and I also am aware that many wolves in one area will completely decimate a food chain, and then they themselves will die. However, according to the NPS site, the wolf population outside of Yellowstone has decreased 60% in only five years. There is less food for them outside the park (due to declining elk populations), which is why wolves kill livestock. While there was a bit of a decline inside the park, the wolves there have bison as an additional food source. In Wyoming there are 270 outside Yellowstone and about 100 inside; if every wolf was relocated so that they were inside the park, that would not work. The bison and elk populations in the park would crash.

Here's what I think should happen: if a wolf kills something you own (cow, child, dog, sheep, etc), you should be able to shoot it. I do not think it's okay to shoot a wolf on sight, though. Just because you see a wolf pack running across the valley does not mean the wolves are going to kill anything. If, for some reason, a wolf pack decides to den near your house or ranch but hasn't killed anything, you should have the option of asking for them to be humanely relocated. In my opinion, this is going to become a trophy race and the wolf population is going to plummet, yet again, and they will have to be placed back on the endangered species list. Seems to me like taking them off and then putting them back on is a waste of taxpayers' money. For everyone back in Montana reading this, please say something to your state senators and representatives! I, myself, will be writing to Gov. Schweitzer.

Montana State Legislators with Contact Info
Gov. Schweitzer Contact Info

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

Election-time Healthcare Issue

So this morning I watched the news and one of the biggest headlines was about Paul Ryan's speech last night at the Republican National Convention (RNC). To be honest, I did not watch his speech because I was already asleep. But, apparently one of his biggest points last night is how he is super-hyped to get rid of Obama's health care plan, should Romney get elected.

Now. A little bit of background info on myself:

• I voted for Obama in '08. 
• Do I think he's following through on all of his '08 campaign promises? No.
• Do I know that he can't follow through on all of his '08 campaign promises because if he just got to run around passing whatever bills he felt like passing that would be a dictatorship and that would be bad? Yes.
• I just graduated from college.
• I am not married.
• I do not have a full-time job that provides health insurance.
• I have a chronic pain condition, so I have a lot of doctor appointments.
• I need health insurance to cover all those appointments.
• I don't have the money to pay for it on my own (see above: "I do not have a full-time job," ergo I have no money to pay out of pocket for those appointments).
• I LOVE the fact that the health care plan that Obama proposed and Congress passed makes it possible for me to stay on my parents' insurance plan even though I'm not a student anymore.

So, I know that two nights ago at the RNC, speakers were trying to reach and sway the young voters who voted for Obama in 2008 by bringing up the fact that we "shouldn't have to live our 20's out in our childhood bedroom because we're unemployed." I think that was Chris Christie who said that. Fine. I totally agree with that. Most of us who voted for him in '08 are still young enough and we are unemployed and now we get to stay on our parents' insurance plans until we are 26. Unless Romney creates full-time jobs for ALL the young people out there "in their childhood bedrooms" after he gets rid of Obamacare, the only thing that is going to change is that Obama's young supporters are going to have no health insurance, along with no jobs.

Should I bring up the point that a lot of the job creation Romney is talking about requires a certain level of education and that our public education system is unfair and not everyone gets a chance at getting a good education because of where they live? *whew* (Yep, that was a run-on sentence, for those of you paying attention to my grammar.) Nah, I'll save that for another day. :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." --Gandhi

P.S. Not everything I do on here is going to be political! It's an election year with only a couple months left until the election, so it's on my mind and other people's minds and this is a great way for me to blow off steam about it. I'm getting married in 10 months and so I'll write about stuff relating to that and I just got new kittens, so I'll talk about them, too! And other news headlines and fashion and cool stuff! Keep reading!