What's Wrong With This Picture?

The picture below was sent to me via email forward, which is obviously the most trusted place to find intelligent, fact-filled political sentiment. Duh!

But this forward is a little different, and caught my attention. From what I can tell, it is a photo of a real billboard taken in an area not far from where I grew up. Coincidentally, right smack dab in the middle of where the movie Swing Vote was set. I’m not sure if the billboard is still up today, but I’m guessing the picture was taken sometime last year before the November mid-term elections.

Before I get started, let me just say that the criticism of Obama isn’t at all what bothers me…because there is an intelligent discussion to be had there. My point is that as long as people continue to base their political opinions on mindless rhetoric instead of fact…an intelligent public discussion will never be possible. And that’s what bothers me about a message like this.

I found the billboard fascinating because it is hysterically wrong on so many levels. So tell me, what’s wrong with this picture?

(Image description: Billboard featuring the famous Obama campaign poster, modified with the word “NOPE” underneath. The billboard reads – So now we know…”change” = more debt, more taxes, more welfare, more regulation, more government, more wasteful spending, more corruption.)

Let’s start with the obvious. It’s an anti-government/anti-Democratic message straight from the heart of rural America. A small town economy that relies on government subsidies for farms, dairies, and the railroad. A community that a few years ago fought against the closure of its local Air Force Base, which now serves as a Special Operations Wing. Public schools, and a community college supported by local, state, and federal funds. This area doesn’t just need government, it absolutely depends on it. Somehow, I don’t think the overarching conservative call for smaller government fits here.

“Change = More Taxes” – Excuse me, but didn’t Obama just extend the bullshit Bush era tax cuts as part of a Republican reach-around compromise? This is political fact-fucking at its finest.

“More Debt” – It’s hypocritical to claim anger over the rising national debt, but at the same time support tax cuts for everyone. Even using redneck ‘rithmetic, less tax revenue does not equal less debt.

“More Welfare” – Just more narrow-minded rhetoric based on the notion that all welfare programs serve only lazy unemployed system-suckers that don’t deserve to live. If you want to attack welfare, at least give each program its due discussion. It’s tragically ironic that while the wealth gap in America is at an all-time high, some people still think of welfare as a 4-letter word. When Bush extended unemployment benefits (aka – welfare), it was the right thing to do. When Obama did it, it was socialism. Go figure…

“More Regulation” – What specific area of regulation is being opposed here? Regulation of Wall Street? The oil industry and off-shore drilling? The FAA? Gun laws? Cousin-kissing? Sleep with sheep statutes?

Also, the background of the billboard couldn’t be more symbolically perfect. First, you have a bunch of boxcars…representative of how important the government-subsidized railway is to the local community and economy. Then you have a semi-truck & trailer, representing the trucking industry. An industry which, of course, relies on public roads, but is also particularly vital to this community due to the shipping needs of area farms and dairies. In the distance, you have the wide open spaces of the Great Plains…full of farms and ranches that likely wouldn’t be sustainable without government subsidies, tax incentives, etc.

What you can’t see even further in the distance of those Great Plains is a plethora of wind turbines, which not only are supported by government subsidy…but have been lucrative for local land owners and have brought additional jobs to the area. Oh yeah, and they also create a little bit of that renewable energy thing that hippy tree-huggers are always whining about.

Anti-government, my ass!

Forward Thinking

I wish I could say that a misguided message like this is uncommon, but I’ve heard something similar far too often from voices in the community, media, and throughout the country. I know way too many people that vote on slogans, speeches, and rhetoric…while overlooking their own causes and interests. There is most definitely something wrong with this picture.

Sometimes the political battle in this country isn’t Democrats versus Republicans…it’s fact versus fiction.

I Love the Way You Loathe Me

Did you know that Valentine’s Day was originally intended to recognize Christian martyrs, and had absolutely nothing to do with romantic love?

But who am I to question “tradition”? After all, we really should have a day every year to celebrate love, romance, and relationships. Oh wait, we already have day like that…it’s called an ANNIVERSARY!

Whether the V-Day tradition makes sense or not, let’s face it…there’s no stopping it now. If you’re married or in a relationship, if you show up without at least a box of chocolates…you might as well start checking Priceline for doghouse reservations.

It’s not that I’m bitter, or even that I have anything against tradition. It’s just that I prefer traditions with some sort of logical meaning. And there’s nothing wrong with romance either. But tell me what’s more romantic…a spontaneous act of kindness for the one you love, or a dozen over-priced roses purchased out of obligation?

So with the unstoppable force of V-Day already in full effect, I consider it my duty to balance things out a little…and rant about a few things I loathe.

Super Bowl Scuffle

I think it’s safe to say that football is the new American pastime. Super Bowl television ratings were at an all-time high, while World Series ratings reached an all-time low in 2010. Keeping with the theme of tradition, no other event in the United States can compete with Super Bowl Sunday.

But as a football fan, the hype surrounding the Super Bowl is just too much. The commercials alone have become a distracting spectacle. A couple of years ago, Jennifer Hudson was praised for her performance of the national anthem…which we later found out was just lip-synching. Then this year, Christina Aguilera performs it live, but creates an absolute frenzy by botching the words. Even celebrities crashed the Super Bowl scene, appearing on pre-game shows to pimp their shitty movies. They even had a red carpet for fuck’s sake.

Unfortunately, all that hype fits all too well with another American tradition – taking something good, and blowing it out of proportion.

Discourse Crash-Course

Speaking of Super Bowl absurdity, what was going on with that Bill O’Reilly interview of President Obama right before the game? Now even football has to be politicized? Heaven help us.

It was bad enough that they aired the interview in the midst of Super Bowl coverage. After all, politics and football go together about as well as peanut butter and pickled herring. But the interview itself was a complete disgrace. It consisted of Bill O’Reilly interrupting every Obama response, doing his best to lure him into a heated argument. As usual, Obama remained calm and kept his cool…but O’Reilly’s egotistical arrogance was on full display.

If that is Fox’s version of “fair and balanced”, I’d hate to see what they think of as dishonest and biased. Stay classy, Faux News.

Weather, Man!

It’s a tad ironic that all it takes to heat up the debate on global warming is a record-breaking round of winter weather. After this last batch of winter storms that affected the entire country, I’ve heard some of the same old skeptical comments about global warming. Many of which came from otherwise intelligent friends and family. You know, stuff like – “Al Gore needs to come help me shovel the global warming off of my sidewalk.”

Never mind the obvious holes in that logic. Like the fact that climate change occurs in a cycle, and extreme weather changes of any kind do more to substantiate global warming theory than to disprove it. And that global warming (aka – climate change) doesn’t literally mean the temperature is supposed to be warmer each and every day. Even though that faulty reasoning is enough to make your head spin…that still isn’t what bothers me the most. What I want to know is - what are skeptics really fighting for?

Even if you believe that climate change is a hoax, shouldn’t you still be concerned about pollution of our planet…and destruction of our non-renewable natural resources? Does one really have to believe the world is going to end…before realizing that we are doing something decidedly unnatural to our planet? The first time I went to Los Angeles, I was mortified that I could barely see the sun through the smog. And that was over 15 years ago. I heard people argue that last year’s BP oil spill could be contained naturally, because “the ocean would take care of it”. I challenge any of those skeptics to go take a nice, refreshing swim in the Hudson River…and then tell me how clean and natural our planet still is.

Are skeptics really opposed to clean energy? Are they afraid that if we build too many wind turbines, that we’ll eventually run out of wind? Or that solar panels would literally soak up the sun? I don’t quite get it.

Just Desserts

But back to Valentine’s Day. Just to prove I’m not completely cynical, let me offer a last minute gift suggestion. Especially for those women that may be feeling bad about making their man sit through another god-awful Jennifer Aniston romantic comedy.

Here we have the sweet and sexy edible candy g-string and bra.

This really is the perfect gift. Why make your man eat boring old hard candy out of a dinky cardboard box, when he can eat it out of your box instead? Nothing says love like a helping of sweet tarts served out of a sweaty ass crack. Make your man feel special tonight.

Happy V-Day!

Shootin' the Bull

And here it is, your “America First” political quote of the week. Brought to you by Teapublican Senator Mitch McConnell:

“The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.”

Interesting. I wonder what the rest of that priority list looks like. Do you think “fixing the economy” was in there somewhere? Or since that would actually help Obama’s chances for reelection, I guess it probably didn’t make the cut.

On the other hand, it is refreshing to hear a politician be honest for once.

The runner-up quote of the week comes to you from President Barack Obama himself:

“I couldn’t get the kind of cooperation from Republicans that I had hoped for…”

Wow, imagine that!

Who else is pumped for progress?