I’m Not Going to Call John McCain a Fascist, Part II

This is what I’m talking about…

Yeah, well... McCain's middle name is Sidney... I bet he's a gay.

Yeah, yeah… It’s some idiot’s sign in the crowd, but anyone who has ever been to a campaign rally knows that you go through multiple layers of security, and there are campaign staffers/political operatives all throughout the crowd handing out “home made” and mass produced campaign signs, and snatching up those that they disapprove of.

Oh, and as reported by The Huffington Post,

On Sunday, McCain refused an opportunity to criticize the state chair of the Virginia GOP, who compared Obama to Bin Laden, since “both … have friends that have bombed the Pentagon,” a reference to Ayers. Asked whether that was appropriate, McCain only said : “I have to look at the context of his remarks.”

Right. McCain says there is nothing to be afraid of with Barack Obama as President…. EXCEPT THAT HE IS JUST LIKE OSAMA BIN LADEN!

John McCain and his staff know that funny names and brown skin scare you, and they will continue to allow this sort of behavior to continue so long as they see it as an electoral advantage.

Here’s my final thought on all of this… I had toyed with the idea of starting a political blog for a few years, and the urge would hit me almost every week during the primaries and over the summer, but I never acted on it. However, that all changed when I was driving home from work one evening and I heard a report on the radio from a McCain rally where some knuckle-dragging douchebag shouted out “SUPPORT OBAMA, VOTE MUSLIM,” after which there was a bunch of LOL’ing and knee-slapping by a bunch of like-minded bigots. Needless to say, I nearly drove my car off of the road when I heard the comment and reaction.

We have a serious problem in this country… Obama isn’t a Muslim, and the fact that such an argument is being used to sway voters highlights the incredible ignorance that plagues our country. An ignorance that has played a major role in the failed GOP and neocon policies of the past 8 years. And it was with that thought that sparked Bandit Pulpit and brought us all together. Hopefully, our site will succeed in quashing the intolerance and lies being exploited by those who will do ANYTHING to stay in power.

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And here. We. Go.

Good evening, and welcome to Bandit Pulpit. As a fledgling political blog in a world dominated by the Huffington Posts, Drudge Reports, and Politicos, we hope that we will offer you a fresh take on American politics, and particularly the 2008 election. The contributors to Bandit Pulpit come from a variety of backgrounds, but share a common disgust for the direction that modern campaigning, and the misinformation being bandied about by partisan political operatives. However, instead of spending a ton of time on who each of us are (you can check that out in the “Who We Are” page coming soon) let’s get down to what has been nagging me for a few weeks now.

The past 8 years have been a disaster when one considers America’s standing in the world. Whether the next president is John McCain or Barack Obama, he needs to be a strong diplomat that is capable of healing the wounds of the Bush years and restoring the soft power of influence that is so important in combating terrorism, assuring the safety of our allies, and securing our national interests. After watching the Charlie Gibson interview of Sarah Palin, I have to say that I came away rather frightened.

While Palin is running as McCain’s VP, the fact that she does not know what the “Bush Doctrine” is (Yes, is. Not “was”) leads me to believe that a McCain presidency will give us nothing but fractured relationships, global instability, and more of the same dangerous hubris from the neoconservative minds behind the McCain campaign.

For those of you who don’t know, the Bush doctrine (originally detailed in the 2002 National Security Strategy) stated that

“The greater the threat, the greater is the risk of inaction- and the more compelling the case for taking anticipatory action to defend ourselves, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy’s attack. To forestall or prevent such hostile acts by our adversaries, the United States will, if necessary, act preemptively.“

The Bush Doctrine essentially reserves the right to use military force in a preemptive manner in the face of an impending and assured threat (Like our attack on Saddam Hussein’s Iraq…. Since he was planning to attac….. give weapons to terr….. eat a kabob).

During the Sunday talk shows a bunch of McCain operatives came out to say that the “Bush Doctrine” as referred to by Gibson is outdated since the NSS of 2006 doesn’t contain such language… Which is true… partially… The 2006 NSS states

“If necessary, however, under long-standing principles of self defense, we do not rule out the use of force before attacks occur, even if uncertainty remains as to the time and place of the enemy’s attack.”

… Before attacks occur… Right.

Ready or not, here she comes... From an Island in Alaska where she can see Russia.

For Palin to not understand what the doctrine is -or was if you’re delusional- is unacceptable. Palin is 100% untested, and unprepared… Should this person be *cringe* “a heartbeat away from the presidency”? Should she be in charge of the foreign relations of this country in such uncertain times? Should we trust America’s future with the same neoconservative minds that brought you the Project for the New American Century and the war in Iraq (Bill Kristol currently serves as a foreign policy advisor to John McCain and was one of the main architects of the current administration’s policy)?

Now that you know what the issue is, take some time to answer that question for yourself. War in the Caucuses? A showdown with Russia? A campaign to “bomb, bomb, bomb” Iran? The choice is yours… Let’s hope your choice is ready to lead the free world and return America to its position of strength and prominence.

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