I don't normally post about politics. I consider myself "kind of informed". I mean, I listen to NPR most mornings/afternoons (even on purpose sometimes), and I watch some news-like programs on television. However, I don't feel like any sort of authority on any issues. I don't do massive amounts of reading online or in newspapers about politics, I've always hated history and therefore never bothered to remember any of it, and in general refer to the political blogs Jeff peruses as "boring political crap". So, I think kind of informed covers it. I'm not up there in my knowledge, but I'm not completely out of touch either.
I support and have voted for Barack Obama. I don't talk about this much at work because I am surrounded by the sort of rabid republican that would start foaming at the mouth if the subject came up. I tend to duck out of conversations when politics comes up, because I can't argue the finer points of either candidates positions. Although the more I listen the more I realize they can't either.
I've been amazed lately by the crap that I've heard coming out of their mouths. I don't understand how they can believe it without question. One person last week was pissed because she's sure Obama is going to win, and she'd just found out that the 401K she'd been saving was going to be taxed an additional 15% by Obama, even if she waited to make a withdraw until she was 60. Being a rational person, who's listened to at least some of the debates this sounded dubious to me, so I googled it. Apparently people are twisting a raise in capital gains tax into having anything to do with 401K (which it doesn't, in case you're curious 401K withdraw is taxed at the regular payroll/income tax rate dependant on your income, not at the capital gains tax rate).
Today I heard that Barack wants to bankrupt coal companies. An odd statement to be sure, so again I ducked to my office and found it came from an interview with SFGate.com. They way I understand the statement is that whoever creates carbon/greenhouse gas emissions should pay for them and the revenue collected would help create newer tech to reduce these harmful emissions. If people want to continue to pollute, they are free to do so, but they will pay for it, and if they don't try to reduce their emissions then they will bankrupt themselves. It's not a statement of intent (as I see it) more a statement of eventuality. If you can't afford the fees, and your refuse to change, then eventually you will run out of money.
The final straw though was when I heard that, you'll love this one, Barack Obama isn't black. I'm sorry, but have your little ones cover their eyes because I'm going to swear here. For fuck's sake! First he wasn't white enough and now he's not black enough? And if one more person talks about how he's a muslim like it's true, or that it would even fucking matter to me....
There's a reason why I talk about working with redneck, hillbilly, rabid republican dipshits. Very few of the people that talk politics around me seem to know jack about shit. I mean, if I heard a report that John McCain had plans to raise the tax rate of people making $15K-45K by an additional 5% and giving that money to their employers to help pay for health care I would freakin' doubt it. I would look into that shit a little closer and not just go spouting off about how terrible he would be for our country, and how he's out to screw the little guy.
Okay I'm done. Screw these not-hippies, I'm going home.
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