Some Pre-Election Humor

Thursday, October 23, 2008

No matter which candidate floats to the top on or after Election Day, we're inaugurating a real stinker in January.

Anyone who cares about America and understands the danger each candidate presents knows that there is a herculean task of cultural activism ahead. Before we will see an election cycle that includes candidates offering real progress towards greater freedom, many, many Americans will have to be taught or reminded of the nature and importance of individual rights. I won't belabor this point further today.

The bright side is that we know what the baseline is and what needs to be done. We also aren't, like so many Republicans in the (septic?) tank for McCain -- or kids deluded by the O-bomb -- emotionally invested in any way whatsoever in the fortunes of either political candidate. This means that, as a small fringe benefit, we can enjoy all of the political humor out there, excepting the two jokes that have somehow made it onto the top of the ballot, of course.

A couple of items came to my attention this morning. One of them is a column over at RealClear Politics by Steven Stark titled, "Long National Nightmare", but bylined by RCP as, "What If All the Pundits Are (Gasp!) Wrong?.

There was Wilson over Hughes. And, of course, Truman over Dewey. But there's never been a surprise in presidential politics like the one that awaited Americans this morning, who woke up to discover that, somehow, John McCain had been elected president over Barack Obama.

...

Meanwhile, the tsunami of youth support for Obama never materialized. Instead, it was the over-65 crowd who turned out as if the election were a five-o'clock dinner special, and who voted in record numbers for their fellow senior citizen.

"It was fear of the known versus fear of the unknown -- and fear won out," quipped one McCain aide.
Be sure to read all the way to the punchline, and remember it if truth turns out to be stranger than fiction come the day after Election Day!

And then we have a short video at YouTube that I learned about through HBL.


Look! It's two Democrats on an Escalator!

The challenge I pose to my readers today is this: Can you top these?

-- CAV

9 comments:

Tenure said...

Oh what? You don't even have the full video! It goes on with a mechanic coming along on another escalator, but then his breaks down as well, leaving him trapped.

I guess, in the vein of political rampancy, I feel these videos express what I imagine it to be behind closed doors at the White House:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGyma1F49fQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjjiWTwc58w&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENbm1mlMDA0&feature=related

Unknown said...

Any thoughts on Greenspan's recent comments on the flaw of free market banking and unregulation?

Gus Van Horn said...

Tenure,

Really? Thanks for the other three links, but how can you tease everyone by mentioning the longer video without slapping up THAT link as well? Humph!

Harold,

Funny that you should ask.

The topic deserved more ink, but that short answer should suffice for now. (I don't necessarily plan to blog on it, though.)

If anyone ever doubted that he betrayed Objectivism, such comments on his part should remove all doubt.

Gus

Unknown said...

Ya, betrayal is exactly the word that came into my head.

"Greenspan's Betrayal"


Atlas is shrugging guys.

Gus Van Horn said...

I wouldn't say "Atlas is shrugging" just because a coward who hides behind Ayn Rand's skirt when it suits his purposes sells her out when it suits his purposes.

Kyle Haight said...

Although there are a lot of events in the news lately that have that Atlas Shrugged flavor. Economic damage caused by the collapse of banks that made loans based on need? Eugene Lawson and the Community National Bank, or was that Washington Mutual? Many people have already commented on the Paulson bank strong-arm. And how about that hedge fund manager who just retired at 37 because his job was no longer enjoyable? Or all the small business owners talking about "going Galt"?

After 9/11 a lot of people said they felt like they woke up in a Tom Clancy novel. Lately I feel like I woke up in Atlas Shrugged.

Gus Van Horn said...

The fact that lots of people who haven't read Atlas Shrugged are the authors of these events demonstrates the correctness of the principles Rand used as she wrote the novel.

Too bad we can't put this one down so easily!

Tenure said...

THE FULL ESCALATOR!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSIkjNaICsg

(This reminds me of that stand up about how Escalators are never broken, they are just temporarily stairs).

Gus Van Horn said...

Neat. Thanks.

Obviously, that was a union machinist who showed up!