Not so funny anymore.

Posted by Kate G. in US Election 2008.

So, the Alfred E. Smith benefit dinner cut into my sacred hour of Rachel Maddow the other night. Initially, I was pretty upset. Then, I found myself trying my hardest NOT to laugh at McCain (who TOTALLY killed, I must say, to my chagrin). By the time Obama came up, I was truly enjoying myself, laughing away like it was a Friar’s Roast or something.

Then, Saturday rolls around, and there’s Governor Palin (aka Caribou Barbie), hammin’ it up on SNL. In my opinion…not that funny. But that’s beside the point.

While all this funny business was going on, McCain was going back on his word. The day after the final debate, he told the media that he would go back to running a “clean, respectful” campaign. However, while he had everyone rollin’ on the floor in their $400 suits at the benefit, he was continuing to throw the same old, tired mud at Obama. Even as Palin raised the roof on Saturday Night Live, McCain and the Republican party were trying to cry “voter fraud” and un-register millions of Americans. Talk about “threatening the fabric of democracy” (from the final debate; McCain accused a voter registration organization of this).

After seeing and hearing all this, I really don’t think McCain was that funny at the dinner. It was all calculated; he knew the dinner was coming, he knew SNL would be clamoring to get its paws on Palin for a sketch. He knew he could squeeze a few more weeks of disgusting politics and down-right cheating out of a well-written speech and a silly sketch.

And it worked. Amidst all of this, Americans stopped talking about the economy–which ISN’T getting better–and McCain’s general lack of policies. We’ve let our eyes be drawn away from a campaign of fear and lies, just because Father Time made us laugh.

Sober up, America. Let’s dry our eyes and get back to work. This race isn’t over yet.

US Election 2008 |