Strange rumblings in the night
I sit and reflect upon the works of Hunter S. Thompson on this strange day. Though I am nothing but an imposter at this moment, stuck at a computer screen trying to become a writer, no typewriter in sight, the lowest of the low, a technology hack.
Here we are in this foul year of Our Lord 2008. Nixon has been out of office for 34 years and is stuck somewhere between heaven and hell running from an ever-bored headless “cannon man” Doctor of Journalism that was never really a journalist at all.
An unnerving responsibility bubbles up from my inner workings with a voice strong in principles, crying for this whole damn spectacle to be covered with true journalistic art.
“Gonzo is not dead, only waiting…” A strangely familiar voice calls in the depths of the night, cowering me into the corner of my room, somehow trying to understand the strange revelation.2008 brings fear and loathing to my existence, the 2008 presidential race is braced for the 90-degree turn at speed that is Super Tuesday.
The past week was the most significant politically since Kerry so sheepishly faded into the night three and some years ago, somehow not strong enough to coerce the American people into thinking he had the tenacity, and that undying image of the Government vehicles lining up in front of his mansion, ready to take the loser to embrace his faithful at party headquarters.
Reporters across the world described the scene, “Okay, yes, yes, Dick, Pam, this is definitely it, four non-descript vehicles are approaching the house now, any second now we expect Senator Kerry to come out and head to…”
Those words echoed coldly and took on evil connotations as they drifted into the abyss of air waves as those steel carriages representing a smiling Texan in the Big House, his defeated opponent escorted in arms to a commencement speech that solidified the reign for four more years came to collect the dead.
The country as a whole, even those who cast their vote for Bush, seemed to take an unconscious gasp, “Holy F**k! Did We just re-elect these G*****n Animals.”
Ah, yes, paranoia on this strange day, weird thoughts in my mind as I watch Bush’s last State of the Union…..loaded to the brim with every necessity of a true student of Gonzo.
Super Tuesday….the spectacle begins…
Today, as these words cement this page, The New York Giants are fresh off a Super Bowl Championship, and tomorrow, Tuesday Feb. 5th brings the first major rumblings of the final push for the presidency.
The past week has brought us the Devil’s Brigade’s final State of Union, something all the network talking heads believed was forgettable.
Though, these network guys seemed to miss the overall message as Bush sat their flashing his devilish smile, talking redundant policies, seemingly giving the whole of Congress the middle finger as they, in unison, rose in ovation 37 times (according to CNN). Congress, a group of politicians who speak trash on the Bush administration day in and out, however, hypocritically stand and clap. Ah, yes, politics are a translucent street walker.
The Democratic hopefuls were also in attendance. Hillary sat quiet, with her gaze transfixed on the podium and her inner monologue at full tilt already going over next year’s address. Obama looked ready to vote present and get out of dodge, for as the next president, he could be partaking in many other activities on such a night.
This past week also served to narrow the field of candidates. The initial frontrunner in the GOP, Rudy Guiliani, either didn’t give a rat’s ass about being president, or ran the worse race in recent memory, and is out.
Democratic hopeful, John Edwards, who tried to ride his platform of ending poverty to the White House, learned having an entirely too broad and unrealistic goal in the end proves fatal.
The Republican debate was, let’s be honest, boring. And we all know McCain is going to be the GOP’s man, like it or not.It was the Democratic Debate that was the true highlight of the week. The most important debate since the original televised presidential debates between Nixon and Kennedy, a black man versus a white woman, ten years ago, we would have called ourselves liars.
Obama was given the key to Camelot by the fallen king’s brother and daughter, Caroline Kennedy, the Queen herself. And after licking his wounds, Edwards stood behind Obama as well. All of which seemed to fuel Obama towards his best debate so far, as he and Clinton squared off.
It is the televised debates that are the critical medium of the candidates, and Obama seemed strong and coherent, extremely straight forward and to the point, whereas Clinton seemed lofty and only went into details when it would prove advantageous.
As voters in 22 states flock to the polls tomorrow, one thing will emerge from the spectacle of Super Tuesday, the 2008 presidential campaign will be between John McCain and Barack Obama (even if tomorrow night the media tries to report the Democratic nomination to tight to tell), and strange voices will continue to haunt me in the night until this whole damn spectacle is covered with true journalist grit.