PSA

American Democrats: Don’t forget tomorrow, Tuesday, is election day.

American Republicans: Remember to vote on Wednesday!

Okay, just kidding. In all seriousness, I hope the election goes well for my other country. I of course voted Obama, and yes, as a dual citizen I file taxes in two countries and get to vote in both. So I have more say, nyah. And it’s much safer for me to state my vote because Americans kindly only have two major parties, whereas up here there were three and a half (the half being Green) and that meant I was much more torn about my strategic or lack thereof voting.

I do not honestly believe that I really know who Obama is or what he wants to do, but I am impressed with his mastery of the American political stage. Also, like many Americans, I’ve been a Democrat forever and anything I read just reinforces how smart I am for being one. (That is, not really.)

It’s particularly refreshing coming off an election where we had a silent Conservative, an incomprehensible Liberal (I love Dion’s ethics, but he must be that prof where you are left going “he’s smart, but I still don’t know what is on the test”), a gratingly egoistical New Democratic, and an enchantingly doomed Green, up here. Not to mention that the election was kind of gratuitous.

So God Bless America. Here’s a potential President who is fun to watch and who seems to believe in something, so he might or might not do something. Cool! I’m actually kind of serious. I’ve had mock fights with Sassy (before a real one on other matters) that I think Obama is really a travelling salesman. He sells hope, and he sells it well in the best evangelical style. But does it work? I dunno; you have to swallow it to find out.

I personally believe, communist wench that I am, that the biggest change the US needs besides in its foreign policy is universal health care. My cheap economic analysis is that the housing crisis may have been fueled by greed, and the lack of regulation the oil for the engine, but one of the spark plugs of the thing is that people borrowed against their houses to pay medical bills.

Because medical bills are insane and if you don’t have a job with good benefits you’re screwed. Actually to tell you the truth what astonished me the most was learning that a close relative of mine with excellent health insurance (from a big drug company no less, and at a managerial level) had to pay about $6k, all told, in co-pays for a back surgery. $6k! For one surgery! And that’s when you’re covered! No wonder there’s a crisis. I’d be in debt too.

Anyways, this rather ridiculous and somewhat ignorant rant really comes down to: vote eh? Because I did not say that on Canada’s election day and as a direct result, no one did. It really sucked.