Cruel and Unsual Punishment

« I love this quote which is complemented by the 'FUCK ALL' sticker underneath it. »

Only 8 days remain until the election and I'm really quite glad I'm not in the US to watch the final stretch of the election carnival since I think it would be difficult for me to suppress all those natural homicidal urges that such fanfare tends to cultivate. I was NOT amused to see a presidential candidate on a lighted billboard last night while walking home from a movie. Today's Sanomat explained that the billboards are part of an advertising gimmick called Varjovaalit [shadow election]. In addition to the shame and self-loathing most of us Americans who live outside of America feel, must we also be reminded that the rest of the world knows more about the issues at hand and cares more about the outcome of the election than most Americans? I can avoid watching CNN and, well, the rest of the news for the next week, but I can't always avoid that shit-eating grin W has in that poster when I walk by it. I really wish Europe and the rest of the world could vote, but you can't so what's the fucking point of seeing who would win if you did vote? What if Americans had a mock vote for the Finnish presidency - would Finns give a damn? Probably not. Guess what, most Americans won't either.

I wish the Bob agency would have tried something more effective like a "Hey, you! Yeah, you, American expat! Have you gotten off your ass and voted yet?" poster campaign. Only somewhere around 10%-15% of Americans even have a passport much less live abroad at any point in their lives, but there are still enough of us to make a difference in a close election as this one will likely be. There's also a really good chance that an American with a passport is a 'liberal' for all that means to people in the EU where such 'liberals' would be closer to the conservative parties. I voted and now all I can do is avoid CNN, wait, and hope. And resist the urge to deface the Dumbya billboards around town. That picture of Kerry makes him look like Snow Miser from The Year Without a Santa Claus, too. *sigh*