Liberal Couple from Eugene with Second Doubts

Let’s join our liberal couple from Eugene once again. They are driving their Volvo (remember, they must sell it because the evil Big Auto company called Ford owns Volvo) to the Smart car dealer to make a deposit.

After seeing and feeling first-hand the devastation and destruction and impracticality of wind power, they have decided to stick to something proven — gasoline — but to do so in a way that minimizes global warming — hence the Smart car choice. “We’ll show those Big Oil fools with our 41 MPG highway rating,” Benton says to Therri, his loving wife of 10 years. “And our plan not to have children (the planet is way, way too crowded and will soon run out of food) fits perfectly with the two-seater design of the Smart”, adds Benton.

Therri then says, “Benton — something has been troubling me lately — we need to talk.” Benton, always the careful one, pulls over to the side of the road so they can talk without distractions.

“What could be troubling you, Therri?” Benton asks.

“Well, it’s the way the media is treating Governor Sarah Palin,” she explains. “Something just doesn’t seem right. They are questioning her experience when she has actually run both a town and a state. They seem to imply she is not ready to become president should that be necessary, but somehow Barack is ready with his community organizing background and all his “present” votes when he was in the state legislature. He has missed almost half of all the votes taken in the Senate since he was elected, too.”

“Well, Therri, you can’t expect the man to be everywhere!” explains Benton. “He is a man with a vision, our vision, of change, of hope, of fresh beginnings, of new approaches. He can not be troubled with actually doing anything — he is busy running for the highest office in the land. Besides, look at the masterful way he is running his campaign. That is plenty of experience for being president. It is not easy to run a great campaign.”

“I know,” sighs Therri, “but to suggest Sarah Palin is somehow a bad mother because she accepted the nomination to vice president seems wrong. No one said Barack was ignoring his children when he decided to leave them and criss-cross our country for months on end. It just doesn’t seem right and it bothers me. I am a woman, too, and I must say, to try to hurt her simply because she is a female seems unjust.”

“Well, honey, we have to vote for Barack no matter what,” suggests Benton. “He is the man with the vision and the man who said the surge was a success even though he was against it from the very beginning. Plus, he is very, very brave and even, by his own admission, once considered joining the military. That takes a lot of courage – the US was not engaged in any conflicts at the time he considered joining, and he still did not join, but at least he bravely considered joining. Compare that to John McCain, you know, what he did.”

“But what about his broken promise on the campaign funds issue?” shouts Therri. He PROMISED to take public financing for his campaign. He promised. Now he has completely changed his mind, gone back on that promise, and is trying to get money from everyone and everywhere he can — maybe even from that bad Tony man who helped him get his house for less than anyone else ever could have.”

“Well, everyone gets a little help from their friends now and then,” explains Benton. “Remember that time we got some money from your dad to buy the Volvo? And he is not perfect — not by a long shot — that capitalist old fool — working for Walmart upper management, of all places. Man, we never should have cashed that check.”

“Ok, fair enough,” whispers Therri. ” But what about Barack’s repeated voting to allow the killing of a baby that survives a failed abortion? You know I favor a woman’s right to choose, but isn’t it a bit much to say that a baby, born healthy and alive, should be killed by doctors simply because the mother doesn’t want it? I know life begins only in the third trimester, but I am pretty sure life is going full tilt in the fourth trimester. It seems like murder to me.”

Benton responds, “Remember, Therri, Barack said questions about life and killing the unborn are way above his pay grade. He simply doesn’t know and I applaud him for admitting that he doesn’t know. This type of honesty is refreshing – very few people in American would admit to being completely ignorant and incapable of answering such fundamental questions.”

“Hey, Benton,” says an annoyed Therri. “And what about Oprah saying no an interview with Sarah? That really doesn’t seem right. She fawned all over Obama — but now says no to a woman? I am simply disgusted with that kind of blatant unfairness. I am going to join the boycott against Oprah. How can she be so unfair?”

“But it is Oprah’s show,” states Benton. “I guess if she wants to lock out someone who scares her and scares Obama, she should. They have to do everything they can to win. You can’t blame them. They are very afraid of the McCain ticket now.”

“But Oprah had Barack on her show several times!” shouts Therri.

“Honey, honey. Hold on now,” Benton sternly warns. We are not going to vote for anyone other than Barack and that fabulous Joe Biden. You promised me that at the big rally on the waterfront in Portland where we were mesmerized by Barack’s intelligence. You are not going to vote against Barack, are you? You said he gave you a tingle up your leg.”

“No honey, I don’t think so” explains Therri. “I just keep having these nagging doubts that not everything about Barack is so clear now. And I really don’t like the way Sarah has been treated. Even Barack’s campaign has been mean to her just because of her sex. I am just saying it is not fair and I am not as convinced as I was on that glorious day on the sparkling Willamette.”

“Well, I guess we can talk about this more some other time,” suggests Benton. “I see the Smart guy coming this way, and it’s not Obama. It’s the car salesman. I hope we have enough for the deposit – I don’t want to have to ask your dad for more money.”

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