Asshole Drivers and Politics: Is There a Relation?

Over the last 5 months, I have been taking a slow tally.

I have been looking for patterns in asshole drivers.

Do you weave through traffic using no turn signal and no regard for other drivers?  Asshole.

Do you flip people off or flash your lights if someone is in your way or not going fast enough?  Asshole.

Do you speed excessively and think people going 10 over the speed limit are 'fucking slowpokes?'  Asshole.  (and by the way, the speed on freeways in Idaho is 75...)

So I've been keeping a tally of assholes.  And since it's an election year, I've been keeping a tally of who the assholes are voting for.

From June to October I have been in California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.  In other words, 4 very red states, one very very blue state, and Nevada (a current battleground, but leaning left).

During that time, I have accumulated the following statistics:

- 54 traffic weavers, ducking and dodging through other cars, skimming seconds off their precious drive time.  Of the 54, 20 had Romney stickers, 8 had Obama stickers, and the rest had none.

- 28 bird-flippers.  10 of the 28 were Republicans, 2 were Democrats, and 6, while having no political stickers, had BYU logos on their cars, leading me to believe they were Republican (as I have not yet met a Mormon Democrat).  That makes 16... out of 28...

- 103 speeders.  This was a pretty even split.  30 Romnites, 31 Obama-mamas, and the rest neutral.  Hell, even I speed...

- 25 Light-flashers, or people who ride your ass because you're going too slow. 5 Red, 1 blue, the rest it was too dark to see.

Oddly enough, there were more 'Coexist' bumper stickers on the ass-riding jerks than Republican stickers...

Coexist my hairy white-ass....

So.  5 months, 210 offenders.  71 confirmed Republican, 42 confirmed Democrat.  34% Red, 20% Blue.

In summary?

...you know... in theory...

I'm Pulling a #CNN and Prematurely Announcing Our 2012 President (the race from the POV of an Independent Voter)

I was born 2 days after President Reagan was elected.  I was interested in politics since the Bush/Dukakis election in 1988.  I have voted since turning 18, and have an 87% accuracy rate in picking winners.

...and I vote for both sides.  I vote for the person and the message, not by political affiliation.

I am an Independent.  Politicians and pollsters love me.

And, like CNN has done in the 2000 election and for all primary voting this year, I am calling the winner AGES before anyone else.

(this isn't an "I'm voting for" post, this is just an unbiased announcement)

Barack Obama will be re-elected for one major reason:  There is no electable person running against him.  Of the four remaining, none scream 'Presidential Material.'

(I'm hearing a sigh of relief from some of you, and outrage from others.  Bear with me, while I explain...)

The GOP is stuck with another Bob Dole.  A John Kerry.  A 'we got nothing, so here's a softball' candidate.

BOB DOLE LIKES VIAGRA, BITCHES!!

I have watched every date thus-far and listened to talk stations like Hannity and Rush, to hear what the candidates are saying (just as I did in 2004 with the left-leaning radio shows).  No candidate has related to the masses.  No candidate has attracted the independents.

And, as current polls and the primaries so far show, there is no front runner.  No single candidate stands out, to the point where the Republican party is more divided now than ever.  Meanwhile, polls favoring Obama are increasing.  He is taking advantages of the division and the strife, while the Republican candidates slowly cannibalize each other.

(This isn't an "Obama rocks" post, or a "Republicans suck" post.  I didn't like GW Bush, but I didn't like Gore either.  Then, in 2004, the Dems didn't bring forth a candidate that the people could take seriously (remember Howard Dean??  NYAHHHHH!!!!).  To me, this is what the GOP is doing now.)

If I were a big player in the Republican Party, I would let Obama win.

(and then, quickly, be drawn-and-quartered)

Why?  Fast-forward 4 years.  Is Newt re-electable, with his 'shut up, I'm smarter than you' attitude?  Santorum, who uses his religious views as scare-tactics and seems to want women back in the kitchen?  Paul, who alienates his own kind with every statement, and has racist statements from the past haunting him?  Romney, with big businesses and reviled out-of-touch billionaires with their proverbial dick up his ass?  If one of these 4 are elected in 2012, the Democrats are back in power in 2016.

The goal for every President is to be a two-term President.  The goal of both political parties is to be in power for as long as possible.  If the Republican Party is smart, they'd throw a softball at Obama this year, and start looking for a unifier in 2016.

The next Reagan.  The next Clinton.  A JFK, an FDR.  No matter who wins in 2012, partisan politics will continue as usual, and progress will be stagnant.  Look for real progress and change in 2016... IF anyone steps up to take the lead, and can preach a message that can traverse party lines.

Ok, now the fun part!  Am I right?  Do I have my head up my ass?  And why?  Sound off below!  (remember you CAN comment anonymously)

The political depth in this town is amazing

I overheard two guys talking about the 2012 presidential election, and who they were hoping was going to be the Republican primary contender...

One wanted trump.

The other wanted Mike Huckabee.

hehehe....

I interjected, and pointed out to the gentleman that both of their choices have bowed out in recent days, saying they had no intention in running for president.

Their response?  "Well I don't care WHO it is, as long as it's not Obama!"

Wow people, really?

This type of political ignorance drives me crazy.  People who vote along party lines, no matter who the candidate is.  If you're a Democrat, you're only allowed to vote Democrat.  Even when you have a schlub canidate like Michael Dukakis... Or Republicans only voting red, even when Bob Dole is the voice of your party.

I'm sorry, but I refrain from casting my vote until I look at the people running.  I want to know where they stand, what they believe in, and what they want to do in office before I vote A vs B.

So far, looking at the Republican side of things, I'm not too impressed with the choices.  The only one I think stands a chance of unifying the country and getting support from both sides would be Gary Johnson, former governor of New Mexico.  He has no problem calling out BS, even from his own party.  Reading about him, I agree with a decent amount of issues he brings up.  And, unlike Trump, GJ has succeeded in business without hitting the "BK" button over and over.

But, for now, it's too early to tell.  Sadly, people like the two stooges mentioned above don't care.  If you put a Butterball Turkey against Obama right now, and like the Turkey as a Republican, I'm afraid it would get at least 20%-30% of the vote.

Back to a phrase I used: unifying the country and getting support from both sides.  This is what I want to see in a candidate, whether it be an R or a D after his name.  Why?  We have been at a 50/50 split since the 2000 election.  This country is divided, and in a bad bad way.  I'm hoping to see this change, and soon.  The battle of "Dems vs Repubs: We Are Right (and you are not)" is getting old.

Oh well.  The BS is the same for both sides.  About 25% will always vote red, and 25% will always vote blue.  Let's just hope the remaining 50% (the smart ones) make the right decision in 2012, whatever that may be.