The Collegian

Issue date: 10/23/08 Section: Opinion

Media Credit: Will Olthouse

The political season is coming to a close and there could be no greater relief. Both McCain and Obama have been assaulting the voter with a flurry of negative ads, the Palin bashing is bordering on the obnoxious and I turn a little green whenever I hear the word "maverick."
But, if there's one thing the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner established, it's that both candidates, like this election, are a bad joke.

Obama's campaign has been pushing the word "change" around like a hobo looking for empty pop cans. The problem is he never explains what kind of change he's pushing for. Perhaps he's pushing for change from President Bush's economic decisions.

But then he wouldn't vote for 19 of Bush's spending bills and a $700 billion bail-out bill, right? Wrong. The only change that Obama would implement is more strength of the federal government's powers - something that Bush and McCain have been big fans of.

ut McCain the "maverick" (ugh) isn't much better, if at all. He also voted in favor of the $700 billion bail-out plan that gives Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson frighteningly god-like powers over America's economy. And for those of you who still think that McCain has conservative values, let me point you towards the McCain-Feingold Act.

The McCain-Feingold Act regulates any ad that refers to a federal candidate within 30 days of a primary or 60 days of a general election. The Federal Election Commission regulates this bill, which prevents grassroots organizations, like the NRA or ACLU, from criticizing political candidates during a general election.

What's odd is that both candidates claim they're going to cut taxes -while in the same breath support that unnecessary $700 billion dollar bail-out bill and increase health care for everyone. All while stomping on our ever-shrinking liberties.

This whole concept of "change" and "maverick" in politics is foolish. It's been argued since America's first contested election. Of the two major presidential candidates neither of them stands for the people, but both stand for politics as usual.

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