I just heard a portion of a speech by John McCain at a town hall meeting in Michigan. He was railing against the internet. <sigh>
His speech, delivered to an audience which looked to have an average age of around 60, decried "pornography, loss of innocence, and the children". He was trying to make the case that the world is on the brink of ending. And all because none of these things existed before the internet. <sigh>
Come on John. I'm older than you are and I can't believe that you think that clump of fear and stupidity will carry the day!
We really terrify you guys, don't we?
We can speak out without edit.
We can band together and raise truck loads of cash to drive through the Tubes.
We can see, and comment on every gaff, and ridiculous comment, every lie and foolish observation, and you, and your ilk, can't do a single thing to stop it.
That's the real problem, isn't it, John?
The slice and dice, divide and scare, strategies of the Republican Party of the past 3 decades has lost it's most powerful technique. You can no longer round up small groups, pander to their ignorance and fear, and have it go unobserved, can you?
It doesn't have anything to do with pornography and "the children" does it, John?
It has everything to do with this remarkable new tool that spreads truth, unifies those widely separated geographically, and mobilizes them to take action in their own interest.
You have every reason to fear the internet, John. It's going to take you down in November. And scaring people by trying to pin sexually frightening labels on the technology, will not make much headway this cycle.
We are not only on to you, but those people to whom you were speaking had to leave right after your address and see if their Grand Kids had e-mailed them this morning, before going out to e-bay and buying a new set of china, and checking the blogs for their take on last night's election.
Poor Old Man. Shaking his fist at the kids on his lawn...
Help Needed: I originally saw the clip of this Town Hall meeting on MSNBC, when I turned on the TV this morning. I can't find the link at MSNBC, or the McCain site. I would appreciate any help you can offer in locating the original video.