If the Candidates Were Trains…
Image via Caroline McCarthy
Image via Caroline McCarthy
I thought that was mildly amusing, but it's very insulting to Thomas. If anything, Palin is Mavis.
Maybe. This is the description of Mavis I found on a website that sells a toy version:
"A fiesty young diesel engine. Mavis is high-spirited and often does things without thinking about their consequences. Her lack of experience often leads her into trouble, but she is smart and learns from her mistakes. "
Yeah, some of those Thomas the Tank Engine toys have contained lead paint, and ol' Saracuda sure sounds like a lead-eater sometimes...
Perhaps Obama in Washington is more like the Acela in the Northeast—a modern train running on obsolete tracks.
I don't think thats an Acela, IMHO. I think its a TGV, (Train Very Fast in French). Though I enjoyed your metaphor. TGV might not be a bad metaphor either if in the end Obama pulls it off. I think he has run on very modern tracks so far (voter registration success, internet fundraising, organizing in the caucus states). First Clinton and now McCain are fighting yesterday's war with yesterday's tactics and strategy.
A possibly relevant, probably over cautious musing on being political...
I think it's clear that when it comes to livable streets issues Obama and Biden beat out McCain and Palin by a long shot. I don't think political fairness is creating false equivalence among the candidates. But, I would like to add a note of caution about posting images like this without more factual content. Attack candidates, whomever they may be, with facts and numbers about their lack of support for livable street and transportation issues. Show political cartoons relevant to specific issues which candidates have not voted for. But, be careful about showing generic criticisms of candidates like this which are creations of fancy and rather indirectly related to their policy platforms.
So, possibly I'm being over paranoid here but I do think it is important not to run the risk of alienating people who may be conservative on other issues from identifying with livable streets. Livable streets can and should cross party lines. It only takes looking at Michael Bloomberg versus Sheldon Silver to see this. But, it is almost 3am here and perhaps I am being too sensitive to this.
P.S. I do support Obama
My nephews used to love to play with their Thomas the Tank Engines trains.
But I wouldn't let them near Sarah Palin.
That's not a French TGV, it's a Japanese Shinkansen. JR 500, I believe. 300 km/h.
I love it!
Look at Thomas' face.
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