The Daily Show set, John McCain and exercycles

The new Daily Show set is horrible. I'm glad they got rid of a few things--like a background of the back of the control room complete with the back of control room controllers heads and the giant talking head of Brian Williams. Disconcerning as hell. But the set is still very Futurama-ish and not in a good way. The circular electronic counter they zoom into with each show reminds me of "Good quality exercycle for sale" from Futurama.
John McCain was on TDS yesterday. It's an interesting evolution to view John McCain. In 2000, when I had just joined the human race, McCain was barely a blimp on my radar. I watched the entire 2000 election (from Broward County, Florida no less) with detached interest, certain that whoever won wouldn't govern much differently from whoever lost. Wow! Such sweet innocence I had, such precious naivitee.
So, McCain. Yes, just last year I mentioned to my husband that if it came down to McCain v Hillary Clinton, McCain just may get my vote. I do like Hillary's politics, but that is, her politics before her bid, her "real" politics, the woman I was introduced to 15 years ago, not this new "let's chat" model. I thought McCain was thoughtful and progessive. But seeing him these last few months, bullet-proof vesting his trip to the market (with many armed "friends" in tow but on foot and the air) along with his lock step with the President, has brought me great disillusionment.
This is a man who questions my patriotism, my loyalty to my country, because I recognize that the loss of American life, the loss of Iraqi life, is more than my concscience can bear. This is a man who resp0nds to sincere questions with talking points. I an an educated American. I am thoughtful and well-read, he cannot talk to me through the TV as if I am four years old--or, like my mother, as if I am still a hormonal teenager. Shame on you, McCain. You had so much promise, so much integrity and I admired you. As Voltaire said (and no, I will not be constantly quoting Voltaire in this blog, like some kind of pompous nerd) "So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannize will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men."