A Few Weeks in Castle Rock

Every four years the United States sadly seems to take on the personae of Stephen King's fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine. Never has this been more true than in the past few weeks.

You remember Castle Rock, Maine the location for the book and movie "Needful Things." One by one, the people of Castle Rock obtained their heart's desires for little more than a promise to carry out a few mischievous pranks for an elderly gentleman named Leland Gaunt.

When the citizens of Castle Rock newly opened store named Needful Things, "they are all greeted by the seemingly kind old man, Leland Gaunt, and they all ignore the sign hanging in his shop, "Caveat emptor" ("Let the buyer beware"). One person after another buys the treasures he has in stock, paying surprisingly low prices and performing small "favors" (pranks) at his request. The person doing a prank usually knows the target, but has no real quarrel or relationship with him/her. Little by little, the pranks worsen existing grudges between the townspeople until they start turning violently against each other or themselves. " -- Wikipedia

Well the past few weeks political campaigning in the US has reminded me of the scene in which teenager Brian Rusk threw a barnyard full of turkey feces all over freshly washed sheets that were drying on Wilma Jerzyck's line. Of course, Wilma was certain that her imagined nemesis Nettie Cobb had done it and tragedy ensued.

Here's McCain spokesperson Michael Goldfarb throwing his own load of turkey poop during an interview with CNN Reporter Rick Sanchez.



url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioJlOjA45fk


And how about this little practical joke being played by North Carolina's Republican Senator Elizabeth Dole on her Democratic opponent Kay Hagan.

url: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EfvTIJU5bU


And in the following video, McCain supporter Charles David Ficken attends an Obama rally in Raleigh, North Carolina with a 10-foot tall picture of Barack Obama in East African attire, shouting the United States doesn't need a "Muslim-leaning" person for president.




url: http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1463341016/bctid1890029878

In a recent poll of Texas residents, 23% believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim.

Leland Gaunt would certainly be proud.

Now if you haven't read the book or seen the movie "Needful Things", I'm not going to give away the ending. However, I will leave you with this sentence from Wikipedia's description of the movie:

"Those who have survived the entire harrowing ordeal find themselves
facing an uncertain future in what is left of Castle Rock."

Happy Halloween!