I never thought I would say this, but Karl Rove wrote a very impartial and meaningful article in the WSJ and I agree with him. I ask the liberals to hold their breath for a few moments and actually read the article and while you are it take a bitter pill and actually hear the Palin speech ( I recommend her recent speech on her return to Alaska, less crowd and fewer chants of “Palin, Palin” to raise your blood pressure) and you will see why she is such a big hit. It is not the words coming out of her mouth it is the way she delivers them. I am reminded of the Reese Witherspoon character in “Legally Blond”.
While I do agree with Karl Rove about how Obama should not be attacking Palin and why it is a losing proposition for him, I believe the Obama campaigns conundrum is how do you respond when Palin has completely sucked all the oxygen of media coverage and seriously thrown them off their message. The interest that she has evoked and because of this reformist aura around her, she has actually been able to define Obama rather then it being the other way around. The egos in Obama campaign just could not resist the temptation to take a few pot shots at her.
I think it would be in Obama-Biden’s interest to resist the urge to take shots at Palin and keep the attacks on John McCain. The media frenzy would die down in a few days and it may die quicker if they don’t keep making statements about Pigs and Lipsticks giving the McCain campaign even more fodder. You have to give to the McCain campaign that they have been able to control the message very well.
Moreover the left wing should stop hyperventilating about how John McCain could pick Sarah Palin, instead of somebody experienced if they want to win this election. I think part of the reason why Democrats are so off message is because they didn’t think Sarah Palin was a worthy opponent. They were expecting somebody formidable with a lot of experience and instead got given a replica of the right wing Barack Obama. How do you tarnish their Obama without tarnishing your own.
Sooner or later people will know she is just another politician. When the dust settles, Barack Obama does not want to come out more bruised then Sarah Palin.
He should stay above the fray and keep his focus on John McCain. His fighting for the Presidency not the VP’s spot
Why does the American voter feel the need to relate to the President and do anything with him? Why do we feel we need the President to be like us and yet we elect ones that are nothing like us. We elected one, eight years ago that people felt they could have a beer with, now we are rooting for one who according to Amity Shales (author, columnist and senior fellow, CFR):
Women want to have fun with other women. Palin seems like someone you would run a 10k with.
Are you kidding me, you wanna have fun with her invite her to your house for drinks, arrange a get-together with your kids, run that 10K you want to with her or better yet go on that moose hunt, why do you want to vote as my VP??
This constant need to be able to relate with the President is giving us one mediocre President after the other. I admire the American, can do spirit, as much as the other guy but don’t tell me that everyone is cut out to be the President. If by chance we do come across somebody who may be smarter then us we deride him as “Elitist”, we complain “he talks to us instead of talking with us”. The last president that we felt we could relate to, happened to be of the same caliber as the rest of us and therefore, his gift to us is an unfinished war, record deficit, mounting debt, crumbling infrastructure, lost jobs, a weakening economy and an inability to solve our problems because he turned us into sulking children who cannot talk through our problems. His solution to all our problems was tax cuts and more tax cuts. Forget about the fact that soon we would not have any income to pay taxes on.
How about this time we elect somebody who is, better then us. Who is, more capable then us. I don’t want a drinking buddy or a running mate or a hunting partner, I need a President who will make sure 4 years later I will still have a job.
I thought after eight years of George Bush, America would have had enough of this single issue insanity and was ready forsome comprehensive leadership on all fronts. We had two solid candidates whose policies were in the middle, you may not agree with everything they may say but you understood the logic behind it. For those who have read my musings before I would have been happy with having either of these two candidates as the President.
Obama may be short on experience but he has some solid ideas, and team capable of delivering those. He gained my respect when he took a stand against the so called gas-tax holiday whileeverybody else pandered. I didn’t agree with him on demand for a timelinefor troop withdrawal from Iraq as I believe we need to solve the mess we created but then again the cynic in me saw it as a pander to the left wing. I hoped that he has enough smart people around him to make him see the logic against such a move and his position evolved with time.
John McCain is a true American hero, with policies and ideas enough to the center to lead atleast 80% of Americans. At the end of the day Americans don’t care about just one issue(or atleast I hope).He has the capability and the experience to once again raise America’s credibility in the world after eight years of George Bush, and show the leadership to resolve the issues facing us at home. He may have his shortcomings on the economy but hey that is why you have advisers.
But during the past few months John McCain has taken a sharp turn to the right. He has given up on unifying the country and decided to consolidate his base. John McCain has all of sudden decided that it is more important for America to worry about issues like abortion and gun control then worry about jobs and food. He went ahead and picked a moose hunter from Alaska as his running mate.
He decided that it was more important for people to pay less in taxes, then for their money to mean anything. So while you may have more dollars in your paycheck they don’t go as far as they used to when its time to put food on the table. What good is the tax cut I got under Bush when all it did is increase our debt, and decreased the value of the US Dollar. I may be taking more money in terms of dollars but it sure isn’t buying a lot.
He decided that it was more important to have a women as his running mate just for the sake of it while taking away their right to choose. What good are the children when you don’t have a job to raise them and food to feed them? For them it is important only to give birth to human life but once you are born you are screwed. What kind of logic is that?
He decided that it was important to scare people that the other party would take away their guns.What good are the guns when you don’t have healthcare when you fall sick? Is the 2nd amendment going to pay for your medical bills? An equal number of Americans are either uninsured or underinsured as compared to gunowners. What about their rights? I am for your right to 2nd amendment if you are for a women’s right to chose.
John McCain has decided that it is more important for Americans to fill their Hummers then leave behind a world that is inhabitable for the next generation. Why is it, that the party of life is also the first one to deny that we are destroying the planet?
Why is it that the party that is for free trade, then turns around and doesn’t want anybody to come in and live in their country. We will take your cheap labour and your cheap products but we don’t want you coming in no matter what you have to contribute. They keep forgetting that this is a nation of immigrants.
He decided that it is time to bash government, a government he surely has been part of for the last eight years. We just went through eight years of government watchdogs being systematically neutralised in the name of smaller government to the point where we have nobody inspecting the food that is being imported into the country, we have toys being imported with toxic levels of lead, we have tyres being imported which don’t meet safety standards, we have crumbling infrastructure all across the country with crumbling bridges. We have a government which wasn’t able to provide emergency services to a whole city during hurricane Katrina.
I am just venting because I was listening to the speeches from the RNC last night, listening to them yell and scream, how big government is bad for us. I kept wondering where these people were during the last eight years because they didn’t seem to realize that they were the ones in power during six out those eight years and the remaining two they will not let anybody else do anything. They are the government.
They keep screaming how they have protected us from any terrorist attacks during the last 6 years, but I guess it is OK if you die in a hurricane or when a bridge gives way underneath you. We will not allow any foreign terrorists to kill you, we will kill you ourselves, that seems to be their motto.
After hearing all the speakers at the RNC convention harp on VP nominee Sarah Palin’s executive experience, Sen. McCain has decided to pull his name from the top of the Republican ticket, and run as VP to Sarah Palin, given her extensive experience as the mayor of Wasilla and then the governor of Alaska. As the Senator mentioned that since he had never managed any kind of a budget and never had to make any executive decisions, he felt he did not have enough experience to be running for the top job in the land.
The conservatives in the Republican party really got thrown off by John McCain’s curve ball. Waking up in the morning after praying all night for Mitt Romney to find that McCain had selected a virtual nobody from Alaska as his running mate, they are having a real hard time trying to get their minions excited about the pick. Here are a examples of the their talking points -
-She calls her husband “First Dude”
- Her favourite meal is “Moose Stew”
-She’s a lifelong member of NRA
-Former beauty queen.
-Alaska first female governor and youngest ever.
The last one get buried underneath everything else. We wouldn’t want to highlight the inexperience now, would we.
John Kerry couldnot have come close to number of flip flops John McCain has done over the past few months. After being against the tax cuts, off shore drilling, immigration reform John McCain has now reversed his positions on all of those issues.
Now reports are emerging that John McCain has decided on a VP but then John McCain say he hasn’t. Which one is it Senator? Have you or haven’t you?
On a more serious note, Karl Rove is reported to be playing a more important role in the McCain Campaign. Jonathan Martin of Politico.com reported that Karl Rove called Sen. Lieberman to ask him to withdraw his name from the pool of McCain’s VP hopefuls. I actually welcome this development for the simple reason that Karl Rove actually motivates Democrats and independents who want to be rid of his style of sleazy politics. If Senator McCain wants to set himself apart from Bush, he will also have to set himself apart from Karl Rove.
The GOP is feigning outrage at Obama’s decision to forego matching public funds for his campaign. Did the GOP or the McCain camp really, even for a moment, think that Obama camp would agree to public financing after the vast advantage they have had over McCain in fund raising. I mean who is being naive here?
It would be akin to fighting with one hand tied behind your back, especially with all the 527 groups getting their knives ready to stick in Obama’s back for upcoming fall campaign.
The Obama team is reportedly weighing Nunn and Edwards as his running mates .
Details are emerging that members of the Black and Hispanic Congressional caucuses are floating former Senator and Presidential candidate John Edwards name as a prospective running mate to Barack Obama.
I have mixed feeling about it. I absolutely love John Edwards as a person and his hard work in bringing up the issues of poverty and healthcare to the forefront during his presidential campaigns, but I highly doubt that Edwards will add any strength to the joint ticket either in terms of experience or electability. For some reason John Edwards is possibly the most likeable guy but nobody votes for him. He barely won his home state in 2004 and lost it this time.
I don’t think Edwards is going to help Obama, get the White blue collar vote.
John McCain just got sucker punched by Barack Obama. After months of going back and forth about whether he was going to accept public financing, as I am sure Senator McCain was hoping he would, Barack Obama finally comes out and refuses public financing giving himself the advantage of limitless spending.
If Obama-Hillary or Hillary-Obama ticket was considered a dream ticket at one time for the Democrats, I believe if Senator McCain really wanted to bring it on to Senator Obama he would pick the New York mayor as his running mate. I don’t think any republican ticket would have more appeal to independents, moderate Republicans and Democrats as these two.
Mayor Bloomberg brings decades of experience running a very successful business and that experience would go a long way in burnishing McCain’s credentials on economy. You would have two independently viable candidates with vast experience in economy and foreign policy
I think that would be something to get excited about.
For the Clinton supporters who have just seen their candidate vanquished in the primaries and are still licking their wounds and nursing their pride their are very few choices on the horizon.I liked all three candidates, I would have voted for any one of them any day. I finally decided to take the plunge aound Feburary and back Senator Clinton, and since then differences between Obama and Hillary have become increasingly glaring. She was much more experienced and brings so much more to the table then the other guy. If my reason for supporting Clinton were that she had much more experience I don’t think my reason should change now that she is no longer in the picture.
Which brings me to title of this blog I am trying to decide who between the two of them will do less damage to the country. My take on this so far is if McCain wins in 2008, given his age Clinton would be able to mount a good campaign in 2012 against him even if he is the incumbent. If Obama wins, he would have to be really good President, I mean better then JFK (given the current situation) for him to be able to run for a second term unchallenged within the Democratic Party. No average, can not do this time. I tend to believe that while democracy may suck it is the best form of government out there and their is no such thing as Utopia like Senator Obama would like us to believe. You need some of the the things that the people are criticising today, for government to function, to have a proper debate about issues and policies.
Here is my list of issues with the Obama campaign -
Lobbyists – Nothing has brought more shame to this profession then the likes of Jack Abramoff’s, Duke Cunnigham’s, but we would be naive to think that Washington could function without lobbyists. Lobbyists are an absolute necessity for the government to function as they provide a view(no matter how lopsided) into the functioning of a business. Businesses need lobbyist to explain to politicians how business works and vice versa. In their zeal to rid themselves of lobbyist both Obama and McCain are falling over each other to see who can get rid of the most, where anybody and everybody is being painted with the same brush and frankly it is starting to concern me.Everybody in Washington is a lobbyist at some time or the other. If you are a politician worth you mettle and have a cause you believe in you should become a lobbyist after you come out of politics in order to further that casue. Now I am not that naive to believe that all these people are saints but are n’t we getting carried away a little.You and I could be painted a lobbyist if we worked for the federal government and the private sector. This alone should not preclude one from working for any administration. It is getting to the point of being ridiculous where are lot of good people are being kicked out of their positions. I want smart people running the country not necessarily the untainted ones.
So for Senator Obama to make lobbyist a political issue gives me pause for two reasons – if we get rid of all the lobbyist we get rid of a lot of smart people and, if we don’t, and, let them play a role then the Senator is being disingenuous by making this a political issue while at the same time claiming to be above politics.
Inspiration – That is one word I am starting to get so tired off, if I hear it again I swear I will decide not to vote. No doubt Senator Obama is inspiring a lot of people, question is inspiring them to do what?? Never thought I would say this in my lifetime – a lot of his supporters are far left wing people who call themselves progressive and open minded yet refuse to listen to reason or have an amicable discussion. I couldn’t believe the kind of ridicule and hatred they spewed on Clinton supporter’s during the campaign. They believe that if you yell loud enough and drown out the other voices you would be somehow right. I am starting to believe if Obama wins, the next four years would bring an administration full of left wing ideologues and it may not be any different from the current one which also has a vast majority of ideologues. It stands to reason that the very loud small minority of the democratic party which with the help of the media refused to let Clinton make her case for the nomination would not allow any kind of sane reasonable discussions on any other issues before this country unless it is meshes with their agenda. In the same manner is which the right wing of the republican party made it impossible for any kind of reform on immigration policies I don’t believe the left would be any different. A vast majority of the independents is about to get shafted again.
Leadership: A lot of people have put forth their case comparing Obama to JFK and MLK, the case made ever so strongly by Caroline Kennedy and Ted Kennedy drawing the comparison themselves. With no small amount of trepidation in my heart I say the reason Kennedy has been so immortalised in history is because he lived for such a short time. Had Kennedy lived to finish his presidency and beyond I am not sure the world would be holding him in such high regard. While no doubt a great President, Kennedy also had a lot more experience in politics and government (6 yrs in House and 7 yrs in the Senate) as well as military career before he decided to run for President. Senator Obama doesn’t even come close. He is a great orator and speech writer but that is not the sole qualification for the job he is applying for.
A lot of people have tried to make a case by comparing how the military selects officers based on a certain criteria which they say Obama meets but here is my problem with that argument, yes Obama has a lot of leadership skills but is having a skill set only enough? The military does not select the officer based on the leadership skills displayed during the interview and put him in charge of 5000 men right away. Have we forgotten the time spent at West Point and process of promotions. This guy wants to run the country, no where else on this planet have I seen any country elect the most powerful person just on a prayer and a hope. I am honestly afraid for my future.
For those asking why I don’t hold Senator McCain to same standard – I have McCain’s career history to look at, in order to make my own decision, not so in Obama’s case.
Given all of the above points I am seriously considering if I would vote for Obama or McCain. My best case scenario is vote McCain at the top of the ticket and Democrat at the bottom. This will ensure that while we may have Republican president we will have a Democratic congress in order to ensure proper checks and balances.
Now if McCain really wanted to clinch my vote he would chose Bloomberg as his running mate.
I have been wondering for a long time why my girlfriend who is an avid Clinton supporter is against Obama so much. We have had quite a few disagreements since I have a favourable view of Obama. I have been intrigued by this anger and have been trying to find out what triggers it until today. She is not angry at Obama, any other time he would be her first choice. She is mad at Obama supporters, so called “Obamabots” because of the vile, hateful things they have been saying and writing about Hillary, her candidate of choice and it suddenly dawned on me that this Primary has become much more then a process to just elect a candidate. It has become war between their supporters to anoint their candidate of choice. I am starting to wonder if this would be good for the Democratic Party? Unlike the media I don’t think this is because of racism or gender but because each candidate’s supporters are so vested in their candidate emotionally as well as in terms of time and money.
Can’t say I am surprised by the recent uproar over Obama being labelled “Appeaser” by George Bush, but I am a little taken aback by how all the media bloggers and commentators have so over-simplified the statements and ideas. For anyone, especially if you have the intelligence to read and write a blog, to think that Obama would simply pick-up the phone the day he became the President and ring the Iranian President and go “Hey Ahmad, I understand you are angry with us and Israel, but why don’t you get on a plane and come on over to the White House and we can talk over coffee and croissants and see if we can find a solution to your problems.”, would have to be absolutely nuts. Even I understand that it would have to be more nuanced then that and I like to keep things really simple.
I believe I know that people don’t really think Obama means the above scenario when he says we should talk with our enemies, even Jimmy Carter didn’t go that far, and if we know that, then why don’t we give it a try. George Bush tried it with N.Korea as well as with Libya so why the ruckus over trying to talk to Iran. We are talking to them over the security situation in Iraq. Or is it that politics has become so partisan that we will shoot down any idea no matter how good just because it came from the other side.
If that is the case we will never solve any of our problems and I expected better from McCain.
With one of the first Super-delegate to declare his support for Sen Clinton leaving her ranks and declaring support for Barack Obama today, one will have to have ones head buried fairly deep in the sand not to see the writing on the wall and still think she could win the nomination. I am disappointed to see her lose but I guess it is now time to roll ones sleeves and get behind the party nominee and I would hope that her supporters would see past their own disappointment and rally behind Senator Obama. If any body is to be blamed for her lose it should be that idiot Mark Penn who was so stubborn and arrogant in his own view as to not see that the country was tired of the partisanship that has been wrought over the last eight years where a majority of the people (I say majority because I know their are a few who are very happy with status quo) have seen nothing get accomplished due to partisan bickering. My belief is that Mark Penn spent so much time preparing from the Karl Rove book that he completely missed the massive change that was going on across the country. I hope he rots in Washington’s version of purgatory, whatever that may be.
On to Obama, while I have always liked Obama and his message of change and have defended him in front of Clinton supporters I have always had this nagging fear that he is not experienced enough, not been in Washington long enough. Regardless of what people may say it is a necessary trait and an important requirement. It is not enough to say that you are willing to work across party lines, the important question is how if you don’t have a record to back it up. Working across party lines means give and take, make compromises on certain things without compromising the core issue. Senator Obama worked in a bipartisan way on the Ethics Reform bill, didn’t exactly turn out the was as one would have hoped.
So the next few months are going to be interesting and lets see how the Illinois Senator develops.
I am keeping my fingers crossed and hoping. So should you.
Welcome to my blog, a result of the 2008 Presidential election. Never have I been so involved in politics and learnt so much about myself and others, as I have during this campaign. I think there are no conservatives or liberals in the real world. They only exist on TV and radio.
I am a moderate and independent. I don’t believe that anything in this world is black and white. We are just not afforded the luxury of simplicity as everything lies somewhere in that grey area. There is some good and some evil, everything else is in the middle.
Therefore, I am for limited use of capital punishment, and for a women’s right to choose.
I am for those so called enhanced interrogation techniques, but not for legalizing then. I believe if their is truly that scenario of a ticking bomb, hey by all means.
I believe human behaviour is responsible for climate change. I am not sure that Global warming is the only result of it though, as I think it is too narrow a term to encompass everything we are doing to the environment.
I am a fiscal conservative and thereby for smaller government and fewer entitlements but do believe we need to pay our fair share of taxes, I just don’t want to see my taxes wasted by the government.
I am for open borders all across the world. If you are for free trade and a global economy and against immigration you are only avoiding the inevitable.
There are things you make agree with this on this blog and things you may not. If you agree great drop me a line, if you don’t, feel free to drop me a line and tell me why. I will give you a chance to change my mind or you can give me a chance to change yours.
1independenthinker
