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McCain’s GOP Convention Speech

Published
by
Albert
on September 4, 2008
in McCain
. 11 Comments

McCain’s speech is pretty good so far. The video prior to his speech was too much though, I admire John McCain so much for turning down early release to stay with his fellow soldiers as a POW, but I really don’t think it has much to do with him being president.

That’s why I like his speech so far - he’s talking about now, and his plans for presidency. His sincerity is clear, and his delivery has been on the subject. Ha! He mentioned he fought lobbyist who stole from Native American tribes (ahem, Jack Abramoff, who received a reduced sentenced today). Thankfully, he hasn’t plugged eBay (yet).

I believe that McCain can get things done in Washington - its impressive that he even won the republican nomination. I know a lot of republicans who don’t like him, so tonight he seems to be catering a bit to ensure party support. No judges that legislate from the bench, school vouchers, pro-life, drilling, etc. So much for being a maverick! Maybe these are his views, but I would prefer if he talked more about his plans for cutting pork barrel spending, responsibly finish the military conflict in Iraq, secure Afghanistan, and fixing the national debt. While I’m not opposed to drilling, I don’t think it will really help as much as people think it will. I’m also not opposed to nuclear power, wind, or solar, and think that they are all steps in the right direction. When it comes to oil, its obvious that it can be used as an energy source. Why not use up the rest of the world’s oil before the US reserves?

What are people saying that they don’t like about McCain? That he loves war. While he supported increasing troops in Iraq, I’ve been led to believe that he has opposed conflicts in the past - like in Beirut. He’s old and out of touch. Being “in touch” is inherently a subjective concept - even a popularity contest doesn’t equate with being in touch. Yes, McCain is 72, but his mother is alive and well. I’m 32, and I’ve had the luck of spending a lot of time with my grandparents, and I found that while their age put them out of touch with evolving trends, their experience showed them a very real picture which could be seen only over a span of time.

Wow - McCain’s words about war and peace were *very* impressive to me.

Unfortunately, McCain went on to explain how his experience as a POW ignited his love for his country, but I believe that most people (myself included) already understand that he loves his country, and would be much more interested in what changes he has in plan for Washington.

Palin Convention Speech

Published
by
Albert
on September 3, 2008
in McCain and Palin
. 15 Comments

Sarah Palin is a great speaker, but I’m not totally thrilled with her speech so far - she’s spent a long time telling a story, which while entertaining, doesn’t tell me much her plans for Vice President of the United States. I am sure that her executive experience as a mayor and governor of Alaska has been valuable, but the sheer size difference between the population of Alaska to the United States is a little like comparing paddling a row boat and captaining an oil tanker, no pun intended.

I have a ton of respect for McCain, and thought he might make a good president, but I’m not sure if Palin was the best choice. She seems like a great person, but as a Vice President? Is the renegade, wild card the right strategy to “shake-up” Washington?

The one liner which impressed me was: “there are politicians who use change to advance their careers, and there are politicians who use their careers to create change” [paraphrased]. Nicely put.

The eBay twist is very, very strange, to me, and in my humble opinion a very bad idea.

Bristol Palin




Published
by
Albert
on September 1, 2008
in Sarah Palin
. 5 Comments

CNN is reporting that Bristol Palin, the 17 year old daughter of McCain’s VP choice of Sarah Palin, is 5 months pregnant.

The McCain spokesperson cited in the report also said that she will keep the baby and marry the father.

Does this really matter? There was a few comments that struck me as odd: the McCain spokesperson said that it didn’t matter, that families sometimes face challenges, and that this family was supportive of their daughter’s situation. Also, they asked the media to respect her privacy. Is that fair to ask of the media? Doesn’t the American public deserve to know? If they do deserve to know, and the Palin family does not want to let them, is it appropriate for her to have accepted the invitation to run for Vice President of the United States?

Obama’s Speech

Published
by
Albert
on August 29, 2008
in Barack Obama
. 17 Comments

What did I think?

I really liked Barack Obama’s speech - especially when he said that his candidacy was about us, not about him. I was hoping he’d say something along those lines, and I thought his word choice was excellent.

Like many others I’m sure, I’m glad Obama got down to business with some clarity about his plan. I liked that he expressed a willingness to work with all lawmakers, and I like that he made a concerted effort to connect with the general public, even if it came across as a little awkward at times.

After last night’s speech, I’m still not sure who I’m voting for (I want to hear what McCain has to say), but I have a gut feeling that Obama will win the presidential election in November.

What did you think?

Like it? Hate it? Share your opinions and post a comment!

GO AMERICA!




Published
by
Albert
on August 28, 2008
in Barack Obama
. 5 Comments

Its so great to see people get amped up about something, and that’s why I’m liking the Barack Obama campaign at the moment. Its so important for citizens to get involved with their government, that it really is helpful when a leader is inspirational.

There is still so much to learn about Obama, and at this point, the fact that so many people are getting excited about his candidacy is a great start.

A lot of success is defined by being the right person, at the right place, at the right time, and it looks like Barack is that person at this moment in time.

It will be very interesting to see how John McCain counters the Obama momentum (and who he’s chosen for VP)!

Congratulations Barack Obama

Published
by
Albert
on August 27, 2008
in Barack Obama and Convention
. 0 Comments

It’s official! Hey, Hillary said it was official, so it must be! Just taking a quick jab - as I heard on the radio, a lot of people are thinking that Hillary hopes Barack looses so that she can cinch the 2012 election. Who knows?

Regardless, the party is starting to unify behind Barack and Biden, in hopes of taking them to the next level. There is still a long, tough road ahead, and the ads are just getting nastier. As far as party unity goes, the Republicans have a lot of fuel to feed the fire of Democratic fractures, while on the other hand, the runners up to the nomination have been unified behind McCain for quite some time. Consider how quickly Mitt Romney pulled out of the race? Was that to secure a position as VP? Or was it party loyalty?

We’ll soon find out as the Republicans meet for their convention in about a week to name their choice. In the meantime, we get to hear from Hillary’s other half, Wild Billy Clinton.

Does Hillary Still Matter?

Published
by
Albert
on August 26, 2008
in Barack Obama and Clinton
. 0 Comments

Hillary Clinton spoke at the Democratic National Convention tonight, and I have to wonder, does she still matter? While I didn’t see her entire speech, it seemed like she focused more on Bill Clinton than Obama. Was that the right thing to do?

In the end, Clinton asked for party unity, asking for her supporters to unite behind Obama and Biden. Do they still trust her? Do they feel like she let them down, or do they feel like Barack Obama dissed her?

Obama / Biden Ticket

Published
by
Albert
on August 25, 2008
in Barack Obama and Joe Biden
. 1 Comment

Its already old news that Barack Obama has chosen Joe Biden as his running mate. I don’t know too much about Senator Biden, but I know he has somehow made a good impression on me at some point in the past.

In trying to find more information about him, I’m using these resources:

http://biden.senate.gov/ - Note, you need Flash to view this site. That disappoints me, I don’t think a government sponsored website should be a marketing platform.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Biden

What do you think of Obama’s choice? What do you think about Joe Biden in general?

New Yorker Cover Revisited

Published
by
Albert
on July 20, 2008
in Barack Obama
. 4 Comments

I think I figured it out. Why am I offended, and the press keeps saying its not a big deal? Let me make it clear - I’m offended because:

* I find the base concept of our flag being burned in the Whitehouse fireplace offensive
* The idea of a picture of Osama bin Laden on the wall of the Oval Office makes me sick

I personally find the portrayal of Barack and his wife less offensive but still extremely distasteful, I can understand why they would find their caricatures offensive, and I love that people are free in this country to print this type of stuff, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like them.

Some people find video games offensive, some people find rap music offensive, some people find modern art offensive, some people find the violence on television and in movies offensive, but I find that cover of the New Yorker offensive, maybe for different reasons than some might think.

Calling Foul

Published
by
Albert
on July 14, 2008
in Barack Obama
. 6 Comments

Many find this cover of The New Yorker offensive:

2008-new-yorker-bad-cover.jpg

(Note: This isn’t the original. I doctored it up a bunch to try and make it less offensive.)

I do too. I don’t like to think about a potential United States President as having a burning flag in their fire place, even if its meant in jest. My guess is that enough wheels will squeak that The New Yorker will reconsider its actions.

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