For months I have listed off the reasons I believe Barack Obama is the best choice to be president of the United States. I have gone into the silly reasons people might not vote for him (think flag pin). Sometimes I have written about the serious accusations and my take on them. These posts are listed under Obama in the labels section.
None of the negative accusations (some particularly vicious) have changed my mind that he is the most promising person who has run for president in a long while. In the beginning, I did research them, still will look to see, if something is new and really ugly (think infanticide), what actually happened.
My belief in his promise is because of his education, wisdom, communication and organizational skills, common sense, and temperament. I like how he speaks the same whether it's a speech or talking to someone about an issue. I know they all have speech writers, but it feels like he works on his own words, not just delivers them. They are his ideas, not some witty writer's who has figured out what other people want to hear regardless of the truth of a position. It naturally helps that I mostly agree with him on the issues.
Normally a vice president is not considered to be a critical part of a presidential ticket, but it does speak to the presidential candidate's judgment. It reassured me when Obama had the foresight to look toward the actual running of the country and chose a real partner in Joe Biden, a person who could take over should something horrible happen. I liked it that he didn't chose someone who could help him win as much as who could help him govern if he won. Winning the office and failing doesn't benefit anyone and he saw that.
Biden is not known for charisma, nor is he from a big state. He is a work horse and that is what Obama decided he needed. Biden knows the Washington scene and has tools that Obama can use. Good judgment, which he has shown putting together his entire campaign, earned Obama another plus in my book.
On the other side, John McCain, despite his age and past health problems, went the other way when he chose Sarah Palin. They are calling it a Hail Mary pass that worked but the question of how it would work if she should become president, that's the harder question to answer. He chose someone that, unless you believe god rules this earth with a tight fist, you would know didn't have the experience or temperament (pit bulls are what we need in the presidency?) to instantly step into the most powerful position in our country. What does his choice say about McCain? I wrote about that in Loose Cannon for President?
I have gone into the issues of why I would not vote for Sarah Palin (wouldn't even want to know her personally). I don't like people who bully others or use their power to enforce their will. From what I can tell, she's proud of being aggressive and an attacker. She bullied a librarian about banning books (although the librarian proved her mettle in not backing down). She bullied people as governor to get her brother-in-law fired. She is being investigated for misuse of power. Unless you were in her church, she'd be a disaster in a neighborhood, can you imagine what she would do in the presidency?
Watching Palin and getting to know more about her personal side, it's pretty obvious that McCain chose her for a reason beyond the obvious. He has a reputation for bullying people and apparently admires that skill in others. What some of us might see as a major character flaw, not only didn't matter to McCain but was a plus.
Then there are some other things about her that keep coming up. One is did Sarah Palin have an affair with her husband's business partner, an affair that ended his marriage but not her own? If she had a hushed up affair, would it matter to the religious right? Would she have not told McCain or given his history, would it matter to him? This would make it look possible: Here we go.
In the 'tabloid' world, there are other more unlikely scandals connected to Palin. When I first heard about the possibility that the baby born in the spring was not Sarah Palin's but her daughter, Bristol's, I thought the talk should be filed under silly. How do you fake such a huge event? I know it happens. Jack Nicholson has said he only found out when he was grown that his sister was really his mother. Still, weren't things like that a lot easier to fake back then than they would be today?
Just out of curiosity, I did a Google search: palin baby birth. There are some elements that could make one suspicious if one was the conspiracy sort and believed rigid fundamentalists would put their families second to their reputation. Would it matter even if it was true or would it come under the category of personal family business as is how they are dealing with their daughter's suddenly public pregnancy?
For me there are enough reasons to not vote for Sarah Palin based on her christianism, her shallow grasp of what is going on in the world, her willingness to lie to get more power, her pride in being a pit bull; but those things not only didn't matter to Republicans at that convention but explained some of their biggest cheers.
[Update: Today also, Sylvia has published a blog with a lot of information about Sarah Palin from someone who lives in Alaska. Please check it out: back to the same. This is no time to feel things depress us or we don't need to know. Right now is when we DO need to know and be prepared to defend what we believe to others who might be uncertain.]
Republicans apparently wanted someone divisive and willing to smear others whether it's with lies or not. Do what it takes but win and we don't care how! *loud cheers* It seems they take pride in it. Lies haven't mattered when it was Bush.
McCain talked about bringing the country together, and he might mean to do that right after he finishes smearing Obama and the left in order to win. Can someone really unite a country right after they tear it apart?
The next few blogs will veer away from politics (none too soon obviously). I want to write about what my recent vacation meant to me. It was all so fast with a lot to experience, not a lot of time to fully soak it in, but the feelings and images are strong, some archetypal, wonderful photos. I could spend a month in that country and still might not feel I could do it justice when I tried to winnow it down to a few words and pictures. It's simply too big.
I will, however, be back on politics (interjecting sooner if something happens where I feel a need to comment). As we head toward November, I want to write on issues and hear back what others (agree or disagree) think. This is a critical time for us all to speak out.
As others have written, even I, who generally find it interesting, am sick of politics, and will be glad when the election is past; however, we can't afford to give it up just yet. We can't grow lax. We have to hold onto our passion. There are two paths out there, one of which I believe would be destructive for many generations to come.
It will matter.
7 comments:
You hit on something that I was thinking about too, that McCain and Palin are bullies. They have no substantive arguments, so they just shove people around for the sheer joy of power. I actually hope that Sarah Palin did have an affair with her husband's business partner (who has just rather suspiciously had his divorce papers sealed), at least it would confirm the ugly inside of a superficial beauty queen.
In the bigger picture, electing another republican administration will definitely speed us along on the road to annihilation.
Looking forward to your vacation pics. And thanks, rain, for doing all of this political writing. I appreciate it immensely.
Great piece as always! We all have to do what we think is best and writing is one way that, hopefully, we can help others be more informed. Heaven knows we need all the information about this election that we can find.
As usual a great post. Thanks for keeping us informed.
One more thing on Palin's likelihood of becoming president if McCain is elected. I went looking and found his dad died at 70 and granddad at 61. Although we have better treatments for heart disease today, that might be a better indicator for McCain's lifespan than his mother who is still spry for her age in her 90s.
I just watched a video of Obama's reaction to all of the lies of the Republicans. I loved hearing him say that the old political games are a thing of the past. He wants to hear what the Republicans will do for our citizens in health care, finding jobs and so on. I am eager to go out and talk to my neighbors with the campaigns ist of issues in hand. My paintings visualizing how Obama will overcome the attacks are for another time when this election is history.
Apparently many Americans like bullying, and vitriolic lies over discussing issues. The Republicans appear to have great success in demonizing and Swift Boating the other candidates. It totally depresses me.
Anonymous, I have not considered tolerance to automatically be a virtue. When blacks were denied drinking at water fountains because of their race, was tolerance a virtue?
In someone's own era, sometimes it's hard to see what should be tolerated as just a difference. Tolerance in the broader population (or fear) is part and parcel of those burning a witch, torturing a possible criminal, or taking away the rights of others.
Tolerance is one of those words often misused. I would have tolerance for someone who was different than me and yet didn't hurt others. When they hurt others through their ignorance or greed then I have zero tolerance.
The problem our country faces is we disagree when tolerance is needed. I wouldn't even use the word tolerance, because I see it as a basic human right, for homosexuals to be permitted to marry (not in your church but with a pastor or judge who believes as I do). I wouldn't call that tolerance because it just seems like common sense. I watched Republican delegates try to explain why it's okay to deny homosexuals such rights on the Daily Show clip and it was okay because they could marry someone of the opposite sex... say what???
But my tolerance for banning books from public libraries is down to low or zero. Librarians are trained to know what is trash and let them put in the libraries books from any philosophy of life that they feel has merit for someone (if not me) to read.
To be honest, I don't like the word tolerance much and probably would not ever choose it as a word to describe myself about anything.
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