on the Shields and Yellowstone rivers.

Being in Montana during the Democratic Convention, I received limited coverage of the speeches and events. There was supposed to be television at this little cabin on the Shields and Yellowstone rivers, but it turned out there was not. So I heard what happened through words in newspapers and blogs, through the insights of others. I will likely watch some of the speeches on YouTube when I am back with something more than slow speed dial-up connections.

There really aren't even a lot of talk radio programs where I have been, and those found by careful cycling through the stations were Limbaugh oriented. You know how they see any Democratic Convention or at least say they did because of their own power agendas.

After 8 years of Bush, I have lost a lot of faith in the average voter to look at the issues, to go beyond cute speeches or smiles to the meat of the discussion. Pretty much Democrats have lost elections before when they talked too much about their program details which some would have Obama do to reach those voters he won't get anyway. All of the details to his programs are on his website and elsewhere online but there are still those who claim that he doesn't have any. They are the ones who didn't want to look and likely wouldn't understand it if they did.

Then we have the supposed Hillary Clinton supporters who, as she so astutely pointed out in her Convention speech, appear to be only caring about her (make that themselves) as some have claimed they will vote for McCain over their sour grapes (tip: beauty isn't enhanced by sour expressions... okay so they don't care about beauty).

I read one of those women who was asked how she could vote for McCain since he has the stand he does on abortion. She said he wasn't in favor of overturning Roe v Wade. She was going by a speech he made in 1999 not any of his positions or votes since-- certainly not his choice for Vice-president. Make no mistake, the only consistent thing about him is who he will appoint for judges (it only takes one more) who will overturn that judicial decision, sending it back to the states and women, in many of those states, to back alleys. Many today may not remember those years but I grew up in them. It can happen and if McCain has his way, it will happen.

There are several elderly justices who likely will be replaced in the next four years either through retiring or dying. If McCain has the power, he would appoint a Robert Bork. McCain will enhance government power and despite the few things he said earlier about not liking torture, he has turned his campaign over to Karl Rove (a deal with the devil). It will be Bush III (with a likely addition of a draft again) if he gets in; so how does a Hillary supporter vote for him?

Some might be racism. I read one person who said how arrogant Obama was. Well guess what, mister, all politicians at that level have arrogance of one sort or another. Does it offend you so much because this one is half black? Some might be ignorance. Some is as wishful thinking as to what McCain will do. I read a lot of revenge talk. Some might be getting all their news from Fox.

One blogger, Maya's Granny's daughter, who writes her own blog Thinking About (bookmarked alongside here) said they watched Hillary's speech; then turned to see what Fox would say about it and they totally interpreted it differently; so for the fox mind-numbed, that's all they will know about it-- what the Rovians wanted them to know.

Whatever it is with those planning to vote for McCain, I hope they take a long deep breath and do some research before they do so. If it's all about taxes, how long do they think we can keep borrowing to fight these wars? Do they believe McCain really has a secret plan to solve the deficit problem? If so, please refer to Nixon's secret plan to end the Vietnam war but instead dragged it on more years (years that McCain spent in captivity) and for what? For losing it anyway! Secret plans often end up the same way.

I hope that people considering McCain will look long and hard at his actual record, his temperament, his character (go back some for both his and from where the money came that pays for his lavish lifestyle where he doesn't even know what anything costs because it's covered by his wife), and then what Obama himself says, his issues, what he can inspire others to do. Then vote on proven character and the issues, not on racism or wishful thinking.

I will be limited on getting online (or rather don't know when I can; so I hope that all who have thoughts on this will put them freely in comments-- even when disagreeing. Thoughtful discourse is the road to meaningful democracy.

All photos are from the cabin and its immediate surroundings. The fish on a line was on Farm Boss's not mine, and he only does catch and release; so it swam off possibly with more wisdom for what was good to eat.